English Standard Version
Matthew 18:12
12What 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?
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?
- 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?
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?
Context of Matthew 18:12
10"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 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? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should 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. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'
- Matthew 22:42saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David."
- 1 Corinthians 10:15I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
- Matthew 12:11He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
- Psalms 119:176I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
- Isaiah 53:6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- Jeremiah 50:6"My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.
- Ezekiel 34:16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
- Luke 15:4"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
- John 10:11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
- 1 Peter 2:25For you were straying like sheep, but 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, saying,
- Ezekiel 34:6they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek 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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