# Matthew 18.16

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-10-28 | updated: 2026-10-28 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.</span> (Matthew 18:14-18, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.</span> (Matthew 18:14-18, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.</span> (Matthew 18:14-18, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">so it is not will in presence of your Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones may perish.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">'And if thy brother may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain thy brother;</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">and if he may not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand.</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">'And if he may not hear them, say [it] to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">'Verily I say to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.</span> (Matthew 18:14-18, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- None of the words in this verse has its own lexicon entry yet.


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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Christians Cannot Judge Objection Defeater](/codex/christians-cannot-judge-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 18.15-17](/codex/matthew-18-15-17/)

**Concepts:**

- [Biblical Forgiveness](/codex/biblical-forgiveness/), via [Matthew 18.15-17](/codex/matthew-18-15-17/)
- [In-House Judgment Principle (1 Cor 5)](/codex/in-house-judgment-principle-1-cor-5/), via [Matthew 18.15-17](/codex/matthew-18-15-17/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 18](/codex/matthew-18/)
- [Mosaic Capital Punishment](/codex/mosaic-capital-punishment/), via [Matthew 18.15-17](/codex/matthew-18-15-17/)
- [Rebellious Son, OT Stoning vs NT Restoration](/codex/rebellious-son-ot-stoning-vs-nt-restoration/), via [Matthew 18.15-17](/codex/matthew-18-15-17/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G3144 - martys](/codex/g3144-martys/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.