Mark 9:36
New International Version
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,

New Living Translation
Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,

English Standard Version
And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,

Berean Standard Bible
Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,

Berean Literal Bible
And having taken a child, He set it in the midst of them; and having taken it in His arms, He said to them,

King James Bible
And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

New King James Version
Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,

New American Standard Bible
And He took a child and placed him among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

NASB 1995
Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

NASB 1977
And taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

Legacy Standard Bible
And taking a child, He set him before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them,

Amplified Bible
Taking a child, He set him before them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

Christian Standard Bible
He took a child, had him stand among them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then He took a child, had him stand among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

American Standard Version
And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them,

Contemporary English Version
Then Jesus asked a child to stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said,

English Revised Version
And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them,

Good News Translation
Then he took a child and had him stand in front of them. He put his arms around him and said to them,

International Standard Version
Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He took him in his arms and told them,

Majority Standard Bible
Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,

NET Bible
He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

New Heart English Bible
He took a little child, and set him in the midst of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

Webster's Bible Translation
And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them,

Weymouth New Testament
And taking a young child He made him stand in their midst, then threw His arms round him and said,

World English Bible
He took a little child and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And having taken a child, He set him in the midst of them, and having taken him in His arms, said to them,

Berean Literal Bible
And having taken a child, He set it in the midst of them; and having taken it in His arms, He said to them,

Young's Literal Translation
And having taken a child, he set him in the midst of them, and having taken him in his arms, said to them,

Smith's Literal Translation
And having taken a young child, he set him in the midst of them: and having taken it up in his arms, he said to them,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And taking a child, he set him in their midst. And when he had embraced him, he said to them:

New American Bible
Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them,

New Revised Standard Version
Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he took a little boy, and made him to stand in the midst; then he took him in his arms, and said to them,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he took a certain boy and stood him in the midst and took him up on his shoulders and he said to them:
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And he took a little child, and placed it in the midst of them; and when he had taken it in his arms, he said to them:

Godbey New Testament
And taking a little child, He placed it in their midst; and taking it up in His arms, He said to them,

Haweis New Testament
And taking a little boy, he set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them,

Mace New Testament
then taking a little child, he set him down before them; and embracing him in his arms, he said to them,

Weymouth New Testament
And taking a young child He made him stand in their midst, then threw His arms round him and said,

Worrell New Testament
And, taking a little child, He set it in the midst of them; and, holding it in His arms, He said to them,

Worsley New Testament
And He took a child and set him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms He said unto them,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Greatest in the Kingdom
35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” 36Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, 37“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.”…

Cross References
Matthew 18:2-5
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. ...

Luke 9:47-48
But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him. / And 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.”

Matthew 19:13-15
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. / 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.” / And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.

Luke 18:15-17
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. / But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “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.”

Matthew 10:42
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

Mark 10:13-16
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. / 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.” ...

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 John 3:18
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Romans 14:1
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.

1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Ephesians 4:2
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

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.

Isaiah 11:6
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.

Psalm 131:1-2
A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me. / Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.


Treasury of Scripture

And he took a child, and set him in the middle of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them,

Mark 10:16
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

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

Matthew 19:14,15
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven…

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Mark 9
1. Jesus is transfigured.
11. He instructs his disciples concerning the coming of Elijah;
14. casts forth a deaf and mute spirit;
30. foretells his death and resurrection;
33. exhorts his disciples to humility;
38. bidding them not to prohibit such as are not against them,
42. nor to give offense to any of the faithful.














Then He had a little child stand among them
In this phrase, Jesus uses a "little child" as a profound teaching tool. The Greek word for "little child" is "παιδίον" (paidion), which refers to a young child, emphasizing innocence, dependence, and humility. In the cultural context of the time, children were not regarded with the same status as adults; they were seen as the least in society. By placing a child "among them," Jesus is making a radical statement about the values of the Kingdom of God, where the least are the greatest. This act challenges the disciples' understanding of greatness and status, urging them to adopt a posture of humility and service.

Taking the child in His arms
The image of Jesus "taking the child in His arms" is one of tenderness and care. The Greek verb "ἐναγκαλίζομαι" (enagkalizomai) conveys a sense of embracing or holding closely. This action is not just a physical gesture but a symbolic one, demonstrating the love and acceptance that Jesus offers to those who are often marginalized or overlooked. In a broader theological sense, it reflects God's embrace of humanity through Christ. Historically, this act would have been counter-cultural, as children were not typically the focus of attention or affection in public settings. Jesus' embrace signifies the value and worth of every individual in the eyes of God, regardless of societal status.

He said to them
The phrase "He said to them" introduces the teaching moment that follows. Jesus often used direct speech to convey important lessons to His disciples. In the context of Mark 9, the disciples had been arguing about who among them was the greatest. By prefacing His teaching with the visual aid of a child, Jesus prepares to redefine greatness in terms of humility and service. The authority of Jesus' words is underscored by His actions, as He not only speaks but also demonstrates the principles of the Kingdom of God. This approach is consistent with the rabbinic tradition of using parables and object lessons to impart wisdom and understanding.

(36) When he had taken him in his arms.--The act is expressed in the Greek by a single participle which occurs only here and in Mark 10:16. It may mean either that the child was taken up in our Lord's arms, or that the arms were folded round him. The latter is somewhat the more probable.

Verse 36. - And he took a little child (παιδίον), and set him in the midst of them. St. Mark adds, what is not recorded by the other synoptists, that he took him in his arms. And taking him in his arms (ἐναγκαλισάμενος); literally, folding him in his arms; embracing him. It is probable that the house where he was was the house of Simon Peter; and it is possible that this little child might have been Simon's. A tradition not earlier than the ninth century says that this child was Ignatius.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

He 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.

among
μέσῳ (mesō)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3319: Middle, in the middle, between, in the midst of. From meta; middle (neuter) noun).

them.
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.

Taking [the child] in His arms,
ἐναγκαλισάμενος (enankalisamenos)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1723: To take (fold) in my arms. From en and a derivative of agkale; to take in one's arms, i.e. Embrace.

He said
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 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.


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NT Gospels: Mark 9:36 He took a little child and set (Mar Mk Mr)
Mark 9:35
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