And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
- BSB And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
- NKJV Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
- NASB And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me;
- NLT “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.
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
To welcome one such humble child in Jesus' name is to welcome Jesus himself. How we treat the lowly reflects our reception of Christ.
Overview
Receiving a child, or a humble believer represented by the child, is to receive Jesus, who identifies with the lowly. This raises care for the insignificant to an act done to Christ (compare Matthew 25:40). It calls the community to honor those the world overlooks.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 25:40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
- John 13:20Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
- Mark 9:37Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
- Gal 4:14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
- Luke 9:48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
- Luke 17:1–2Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
- Matt 10:40–42He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
- Matt 25:45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
- Mark 9:41For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 18:5 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.