and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’ ?”
Parallel translations
- WEB and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?’”
- KJV And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
- BSB “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
- NASB and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”
- NLT They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’”
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 defends the children's praise by quoting Psalm 8, that God has perfected praise from infants. He affirms that the children's worship is fitting and divinely ordained.
Overview
Citing Psalm 8:2, Jesus endorses the children's praise as the very worship God ordains and even applies to himself a text about praise due to God. This both vindicates the children and makes a striking claim to his own deity. It underscores that true worship often comes from the humble and lowly rather than the proud and learned.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 8:2From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
- Matt 11:25At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
- Luke 19:39–40Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
- Matt 12:3But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;
- Matt 19:4He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,
- Mark 2:25He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry — he, and those who were with him?
- Matt 22:31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
- Acts 4:16–18saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it.
- John 11:47–48The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
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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 21:16 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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