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

1At that hour the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2And He called a child to Himself, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Amen, I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever then shall humble himself like this child, this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in My name, welcomes 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 5:18Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.
• Matthew 6:2So whenever you do tzadakah, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full!
• John 1:51And He said, “Amen, amen I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!”
• John 3:3Yeshua answered him, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
• Matthew 13:15For the heart of this people has become dull, their ears can barely hear, and they have shut their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts. Then they would turn back, and I would heal them.’
• Psalms 51:10Let me hear joy and gladness, so the bones You crushed may rejoice.
• Psalms 131:2But I have calmed and quieted my soul— like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
• Isaiah 6:10Make the heart of this people fat, their ears heavy, and their eyes blind. Else they would see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and be healed.”
• Mark 4:12‘Seeing, they may see and not perceive, and hearing, they may hear and not understand, so they may not turn back and be forgiven.’”
• Luke 22:32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
• Acts 3:19Repent, therefore, and return—so your sins might be blotted out,
• Acts 28:27For the heart of this people has become dull, their ears can barely hear, and they have shut their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts. Then they would turn back, and I would heal them.”’
• James 5:19My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back,
• Mark 10:14But when Yeshua saw this, He got angry. He told them, “Let the little children come to Me! Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
• Luke 18:16But Yeshua called for them, saying, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
• 1 Corinthians 14:20Brothers and sisters, stop being children in your thinking—rather, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

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