And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them,
- BSB Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
- NKJV Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,
- NASB And He called a child to Himself and set him among them,
- NLT Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.
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 places a little child in the midst of the disciples as a living lesson. The lowly child becomes the surprising model of kingdom greatness.
Overview
In a culture where children had little social standing, Jesus' object lesson is striking. By setting a child before them he prepares to teach that the kingdom belongs to the humble and dependent. The action embodies the upside-down values of the kingdom he proclaims.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Matt 19:13–14Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
- 1 Kgs 3:7And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
- Mark 9:36–37And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
- Jer 1:7But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 18:2 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
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