Luke 18:15

Little Children Brought to Jesus

15 Now they were bringing even [their] babies to him so that he could touch them. But [when] the disciples saw [it], they rebuked them.

Luke 18:15 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 18:15

And they brought unto him also infants
As well as grown persons, that were sick, to be healed by him:

that he would touch them;
in order, as some learned men think, to cure them of diseases that attended them; for one of the ways by which Christ healed persons, was by touching them; nor do we read of his touching in common for any other purpose, or of persons desiring him to touch them, or theirs, but for this end; in ( Matthew 19:13 ) it is read, "that he should put his hands on them"; and so the Arabic and Persic versions here read, in order to pray over them, and bless them: but neither in one place, nor the other, is any mention of their baptism, or of their being brought for such a purpose; nor can it be concluded from hence;

but when [his] disciples saw [it], they rebuked them;
the persons that brought the infants; (See Gill on Matthew 19:13).

Luke 18:15 In-Context

13 But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

15 Now they were bringing even [their] babies to him so that he could touch them. But [when] the disciples saw [it], they rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called them to himself, saying, "Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them, {for to such belongs} the kingdom of God.

17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a young child will never enter into it."

Footnotes

• [a]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [b]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("saw") which is understood as temporal
• [c]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation