Luke 9:47
New International Version
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.

New Living Translation
But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side.

English Standard Version
But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side

Berean Standard Bible
But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him.

Berean Literal Bible
But Jesus, having known the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set it by Him,

King James Bible
And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

New King James Version
And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him,

New American Standard Bible
But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side,

NASB 1995
But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,

NASB 1977
But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,

Legacy Standard Bible
But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,

Amplified Bible
But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and had him stand beside Him,

Christian Standard Bible
But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand next to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and had him stand next to Him.

American Standard Version
But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he took a little child, and set him by his side,

Contemporary English Version
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he had a child stand there beside him.

English Revised Version
But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he took a little child, and set him by his side,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had him stand beside him.

Good News Translation
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a child, stood him by his side,

International Standard Version
But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.

Majority Standard Bible
But Jesus, seeing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him.

NET Bible
But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, he took a child, had him stand by his side,

New Heart English Bible
Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

Weymouth New Testament
And Jesus, knowing the reasoning that was in their hearts, took a young child and made him stand by His side

World English Bible
Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside Him,

Berean Literal Bible
But Jesus, having known the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set it by Him,

Young's Literal Translation
and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jesus, having seen the reflection of their heart, having taken up a child, set it by himself,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Jesus seeing the thoughts of their heart, took a child and set him by him,

Catholic Public Domain Version
But Jesus, perceiving the thoughts of their hearts, took a child and stood him beside him.

New American Bible
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side

New Revised Standard Version
But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But Jesus knew the reasoning of their heart, and he took a boy and made him stand by him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But Yeshua knew the thought of their heart, and he took a boy and he stood him by him.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But Jesus perceived the thought of their heart, and he took a little child, and made it stand by him,

Godbey New Testament
And Jesus seeing the dispute of their heart, taking a little child, He placed it by Himself,

Haweis New Testament
But Jesus knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a little boy, and set him by his side,

Mace New Testament
but Jesus perceiving what they thought, took a child and set him before him: then said to them,

Weymouth New Testament
And Jesus, knowing the reasoning that was in their hearts, took a young child and made him stand by His side

Worrell New Testament
Now Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their heart, taking a child, placed it by Himself,

Worsley New Testament
And Jesus knowing the thought of their heart, took a child and set him by Him, and said unto them,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Greatest in the Kingdom
46Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him. 48And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”…

Cross References
Matthew 18:2-4
Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. / “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. / Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 9:36-37
Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, / “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.”

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Mark 10:14-15
But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. / Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. / Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Proverbs 16:5
Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 21:2
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. / He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, / so that no one may boast in His presence.

Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

perceiving.

Luke 5:22
But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

Luke 7:39,40
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner…

Psalm 139:2,23
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off…

took.

Matthew 18:2-4
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, …

Matthew 19:13-15
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them…

Mark 10:14,15
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…

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Luke 9
1. Jesus sends his apostles to work miracles, and to preach.
7. Herod desires to see Jesus.
10. The apostles return.
12. Jesus feeds five thousand;
18. inquires what opinion the world had of him; foretells his passion;
23. proposes to all the pattern of his patience.
28. The transfiguration.
37. He heals the lunatic;
43. again forewarns his disciples of his passion;
46. commends humility;
51. bids them to show mildness toward all, without desire of revenge.
57. Many would follow him, but upon conditions.














But Jesus
This phrase introduces the central figure of the narrative, Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and the Messiah. The Greek name "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsous) is derived from the Hebrew "Yeshua," meaning "Yahweh is salvation." This highlights Jesus' divine mission to bring salvation to humanity. In the context of this passage, Jesus is portrayed as the omniscient teacher, aware of the inner thoughts and intentions of those around Him, emphasizing His divine nature and authority.

knowing the thoughts
The Greek word for "knowing" is "εἰδώς" (eidōs), which implies a deep, intuitive understanding. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but penetrates to the core of human intentions and desires. The phrase underscores Jesus' divine omniscience, as He perceives the unspoken thoughts of His disciples. This ability to discern thoughts is a testament to His divine insight and wisdom, setting Him apart from ordinary human teachers.

of their hearts
The term "hearts" in Greek is "καρδία" (kardia), which in biblical terms often refers to the center of human emotion, will, and intellect. It is the seat of moral and spiritual life. In this context, the "hearts" of the disciples are being scrutinized by Jesus, revealing their inner motivations and desires. This examination of the heart is a recurring theme in Scripture, where God looks beyond outward appearances to the true nature of a person.

had a little child
The Greek word for "child" is "παιδίον" (paidion), which refers to a young child or infant. In the cultural and historical context of the time, children were considered low in social status and without power or influence. By choosing a child, Jesus is making a profound statement about the values of the Kingdom of God, where humility and innocence are exalted over ambition and status.

stand beside Him
The act of having the child stand beside Jesus is symbolic. The Greek word "παραστήσας" (parastēsas) means to place or set beside. This gesture is a visual representation of the teaching Jesus is about to impart. By placing the child beside Him, Jesus is elevating the child's status and using this moment to teach His disciples about the nature of true greatness in the Kingdom of God. It is a call to embrace humility and to serve others, reflecting the values that Jesus Himself embodied.

(47) Took a child.--Better, laid hold on.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

Jesus,
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

knowing
εἰδὼς (eidōs)
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

thoughts
διαλογισμὸν (dialogismon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1261: From dialogizomai; discussion, i.e. consideration, or debate.

of
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

hearts,
καρδίας (kardias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.

had
ἔστησεν (estēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

a little child {stand}
παιδίον (paidion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3813: Neuter diminutive of pais; a childling, i.e., an infant, or a half-grown boy or girl; figuratively, an immature Christian.

beside
παρ’ (par’)
Preposition
Strong's 3844: Gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.

Him.
ἑαυτῷ (heautō)
Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.


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NT Gospels: Luke 9:47 Jesus perceiving the reasoning of their hearts (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 9:46
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