Word Study for G3811 (παιδεύω)

paideúō /pahee-dyoo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom παῖς

Meaningto train up a child, i.e. educate, or (by implication), discipline (by punishment)

KJV usagechasten(-ise), instruct, learn, teach.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of paideúō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word paideúō, represented by G3811, carries a dual meaning of education and disciplinary action. Its base definition is "to train up a child, i.e. educate, or (by implication), discipline (by punishment)". Appearing 15 times in 13 unique verses, it encompasses a spectrum from gentle instruction to corrective chastening.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G3811 is applied in both educational and disciplinary contexts. It describes the intellectual and cultural training of key figures, such as Moses who was "learned" G3811 in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Acts 7:22 and Paul who was "taught" G3811 according to the law Acts 22:3. Conversely, it signifies corrective punishment, as when Pilate declares he will "chastise" G3811 Jesus before releasing him Luke 23:16. The Lord himself "chasteneth" G3811 those He loves, a process distinct from the condemnation of the world (Hebrews 12:6, 1 Corinthians 11:32).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the scope and purpose of G3811:

G3809 paideía (chastening, instruction, nurture): As the noun form, it refers to the tutelage or disciplinary correction itself, which believers are called to endure as a sign of sonship Hebrews 12:7.
G1651 elénchō (rebuke, reprove): This word for verbal admonishment is directly paired with G3811 to show a fuller picture of God's corrective action: "I rebuke G1651 and chasten G3811" Revelation 3:19.
G3146 mastigóō (to scourge): Used alongside G3811, this term points to a more severe form of discipline, highlighting the seriousness of God's fatherly training: "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth G3811, and scourgeth G3146 every son whom he receiveth" Hebrews 12:6.
G3340 metanoéō (repent): This represents the desired outcome of being chastened. After the Lord chastens, the call is to "be zealous therefore, and repent G3340" Revelation 3:19.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3811 is significant, defining aspects of God's character and His relationship with believers.

Discipline as Divine Love: Far from being a sign of rejection, chastening is presented as a direct expression of God's fatherly love and a mark of legitimate sonship Hebrews 12:6-7.
Purpose of Holiness: The ultimate goal of divine discipline is not merely to punish, but to produce spiritual profit and holiness in the believer Hebrews 12:10. It is a form of teaching that instructs us to deny G720 ungodliness G763 Titus 2:12.
Corrective Learning: Discipline serves a didactic purpose. In some cases, individuals are subjected to it "that they may learn G3811 not to blaspheme G987" 1 Timothy 1:20, showing its function is to lead to repentance G3341 and a change of behavior 2 Timothy 2:25.

Summary

In summary, G3811 is a multifaceted term that moves beyond simple punishment. It bridges the concepts of education, instruction, and corrective discipline. Whether describing the training of Moses or the chastening of a believer, paideúō consistently points to a purposeful process designed to shape an individual for a specific end—ultimately, for relationship with God and participation in His holiness.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 13 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Subjunctive 3rd Plural 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×
Present Passive Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 13 verses across 9 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Hebrews (3 verses); never once in the other 18.

Luke

Acts

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Hebrews

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.