Could the Centurion's Servant be his Son?

[alcuin18]

Hello. This question is relevant to a story I’m working on, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

In Matthew 8:6, could the Greek word used for the centurion’s ‘servant’, παῖς, possibly mean his son? I looked through a list of English translations and all translate the word as ‘servant’ except the Wycliffe Bible, which says ‘child’. However, according to Strong's Greek: 3816. παῖς (pais) -- a child, boy, youth , the Greek word can also mean a child or boy, and is used in that way in other verses. Does this just mean that the servant was a young boy, or could it also possibly have the implication that the boy was the centurion’s son?

Thanks for your help, God bless!

 

[PatK63]

I can go with that. I doubt anyone knows.
It is obvious it is someone the officer loved. If it fits your purpose say that it was his son!

 

[Zach]

Also in John 4:46-54 it is the royal official’s son. This most likely came from the same oral sources and traditions as the Matthew and Luke text. This might add support that it’s also the son in Matthew.

 

[BartholomewB]

“Pais” can certainly sometimes mean “son”, though it can be difficult to tell, in a given context, which meaning is intended. On the one hand, “boy” in Greek could mean a servant, as it can in English as well, in certain special cases. A busboy in a restaurant, for instance, can be any age. On the other hand, the usual word for “son” in Greek is “huios”, though “pais” can be used as well. For instance, in John 4:46-54, the miracle of the royal official’s son, the word “son” or “child” appears six times. In Greek, the word is “huios” four times and “pais” two times. This episode in John may possibly be another version of the miracle of the centurion’s son, though the scholars argue about that.

46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son (huios) was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son (huios): for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child (pais) die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son (huios) liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him , saying, Thy son (pais) liveth. 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son (huios) liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

https://biblehub.com/kjv/john/4.htm

 

[alcuin18]

Thank you all for your great replies! I wasn’t aware of the story of the royal official’s son being healed in John 4, thank you for making me aware of it, it certainly lends credibility to my story idea.

If anyone else has any imput I would greatly appreciate it!