New Living Translation
Matthew 21:16
16They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you 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
14The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” 17Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight. 18In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was 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 19:39But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
- John 11:47Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.
- Acts 4:16“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.
- Matthew 12:3Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
- Matthew 19:4“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’”
- Matthew 22:31“But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said,
- Mark 2:25Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.
- Psalms 8:2You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.
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
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