Matthew 18:4

Matthew 18:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Context of Matthew 18:4

2He called a small child and had him stand among them. 3“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child — this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me. 6“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 18:4 word by word

ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whosoeverὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• shall humbleταπεινόωtapeinoō · to humbleG5013
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• little childπαιδίονpaidion · childG3813
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• greatestμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
• of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for Matthew 18:4

• Matthew 23:11The greatest among you will be your servant.
• Psalms 131:1Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too wondrous for me.
• Isaiah 57:15For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.
• Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
• 1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
• James 4:10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
• Matthew 18:1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
• Matthew 20:26It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
• Mark 10:43But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,
• Luke 9:48He told them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For whoever is least among you — this one is great.”

Commentaries on Matthew 18:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself - So great is the disparity between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdoms of this world, that there is no way of rising to honors in the former, but by humility of mind, and continual self-abasement. The same is greatest - Thus our Lord shows them that they were all equal, and that there could be no superiority among them, but what must come from the deepest humility; he intimates also, that wherever this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-6Verses 1-6 See also Mark 9:33-41; Luke 9:46-50. Who is the greatest in the kingdom, of heaven? - By the kingdom of heaven they meant the kingdom which they supposed he was about to set up - his kingdom as the Messiah. They asked the question because they supposed, in accordance with the common expectation of the Jews, that he was about to set up a temporal kingdom of great splendor, and they wished to know who should have the principal offices, and posts…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-35This fourth major teaching in Matthew (see study note on Matthew 5:1–7:29) focuses on how people responded to the Messiah. The disciples accepted him, while the Jewish leaders and most people did not. As this division increased, Jesus taught his disciples about community life. To follow the standards of Jesus, a community should live with: humility (18:1–5), sensitivity (18:6–9), compassion (18:10–14), discipline (18:15–18), and forgiveness (18:21–35)…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 18:4

• Babes
• Children
• Humility
• Jesus, the Christ
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Gain
• Owe
• Patience
• Baptism (lutheran Doctrine)
• Great; Greatness
• Humility
• Jesus Christ
• Matthew, the Gospel of
• Papyrus
• bind, bond, bound

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