# Matthew 19.14

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

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

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 12. <span class="rl-speech">For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother's womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.</span> 13. Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should lay his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
>
> **14. But Jesus said, <span class="rl-speech">Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for to such belongeth the kingdom of heaven.</span>**
>
> 15. <span class="rl-speech">And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?</span> (Matthew 19:12-16, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 12. <span class="rl-speech">For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.”</span> 13. Then little children were brought to him, that he should lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
>
> **14. But Jesus said, <span class="rl-speech">“Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”</span>**
>
> 15. He laid his hands on them, and departed from there. 16. Behold, one came to him and said, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:12-16, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 12. <span class="rl-speech">For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.</span> 13. Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
>
> **14. But Jesus said, <span class="rl-speech">Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.</span>**
>
> 15. <span class="rl-speech">And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?</span> (Matthew 19:12-16, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 12. <span class="rl-speech">for there are eunuchs who from the mother's womb were so born; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who kept themselves eunuchs because of the reign of the heavens: he who is able to receive [it], let him receive.'</span> 13. Then were brought near to him children that he might put hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them.
>
> **14. But Jesus said, <span class="rl-speech">'Suffer the children, and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the reign of the heavens;'</span>**
>
> 15. and having laid on them [his] hands, he departed thence. 16. And lo, one having come near, said to him, 'Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have life age-during?' (Matthew 19:12-16, 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; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Canaanite Conquest Objection Defeater](/codex/canaanite-conquest-objection-defeater/)
- [Inherited Guilt and Visiting Iniquity Objection Defeater](/codex/inherited-guilt-and-visiting-iniquity-objection-defeater/)
- [Numbers 31 Midianite War Objection Defeater](/codex/numbers-31-midianite-war-objection-defeater/)

**Concepts:**

- [Divine Wipeouts and Their Justification](/codex/divine-wipeouts-and-their-justification/)
- [God and the Killing of Children](/codex/god-and-the-killing-of-children/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/)
- [Spare the Rod Objection](/codex/spare-the-rod-objection/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## 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.
