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.
YLT: and said, 'Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;
Darby: and said, Verily I say to you, Unless ye are converted and become as little children, ye will not at all enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
ASV: and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
εἶπεν | said |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say. |
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Ἀμὴν | Truly |
Parse: Hebrew Word Root: ἀμήν Sense: firm. |
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λέγω | I say |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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ὑμῖν | to you |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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στραφῆτε | you turn |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 2nd Person Plural Root: στρέφω Sense: to turn, turn around. |
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γένησθε | become |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 2nd Person Plural Root: γίνομαι Sense: to become, i. |
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παιδία | little children |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural Root: παιδίον Sense: a young child, a little boy, a little girl. |
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οὐ | no |
Parse: Adverb Root: οὐ Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. |
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εἰσέλθητε | shall you enter |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: εἰσέρχομαι Sense: to go out or come in: to enter. |
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εἰς | into |
Parse: Preposition Root: εἰς Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among. |
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βασιλείαν | kingdom |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: βασιλεία Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. |
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τῶν | of the |
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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οὐρανῶν | heavens |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: οὐρανός Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 18:3
Third-class condition, undetermined but with prospect of determination. Στραπητε Straphēte is second aorist passive subjunctive and γενηστε genēsthe second aorist middle subjunctive. They were headed in the wrong direction with their selfish ambition. “His tone at this time is markedly severe, as much as when He denounces the Pharisaism in the bud He had to deal with” (Bruce). The strong double negative ου μη εισελτητε ou mē eiselthēte means that they will otherwise not get into the kingdom of heaven at all, let alone have big places in it. [source]
The word converted has acquired a conventional religious sense which is fundamentally truthful, but the essential quality of which will be more apparent if we render literally, as Rev., except ye turn. The picture is that of turning round in a road and facing the other way. [source]
But the double negative is very forcible, and is given in Rev. in nowise. So far from being greatest in the kingdom of heaven, ye shall not so much as enter. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 18:3
So, rightly, A. V., and Rev. (compare Luke 11:4). Sin is pictured as a debt, and the sinner as a debtor (compare Matthew 18:28, Matthew 18:30). Accordingly the word represents sin both as a wrong and as requiring satisfaction. In contrast with the prayer, “Forgive us our debts,” Tholuck (“Sermon on the Mount”) quotes the prayer of Apollonius of Tyana, “O ye gods, give me the things which are owing to me.” [source]
Also in Matthew 18:31. “Make thoroughly clear right now” (aorist tense of urgency). The disciples waited till Jesus left the crowds and got into the house to ask help on this parable. Jesus had opened up the Parable of the Sower and now they pick out this one, passing by the mustard seed and the leaven. [source]
Literally, “compelled” or “forced.” See this word also in Luke 14:23. The explanation for this strong word in Mark 6:45 and Matthew 14:22 is given in John 6:15. It is the excited purpose of the crowd to take Jesus by force and to make him national king. This would be political revolution and would defeat all the plans of Jesus about his kingdom. Things have reached a climax. The disciples were evidently swept off their feet by the mob psychology for they still shared the Pharisaic hope of a political kingdom. With the disciples out of the way Jesus could handle the crowd more easily, till he should send the multitudes away The use of the aorist subjunctive with εως heōs or εως ου heōs hou is a neat and common Greek idiom where the purpose is not yet realized. So in Matthew 18:30; Matthew 26:36. “While” sometimes renders it well. The subjunctive is retained after a past tense instead of the change to the optative of the ancient Attic. The optative is very rare anyhow, but Luke uses it with πριν η prin ē in Acts 25:16. [source]
(εως ου αποδωι παν heōs[hou] apodōi pan). Just as in Matthew 18:30, his very words. But this is not purgatorial, but punitive, for he could never pay back that vast debt. [source]
“Stop hindering them.” The idiom of μη mē with the present imperative means just that.Of such (των τοιουτων tōn toioutōn). The childlike as in Matthew 18:3. [source]
The childlike as in Matthew 18:3. [source]
Luke (Luke 11:4) has “sins” In the ancient Greek οπειλημα opheilēma is common for actual legal debts as in Romans 4:4, but here it is used of moral and spiritual debts to God. “Trespasses” is a mistranslation made common by the Church of England Prayer Book. It is correct in Romans 4:14 in Christ‘s argument about prayer, but it is not in the Model Prayer itself. See Matthew 18:28, Matthew 18:30 for sin pictured again by Christ “as debt and the sinner as a debtor” (Vincent). We are thus described as having wronged God. The word οπειλη opheilē for moral obligation was once supposed to be peculiar to the New Testament. But it is common in that sense in the papyri (Deismann, Bible Studies, p. 221; Light from the Ancient East, New ed., p. 331). We ask forgiveness “in proportion as” It means to send away, to dismiss, to wipe off. [source]
Second aorist middle participle of the common verb επιλαμβανω epilambanō Strictly, Taking a little child to himself (indirect middle). Mark 9:36 has merely the active λαβων labōn of the simple verb λαμβανω lambanō Set him by his side “In his arms” Mark 9:36 has it, “in the midst of them” Matthew 18:3 says. All three attitudes following one another (the disciples probably in a circle around Jesus anyhow) and now the little child (Peter‘s child?) was slipped down by the side of Jesus as he gave the disciples an object lesson in humility which they sorely needed. [source]
Argumentative sense of ουν oun (therefore). Condition of first class, assumed to be true, with first aorist active indicative of νιπτω niptō “If I, being what I am, washed your feet” (as I did). Ye also ought The obligation rests on you a fortiori. Present active indicative of the old verb οπειλω opheilō to owe a debt (Matthew 18:30). The mutual obligation is to do this or any other needed service. The widows who washed the saints‘ feet in 1 Timothy 5:10 did it “as an incident of their hospitable ministrations” (Bernard). Up to 1731 the Lord High Almoner in England washed the feet of poor saints (pedilavium) on Thursday before Easter, a custom that arose in the fourth century, and one still practised by the Pope of Rome. [source]
Debts, from οπειλω opheilō to owe. Often so in the papyri, though not in Greek authors. In N.T. only here, Matthew 18:32; 1 Corinthians 7:3. Paying debts needs emphasis today, even for ministers. [source]
Found here only save a doubtful papyrus example (ανελεως aneleōs) for the vernacular ανιλεως anileōs and the Attic ανηλεης anēleēs For this principle of requital see Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:14; Matthew 7:1.; Matthew 18:33. [source]