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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Context of Matthew 18:4

2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth 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 shall be your servant.
• Psalms 131:1O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
• Isaiah 57:15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
• Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
• 1 Peter 5:5Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes 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, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
• Matthew 20:26It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
• Mark 10:43But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
• Luke 9:48and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who 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