Then 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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then little children were brought to him, that he should lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
- KJV Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
- NKJV Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
- NASB Then some children were brought to Him so that He would lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
- NLT One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
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
Children are brought to Jesus for blessing, but the disciples rebuke those who bring them. The scene sets up Jesus' welcome of the little ones into his arms.
Overview
Parents seek Jesus' touch and prayer for their children, while the disciples, still misjudging greatness, try to turn them away. Their rebuke contradicts Jesus' earlier teaching on receiving little ones. The episode prepares for Jesus to affirm that the kingdom belongs to such as these, displaying his tender grace toward the lowly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Mark 10:13–16Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
- Luke 18:15–17Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
- Matt 18:2–5Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
- Acts 2:39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
- 1 Cor 7:14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
- Gen 48:1Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Jer 32:39I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
- Ps 115:14–15May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
- Gen 48:9–20Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
- Luke 9:54–55When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
- Matt 20:31The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
- 1 Sam 1:24Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
- Matt 16:22Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!”
- Luke 9:49–50“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
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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.'
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Original language
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