Luke Chapter 18 · Verse 15
And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
Original Language Analysis
Προσέφερον
they brought
G4374
Προσέφερον
they brought
Strong's:
G4374
Word #:
1 of 15
to bear towards, i.e., lead to, tender (especially to god), treat
αὐτοῖς
them
G846
αὐτοῖς
them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
3 of 15
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
καὶ
also
G2532
καὶ
also
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
4 of 15
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὰ
G3588
τὰ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
βρέφη
infants
G1025
βρέφη
infants
Strong's:
G1025
Word #:
6 of 15
an infant (properly, unborn) literally or figuratively
αὐτοῖς
them
G846
αὐτοῖς
them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
8 of 15
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ἅπτηται·
he would touch
G680
ἅπτηται·
he would touch
Strong's:
G680
Word #:
9 of 15
properly, to attach oneself to, i.e., to touch (in many implied relations)
ἰδόντες
saw
G1492
ἰδόντες
saw
Strong's:
G1492
Word #:
10 of 15
used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent g3700 and g3708; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by impl
οἱ
G3588
οἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Historical Context
First-century Jewish culture valued children but didn't grant them religious status until maturity. Children couldn't fulfill Torah commandments, participate in synagogue readings, or count toward a prayer minyan (quorum). Rabbis taught adults, not infants. Parents sought rabbinical blessings on children (like Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, Genesis 48), but the disciples thought Jesus too important to 'waste time' on those without religious standing. Jesus's response revolutionizes the kingdom's entrance requirements.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the disciples' rebuke reveal about their misunderstanding of kingdom entrance requirements?
- How do infants illustrate the kind of humble dependence required to receive God's kingdom?
- In what ways might you be acting like the disciples, thinking some people unworthy of Jesus's attention?
Analysis & Commentary
And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them—parents brought brephe (βρέφη), 'babies' or 'infants,' to Jesus hina autōn haptētai (ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται)—'that he might touch them' for blessing. The disciples epetimōn autois (ἐπετίμων αὐτοῖς)—'rebuked them,' thinking infants unworthy of the Master's time.
This follows immediately after the Pharisee and tax collector parable. The disciples still think in terms of merit—who deserves Jesus's attention? Infants have zero religious credentials, no works to present, nothing but need. Yet Jesus welcomes them, illustrating that entrance to God's kingdom requires childlike dependence, not adult achievement. The disciples' rebuke reveals they haven't grasped Jesus's teaching about humility and grace.