What Does Mark 10:14 Mean?
But when Jesus saw it, he was vexed, and said to them, Let the little children come to me, and do not hold them back, for the governance of God belongs to such as these.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
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.THE KEY
Jesus’ anger falls on the gatekeepers because the children are already the kind of people God’s governance belongs to.
THE MEANING
You see Jesus’ displeasure wherever access to him is blocked from little children. He receives them, and God’s governance belongs to such as they are.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that children must first become important or capable before they belong near Jesus; they are already welcomed, and the kingdom is of such.
THE ROOT
παιδία
paidia
GROWS FROM
παιδ-
The παιδ- (paid-) family centers on a child or young one.
“little children” in this verse is paidia. The word family connects παιδία (paidia, children) with παιδεία (paideia, upbringing) and παιδεύω (paideuō, to train or educate). Yet Jesus makes no formation a condition for coming: the barrier is what must be removed, and the kingdom already belongs to such as these.
ALSO GROWS
paideia: upbringing, education, instruction
παιδεία
This word shares the παιδ- family and links the child-word to formation; here, belonging comes before any requirement to be fully formed.
paideuō: to train, educate, bring up
παιδεύω
This verb shares the same παιδ- family, while the verse places no training or achievement between the children and Jesus.
βασιλεία
basileia
GROWS FROM
βασιλ-
The βασιλ- (basil-) family names kingship, royal rule, and reign.
“the governance of God” in this verse is basileia. Βασιλεία (basileia) carries the sense of kingship or rule as well as the realm ruled. The verse places children within God’s active governance; their welcome is not a prize for maturity.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: king
βασιλεύς
This shares the βασιλ- family and makes the personal source of the rule visible.
basileuō: to reign, rule as king
βασιλεύω
This shares the same family and brings out the active sense of God’s governance in the verse.
THE PATTERN
God’s governance is visible in the welcome given to people the powerful are inclined to overlook.
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his set-apart dwelling.Hear, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose the emptied ones of this world, rich in trust, and heirs of the governance that he promised to those who love him?Whoever receives one of such children in my nature receives me, and whoever receives me does not receive me but the one who sent me.THE THREAD
And whoever takes in one such little child in my nature takes me in.The Greek word for “little child” belongs to the same παιδ- (paid-) family as the children in Mark. Matthew joins receiving a child to receiving Jesus “in my name”, in his nature, so welcoming the child is itself a meeting with him.
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