Luke 18:15

Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrative places Jesus on His journey to Jerusalem while crowds bring infants to Him. The disciples witness this action and rebuke the parents before Jesus responds.

The words — The verb προσέφερον (prosepheron) translates literally as "they were bringing," indicating continuous action. The noun βρέφη (brephē) specifically denotes "infants" in their earliest stage of life.

The thread — The same event appears in Matthew 19:13 and Mark 10:13, where parallel accounts record the disciples rebuking those who bring children to Jesus. The dedication motif also aligns with 1 Samuel 1:24.

Why it lands — The text records a factual interruption that exposes the disciples' assumption that access to Jesus requires religious qualification. It demands the reader note how human barriers are established before divine correction occurs.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ΠροσέφερονProsepheronThey were bringing δὲdethen αὐτῷautōto Him καὶkaialso τὰtathe βρέφηbrephēinfants ἵναinathat αὐτῶνautōnthem ἅπτηται·haptētaiHe may touch;ἰδόντεςidonteshaving seen δὲdehowever οἱhoithe μαθηταὶmathētaidisciples ἐπετίμωνepetimōnwere rebuking αὐτοῖς.autoisthem.

King James Version

And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Cross-references

Matthew 19:13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Mark 10:13 Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
1 Samuel 1:24 Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
Luke 9:49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
Luke 9:54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”