Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked 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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 10:13–16And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
- Luke 18:15–17And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
- Matt 18:2–5And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
- Acts 2:39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
- 1 Cor 7:14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
- Gen 48:1And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Jer 32:39And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
- Ps 115:14–15The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
- Gen 48:9–20And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
- Luke 9:54–55And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
- Matt 20:31And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
- 1 Sam 1:24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
- Matt 16:22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
- Luke 9:49–50And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 19:13 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.