Mark 9:37
in Mark 9“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
KJV
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
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This verse in Mark 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseYou will not dismiss a brother who has entered your house without prayer.-"Have you seen," says Scripture, "a brother? you have seen your Lord; "-especially "a stranger," lest perhaps he be "an angel." But again, when received yourself by brethren, you will not make earthly refreshments prior to heavenly, for your faith will forthwith be judged. Or else how will you-according to the precept-say, "Peace to this house," unless you exchange mutual peace with them who are in the house?
This site's exposition
He had a little child stand among them
on Mark 9:36-37
He had a little child stand among them, one with no standing to claim in that culture. Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me joins the welcome of the powerless to the welcome of Christ.
This site's exposition
welcomes one of these little children in My name
John Chrysostom notes that the child was free from envy, vain glory and the wish to be above others. Jesus asks more than that the disciples become like him. They must also honor such little ones for his sake.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. Sed v. Chrys. Hom. in Matt. 58) By the very sight, persuading them to humility and simplicity; for this little one was pure from envy and vain glory, and from a desire of superiority. But He does not only say, If ye become such, ye shall receive a great reward, but also, if ye will honour others, who are such for my sake. Wherefore there follows: And when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Thus He placed a child in the midst of the disciples and teaches us to be like it. A child neither seeks glory, nor envies, nor remembers wrongs. And not only then, Jesus says, will you receive a great reward, when you yourselves are like …
He next admonishes them by the example of a child's innocence; wherefore there follows: And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them.
"And whoever receives me, does not receive me, but him who sent me." Wanting himself to be believed as such and as great as the Father is. "So much so," he said, "is there no difference between me and him that whoever receives me, also …
(ubi sup.) By which, He either simply shows, that those who would become greater must receive the poor of Christ in honour of Him, or He would persuade them to be in malice children, to keep simplicity without arrogance, charity without envy, devotedness without anger. Again, by taking the child into His arms, He implies that the lowly are worthy of His embrace and love. He adds also, In my name, that they might, with the fixed purpose of reason, follow for His name's sake that mould of virtue to which the child keeps, with nature for his guide. And because He taught that He Himself was received in children, lest it should be thought that there was nothing in Him but what was seen, he added, And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that sent me; thus wishing, that we should believe Him to be of the same nature and of equal greatness with His Father.
3 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
See, how great is humility, for it wins for itself the indwelling of the Father, and of the Son, and also of the Holy Ghost.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Whosoever shall receive one of such children,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The dullness of the disciples in spiritual things appears once more, as soon as this announcement was made. There was good in the tidings as well as seeming evil — sweet as well as bitter — life as well as death — the resurrection as well as the cross. But it was all darkness to the bewildered twelve. "They did not understand what He was saying, and were afraid to ask." Their minds were still full of their mistaken ideas of their Master's reign upon earth. They thought that His earthly kingdom was immediately to appear. Never are we so slow to understand, as when prejudice and pre-conceived opinions darken our eyes. The immense importance of our Lord's death and resurrection comes out strongly in this fresh announcement which He makes. It is not for nothing that He reminds us again that He must die. He would have us know that His death was the great end for which He came into the world. He would remind us that by that death the great problem was to be solved — how God could be just, and yet justify sinners. He did not come upon earth merely to teach, and preach, and work miracles. He came to make satisfaction for sin, by His own blood and suffering on the cross. Let us never forget this. The incarnation, and example, and words of Christ, are all of deep importance. But the grand object which demands our notice in the history of His earthly ministry, is His death on Calvary. Let us mark, in the second place, in these verses, the ambition and love of pre-eminence which the apostles exhibited. "By the way they disputed among themselves who was the greatest." How strange this sounds! Who would have thought that a few fishermen and publicans could have been overcome by envious rivalry, and the desire of supremacy?
The words behind it
25 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὃς | hos | Who[ever] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἂν | an | maybe | G302 → | 165 times |
| ἓν | hen | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| τῶν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τοιούτων | toiouton | of such | G5108 → | 56 times |
| παιδίων | paidion | little children | G3813 → | 51 times |
| δέξηται | dexetai | shall receive | G1209 → | 56 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | in | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀνόματί | onomati | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| μου, | mou | of Me, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐμὲ | eme | Me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| δέχεται· | dechetai | receives; | G1209 → | 56 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὃς | hos | who[ever] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἂν | an | maybe | G302 → | 165 times |
| ἐμὲ | eme | Me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| δέχηται, | dechetai | shall receive, | G1209 → | 56 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐμὲ | eme | Me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| δέχεται | dechetai | receives | G1209 → | 56 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| τὸν | ton | the [One] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀποστείλαντά | aposteilanta | having sent | G649 → | 132 times |
| με.¶ | me | Me. | G3165 → | 1936 times |
ὃςWho[ever]
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἂνmaybe
anG302 →165 times
ἓνone
henG1520 →343 times
τῶν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
τοιούτωνof such
toioutonG5108 →56 times
παιδίωνlittle children
paidionG3813 →51 times
δέξηταιshall receive
dexetaiG1209 →56 times
ἐπὶin
epiG1909 →883 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀνόματίname
onomatiG3686 →227 times
μου,of Me,
mouG3165 →1936 times
ἐμὲMe myself
emeG1473 →839 times
δέχεται·receives;
dechetaiG1209 →56 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὃςwho[ever]
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἂνmaybe
anG302 →165 times
ἐμὲMe myself
emeG1473 →839 times
δέχηται,shall receive,
dechetaiG1209 →56 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐμὲMe myself
emeG1473 →839 times
δέχεταιreceives
dechetaiG1209 →56 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
τὸνthe [One]
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀποστείλαντάhaving sent
aposteilantaG649 →132 times
με.¶Me.
meG3165 →1936 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 10:30I and the Father are one.”
it leads to
- John 1:1–2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 14:9
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the…
- John 17:21–23
that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
- John 5:23
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
- John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
- John 1:1–2
Through
Luke 10:16Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
it leads to
- John 13:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8
Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 10:40
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
- John 13:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this verse
On this chapter
About Mark
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Prayer; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.