But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,
- KJV And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
- NKJV And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him,
- NASB But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side,
- NLT But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, sets a little child beside Him. He uses a child to teach the true measure of greatness.
Overview
Jesus perceives the prideful reasoning of their hearts, showing His insight into the inner person. By placing a child at His side, He prepares an object lesson that overturns their notions of greatness. The act signals that the kingdom values the lowly and overlooked.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 139:23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
- Luke 5:22Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
- John 16:30Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”
- 1 Cor 14:20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- John 2:25He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
- Heb 4:13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
- Rev 2:23Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
- Matt 9:4But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?
- Ps 139:2You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.
- Matt 19:13–15Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
- 1 Pet 2:1–2Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
- John 21:17Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
- Mark 10:14–15But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
- Luke 7:39–40When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”
- Jer 17:10I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- Matt 18:2–4Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 9:47 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.