Matthew 18:2

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.

Matthew 18:2 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
English Standard Version (ESV)
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
New Living Translation (NLT)
2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.
The Message Bible (MSG)
2 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room,
American Standard Version (ASV)
2 And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them,
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
2 Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
2 Jesus called a little child over to him. He had the child stand among them.

Matthew 18:2 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 18:2

And Jesus called a little child unto him
One, very likely, that was in the house, and might belong to the master of it, and which was big enough to come to him at his call. Some have thought that this was Ignatius the martyr, but without any foundation. His own words, in his epistle to the church at Smyrna {y}, can give no countenance to it; where he says, "for I also know, that after his resurrection he was in the flesh, and I believe that he is." The Latin version indeed renders it thus; "for I also saw him in the flesh after the resurrection, and believe that he exists." But it does not follow from hence that he must be this child, but rather the contrary; since it cannot be thought, that a child so young as this, in half a year after, had it seen Christ, when risen from the dead, could have took so much notice of him, as this version represents Ignatius to do; but it matters not who it was; Christ designed, by this emblem, to give them his sense of the question, and convey some proper instruction to the minds of his disciples:

and set him in the midst of them;
that everyone might see him; and upon the very sight of him, had he said no more to them, they might easily have perceived what was his opinion; that he that was but a child, the most humble, and least in his own eyes, would be the greatest: but besides setting the child in such a situation, he pointed to him, saying what follows.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 p. 3. Ed. Voss.

Matthew 18:2 In-Context

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
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