Christian Standard Bible
Matthew 18:12
12What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray?
Matthew 18:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
- New International Version (NIV)“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?
- English Standard Version (ESV)What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
Context of Matthew 18:12
10“See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Read all of Matthew 18Matthew 18:12 word by word
Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ἀφήσει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Howτίςtis · which?G5101
- thinkδοκέωdokeō · to thinkG1380
- yeσύsu · youG4771
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- aτιςtis · oneG5100
- manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- haveγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- an hundredἑκατόνhekaton · hundredG1540
- sheepπρόβατονprobaton · sheepG4263
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- be gone astrayπλανάωplanaō · to lead astrayG4105
- doth heἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
- notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
- leaveἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
- the ninety and nineἐνενήκονταennenēkontaennea · ninetyG1768
- and goethπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
- intoἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the mountainsὄροςoros · mountainG3735
- and seekethζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
Cross-references for Matthew 18:12
- Matthew 21:28“What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’
- Matthew 22:42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “David’s.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:15I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying.
- Matthew 12:11He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?
- Psalms 119:176I wander like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commands.
- Isaiah 53:6We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.
- Jeremiah 50:6My people were lost sheep; their shepherds led them astray, guiding them the wrong way in the mountains. They wandered from mountain to hill; they forgot their resting place.
- Ezekiel 34:16I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.
- Luke 15:4“What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?
- John 10:11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
- 1 Peter 2:25For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
- 1 Kings 21:17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:
- Ezekiel 34:6My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and there was no one searching or seeking for them.
Commentaries on Matthew 18:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains - So our common translation reads the verse; others, Doth he not leave the ninety and nine Upon The Mountains, and go, etc. This latter reading appears to me to be the best; because, in Luke 15:4, it is said, he leaveth the ninety and nine In The Desert. The allusion, therefore, is to a shepherd feeding his sheep on the mountains, in the desert; not seeking the lost one On the mountains…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12-14Verses 12-14 To show still further the reason why we should not despise Christians, he introduced a parable showing the joy felt when a thing lost is found. A shepherd rejoices over the recovery of one of his flock that had wandered more than over all that remained; so God rejoices that man is restored: so he seeks his salvation, and wills that not one thus found should perish. If God thus loves and preserves the redeemed, then surely man should not…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 Considering the cunning and malice of Satan, and the weakness and depravity of men's hearts, it is not possible but that there should be offences. God permits them for wise and holy ends, that those who are sincere, and those who are not, may be made known. Being told before, that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors, and bad examples, let us stand on our guard. We must, as far as lawfully we may, part with what we cannot keep without…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Just as a shepherd works to find a lost sheep, we must not despise or ignore the “little ones” (Matthew 18:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1312-13. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, &c.--This is another of those pregnant sayings which our Lord uttered more than once. See on the delightful parable of the lost sheep in Lu 15:4-7. Only the object there is to show what the good Shepherd will do, when even one of His sheep is lost, to find it; here the object is to show, when found, how reluctant He is to lose it. Accordingly, it is added,Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 18:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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