Matthew 18:3

Matthew 18:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Context of Matthew 18:3

1Soon after this, the disciples came to Jesus and they asked him, ‘Who is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?’ 2Jesus called a child to come to him. He made the child stand in the middle of them all. He said, ‘I tell you this: You must change and become like little children. If not, you will never come into the kingdom of heaven. 4This little child does not think that he is very important. You must also think as he does. Whoever does this will be the most important person in the kingdom of heaven. 5If anyone accepts a child like this because of me, that person also accepts me.’

Matthew 18:3 word by word

καὶ εἶπεν· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
• I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• Exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• ye be convertedστρέφωstrephō · to turnG4762
• becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• little childrenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• little childrenπαιδίονpaidion · childG3813
• ye shallεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• notοὐou · noG3756
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
• of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for Matthew 18:3

• Matthew 5:18I tell you this: One day, even the earth and the sky will finish. But while they remain, God's Law will also remain. Nobody can remove even the smallest thing from it. The Law will remain until everything in it has happened.
• Matthew 6:2When you give something to a poor person, do not tell anyone about it. The hypocrites do this in their meeting places. They also do it in the busy streets of the town. They do this so that other people will praise them. I tell you this. They have already received their gift. God will not give them anything more.
• John 1:51And Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you this: You will see heaven open. You will see God's angels. They will be going up and they will be coming down on the Son of Man.’
• John 3:3Jesus replied, ‘I tell you this: Unless a person is born from above, they cannot understand the kingdom of God.’
• Matthew 13:15These people do not really want to understand. They are like people who have shut their ears. They are like people who have shut their eyes. If they did want to look, then they would really see. If they did want to listen, then they would really hear. They would understand my message. They would turn back to obey me. Then I would forgive them and I would make them well.” ’
• Psalms 51:10God, please make my heart new and clean. And make my spirit strong and true, deep inside me.
• Psalms 131:2Instead, I am quiet and there is peace in my mind. I am like a young child who sits on his mother's knee. Yes, I have peace in my mind.
• Isaiah 6:10Make them refuse to understand. Cause their ears to be deaf and their eyes to be blind. If you do not do that, they might use their eyes to see. They might use their ears to listen. They might use their minds to understand. Then they might turn back to me so that I would make them well again.’
• Mark 4:12This is so that: “They are always looking but they do not see clearly. They are always listening but they do not understand.” If they did understand, they would turn to God. Then God would forgive them.’
• Luke 22:32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that you will continue to believe in me. And this is what you must do: When you have turned back to me, you must help your brothers to be strong again.’
• Acts 3:19So you must stop doing wrong things. Change how you live and turn to God. Then God will forgive you for all the wrong things that you have done.
• Acts 28:27These people do not really want to understand. They are like people who have shut their ears. They are like people who have shut their eyes. If they did want to look, then they would really see. If they did want to listen, then they would really hear. They would understand my message. They would turn back to me and they would obey me. Then I would forgive them and I would make them well.” ’
• James 5:19My Christian friends, if anyone among you turns away from God's true message, you should help him. Try to bring him back to God.
• Mark 10:14But when Jesus saw this, he was angry. He said to them, ‘Do not stop the children. Let them come to me. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of God is like.
• Luke 18:16Then Jesus told the children to come to him. He said to his disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of God is like.
• 1 Corinthians 14:20My Christian friends, do not continue to think like children think. Instead, think properly like men and women should think. The only way you should be like babies is to keep away from evil things.

Commentaries on Matthew 18:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Except ye be converted - Unless ye be saved from those prejudices which are at present so baneful to your nation, (seeking a temporal and not a spiritual kingdom), unless ye be clothed with the spirit of humility, ye cannot enter into the spirit, design, and privileges of my spiritual and eternal kingdom. The name of this kingdom should put you in mind of its nature. - The King is heavenly; His Subjects are heavenly-minded; Their Country is heavenly, for…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. 3Like little children means being humble (Matthew 18:4). The disciples had been focused on status and ambition.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 18:3

• Apostles
• Babes
• Children
• Humility
• Jesus, the Christ
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Regeneration
• Righteous
• Salvation
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Gain
• Owe
• Patience
• Baptism (lutheran Doctrine)
• Baptismal Regeneration
• Become
• Conversion
• God
• Great; Greatness
• Jesus Christ

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