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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever humbles himself like 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.

Context of Matthew 18:4

2And He called a child to Himself, set him in the midst of them, 3and said, “Amen, I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever 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. 6“But whoever causes one of these little ones who trust in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and to be sunk 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 23:11But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
• Psalms 131:1A Song of Ascents. Of David. Adonai, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes lofty, nor do I go after things too great or too difficult for me.
• Isaiah 57:15For thus says the High and Exalted One who inhabits eternity, whose Name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, yet also with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and revive the heart of the contrite.
• Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
• 1 Peter 5:5Likewise, you younger ones, submit yourselves to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
• James 4:10Humble yourselves in the sight of Adonai, and He shall lift you up.
• Matthew 18:1At that hour the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
• Matthew 20:26It shall not be this way among you. But whoever wants to be great among you shall be your servant,
• Mark 10:43Yet it is not this way among you. But whoever wants to be great among you shall be your servant,
• Luke 9:48He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in My name, welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One who sent Me. The one who is the least among all of you 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