God’s Word Translation
Matthew 21:16
16They said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus replied, “Yes, I do. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of little children and infants, you have created praise’?”
Matthew 21:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
- New International Version (NIV)“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”
Context of Matthew 21:16
14Blind and lame people came to him in the temple courtyard, and he healed them. 15When the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings saw the amazing miracles he performed and the children shouting in the temple courtyard, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were irritated. They said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus replied, “Yes, I do. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of little children and infants, you have created praise’?” 17He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there. 18In the morning, as Jesus returned to the city, he became hungry.
Read all of Matthew 21Matthew 21:16 word by word
καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ἀκούεις τί οὗτοι λέγουσιν; ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς· ναί. οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὅτι ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Hearest thouἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Yeaναίnai · yesG3483
- have yeἀναγινώσκωanaginōskō · to readG314
- neverοὐδέποτεoudepote · neverG3763
- ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- Outἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- of the mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
- of babesνήπιοςnēpios · childG3516
- sucklingsθηλάζωthēlazō · to suckleG2337
- thou hast perfectedκαταρτίζωkatartizō · to completeG2675
- praiseαἶνοςainos · praiseG136
Cross-references for Matthew 21:16
- Luke 19:39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell your disciples to be quiet.”
- John 11:47So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council. They asked, “What are we doing? This man is performing a lot of miracles.
- Acts 4:16They said, “What should we do to these men? Clearly, they’ve performed a miracle that everyone in Jerusalem knows about. We can’t deny that.
- Matthew 12:3Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry?
- Matthew 19:4Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that the Creator made them male and female in the beginning
- Matthew 22:31Haven’t you read what God told you about the dead coming back to life? He said,
- Mark 2:25Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and his men were in need and were hungry?
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.
- Psalms 8:2From the mouths of little children and infants, you have built a fortress against your opponents to silence the enemy and the avenger.
Commentaries on Matthew 21:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Out of the mouth of babes - The eighth Psalm, out of which these words are quoted, is applied to Jesus Christ in three other places in the new covenant, 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:6. Which proves it to be merely a prophetic psalm, relating to the Messiah. It was a common thing among the Jews for the children to be employed in public acclamations; and thus they were accustomed to hail their celebrated rabbins. This shouting of the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12-22Verses 12-22 This paragraph contains the account of the barren fig-tree, and of the cleansing of the temple. See also Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48. Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God - From Mark 11:11-15, it is probable that this cleansing of the temple did not take place on the day that he entered Jerusalem in triumph, but on the day following. He came and looked round upon all things, Mark says, and went out to Bethany with the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, Joh 2:13-17. His works testified of him more than the hosannas; and his healing in the temple was the fulfilling the promise, that the glory of the latter house should be greater than the glory of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Have you never read: Jesus asked this challenging question to opponents who failed to see that his ministry fulfilled the promises about the Messiah (see also Matthew 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:42; 22:31).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 21:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 21
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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