What Does Matthew 19:14 Mean in the King James?
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Jesus names the very people being held back as the ones to whom heaven’s governance belongs.
THE MEANING
Here “suffer” means permit: Jesus’ welcome remains open to children, and adults do not get to obstruct their approach. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these; their place with Jesus reveals the character of its governance.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that a person must first become mature, useful, or important before belonging near Jesus.
THE ROOT
παιδία
paidia
GROWS FROM
παιδ-
Child, young person; παιδ- (paid-) is the child stem.
“little children” in this verse is paidia. The verse’s παιδία (paidia, children) belongs to the παιδ- (paid-) family, which also names upbringing and education. The word-family gathers the child and the work of raising a child together, while the verse insists that children themselves are welcomed without obstruction.
ALSO GROWS
paidion: Child; the singular form from the same παιδ- (paid-) stem.
παιδίον
It confirms that the verse names children directly, not merely a metaphor for another group.
paideuō: Bring up, train, or educate a child.
παιδεύω
It shares the child stem and links the child with the process of formation.
paideia: Upbringing, education, or discipline.
παιδεία
It makes the child’s formation audible in the same word-family as the children Jesus welcomes.
βασιλεία
basileia
GROWS FROM
βασιλε-
Royal rule or reign; βασιλε- (basile-) carries the idea of a ruler and governance.
Βασιλεία (basileia, kingdom or reign) belongs to the βασιλε- (basile-) family of ruler and reigning words. The word carries governance within “kingdom,” so Jesus says heaven’s governance is of people like these.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: King or ruler.
βασιλεύς
The ruler belongs to the same word-family as the governance Jesus names.
basileuō: Reign or rule.
βασιλεύω
It makes the active sense of βασιλεία (basileia, kingdom or reign) clear.
basilikos: Royal, belonging to a ruler.
βασιλικός
It shares the βασιλε- (basile-) family and keeps the idea of rule present in the verse’s “kingdom.”
יֵשׁוּעַ
Yeshua
GROWS FROM
ישע
Deliver, bring out from narrowness into spaciousness; יָשַׁע (yasha) is the root verb.
Jesus is the Greek form of יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua), from יָשַׁע (yasha, deliver). The name carries the nature of deliverance, movement from constriction into spaciousness, as Jesus opens the way for the children adults are trying to keep back.
ALSO GROWS
yasha: Deliver or rescue.
יָשַׁע
This verb is the root of Yeshua’s name and carries deliverance as its nature.
yeshuah: Deliverance.
יְשׁוּעָה
This noun shares the ישע (y-sh-ʿ) root and names the movement carried in Yeshua’s name.
Yeshua: Yeshua, the name rendered Jesus in Greek.
יֵשׁוּעַ
The name itself belongs to the deliverance family and ties Jesus’ identity to opening a way through constriction.
THE PATTERN
God’s reign is disclosed through those human ranking treats as too small or weak to count.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;THE THREAD
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.Mark uses the same Greek παιδία (paidia, children) and repeats Jesus’ command not to hinder them. The shared word keeps the welcome attached to children themselves and links their place directly to the kingdom.
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