Luke 18:16

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
called	προσεκαλέσατο prosekalesato	G4341	to call toward oneself · verb — aorist middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
them	αὐτὰ auta	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural neuter
said	ἔπω épō	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing)
Suffer	ἄφετε aphete	G863	an intensive form of · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person plural
little children	παιδία paidia	G3813	a childling (of either sex) · noun — accusative plural neuter
to come	ἔρχεσθαι erchesthai	G2064	to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — present middle or passive deponent infinitive
unto	πρός pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
me	με me	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person accusative singular
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
forbid	κωλύετε kōluete	G2967	to estop · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
them	αὐτά· auta	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural neuter
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
for	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
of such	τοιούτων toioutōn	G5108	truly this · demonstrative pronoun — genitive plural neuter
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
the kingdom	βασιλεία basileia	G932	properly · noun — nominative singular feminine
of God	θεοῦ. theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Matthew 18:3-4 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
1 Corinthians 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
Deuteronomy 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may l…
1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclea…
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Genesis 21:4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Acts 2:39 For 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.
Deuteronomy 29:11 Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 18:15-17

This passage of story we had both in Matthew and Mark; it very fitly follows here after the story of the publican, as a confirmation of the truth which was to be illustrated by that parable, that those shall be accepted with God, and honoured, who humble themselves, and for them Christ has blessings in store, the choicest and best of blessings. Observe here, 1. Those who are themselves blessed in Christ should desire to have their children also blessed in him, and should hereby testify the true honour they have for Christ, by their making use of him, and the true love they have for their children, by their concern about their souls. They brought to him infants, very young, not able to go, su…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 18:16

But Jesus--"much displeased," says Mark (Mar 10:14); and invaluable addition. said--"SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME"--"AND FORBID THEM NOT," is the important addition of Matthew (Mat 19:14) and Mark (Mar 10:14). What words are these from the lips of Christ! The price of them is above rubies. But the reason assigned, "FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD," or "of heaven," as in Mat 19:14, completes the previous information here conveyed; especially as interpreted by what immediately follows: "AND HE TOOK THEM UP IN HIS ARMS, PUT HIS HANDS UPON THEM, AND BLESSED THEM" (Mar 10:16). It is surely not to be conceived that all our Lord meant was to inform us, that seeing grown people mus…

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Adam Clarke on Luke 18:15

They brought unto him also infants - On these verses the reader is requested to consult the notes on Mat 19:13 (note), Mat 19:14 (note), and on Mar 10:16 (note). When a spiritual guide (a gooroo) visits his disciple, the latter takes his child to him for his blessing, forcing the head of the child down to the gooroo's feet, who gives what is called his blessing in some such words as these, Live long! - Be learned! - Be rich!

John Gill on Luke 18:16

The Church Fathers

Hence our Lord pointedly says, of such, not "of these," to show that to character, not to age, is the kingdom given, and to such as have a childlike innocence and simplicity is the promise of the reward.
— Bede ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

But Jesus, calling them, said: Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them. For of such is the kingdom of God. He significantly said "of such," not "of these ones," to show that it is not age that reigns, but manners, and that the reward is promised to those who have similar innocence and simplicity. The Apostle also agrees with this sentiment: Brothers, do not be children in understanding, but be infants in malice. In understanding, however, be perfect.
— Bede, On the Gospel of Luke

Why does he say that children are fit for the kingdom of heaven? Perhaps it is because they do not know spitefulness, have not learned to deceive, dare not strike back, neglect to search for wealth, and do not work after honor and ambition.… Childhood is not meant, but rather goodness rivaling childlike simplicity. It is not a virtue to be unable to sin, but to be unwilling to do so and to retain perseverance of will, so that the will imitates childhood and the person imitates nature.
— Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Luke

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Child — This word has considerable latitude of meaning in Scripture. Thus Joseph is called a child at the time when he was probably about sixteen years of age (Gen. 37:3); and Benjamin is so called when he…
Pharisees — Separatists (Heb. persahin, from parash, “to separate”). They were probably the successors of the Assideans (i.e., the “pious”), a party that originated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in revolt…
Chiding · .For forbidding children to be brought to him — .For forbidding children to be brought to him
Kingdom Of Heaven · Children of the — Children of the

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Luke 18:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 18:15-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 18:16

Adam Clarke on Luke 18:15

John Gill on Luke 18:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Luke 18:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 18:15-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 18:16

Adam Clarke on Luke 18:15

John Gill on Luke 18:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Luke 18:15-17

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Luke 18:15-17