Bits of Torah Truths – #Torah Concept in the NT: Forbid not children – Episode 854
Matthew 19:14
19:14 אַךְ יֵשׁוּעַ אָמַר׃ ״הַנִּיחוּ לַיְלָדִים לָבוֹא אֵלַי וְאַל תִּמְנְעוּ בַּעֲדָם, כִּי לְכָאֵלֶּה מַלְכוּת הַשָּׁמַיִם.״
Mark 10:14
10:14 רָאָה יֵשׁוּעַ וְהִתְכַּעֵס. אָמַר לָהֶם׃ ״הַנִּיחוּ לַיְלָדִים לָבוֹא אֵלַי, אַל תִּמְנְעוּ בַּעֲדָם, כִּי לְכָאֵלֶּה מַלְכוּת הָאֱלֹהִים.
Luke 18:16
18:16 אוּלָם יֵשׁוּעַ קָרָא אֵלָיו אֶת הַיְלָדִים וְאָמַר׃ ״הַנִּיחוּ לַיְלָדִים לָבוֹא אֵלַי וְאַל תִּמְנְעוּ בַּעֲדָם, כִּי לְכָאֵלֶּה מַלְכוּת הָאֱלֹהִים.
#torah #torahwisdom #torahtruth #torahforlife #torah4you #torahtruth
Matthew 19:14
19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (NASB)
Mark 10:14
10:14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (NASB)
Luke 18:16
18:16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (NASB)
https://www.matsati.com/index.php/category/bits-of-torah-truths/
Yeshua’s command not to forbid children echoes long‑standing Torah patterns in which children are welcomed into covenant life, taught diligently, and never barred from approaching the presence of God. The Torah consistently frames children as rightful participants in Israel’s worship, instruction, and blessing.
– Torah parallels –
- Exodus 12:24‑27 – Children are expected to ask about the Passover, and parents are commanded to explain the meaning of the covenant; children are not excluded from the central redemptive memorial.
- Deuteronomy 4:9‑10 – Israel is commanded to make known the words of God to their children, and the assembly at Horeb includes future generations in its scope.
- Deuteronomy 6:6‑7 – The words of God are to be taught diligently to children, assuming their full inclusion in covenant learning.
- Deuteronomy 31:12‑13 – At the reading of the Torah, men, women, and children are gathered together so that all may hear and learn; children are explicitly included in the national assembly.
- Numbers 14:31 – God identifies the children as those who will inherit the land, affirming their place in the covenant community despite adult failure.
- Deuteronomy 16:11‑14 – Children are included in the rejoicing at the appointed feasts, showing their participation in worship and communal celebration.
- Exodus 20:12 – The command to honor father and mother presumes children’s active role within the covenant structure and their access to its blessings.
– Context Synthesis –
Yeshua’s instruction not to forbid children from coming to Him aligns with the Torah’s consistent portrayal of children as integral members of Israel’s covenant life. The Torah never treats children as outsiders; instead, it repeatedly commands their inclusion in worship, instruction, feasts, and national assemblies. Yeshua’s welcome of children continues this pattern by affirming that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these, not as an innovation but as a fulfillment of the covenant’s longstanding trajectory. The disciples’ attempt to restrict access contradicts the Torah’s expectation that children be brought near to the presence and teaching of God.
– Core Insight –
The Torah establishes a covenant culture in which children are welcomed, taught, and included in the life of Israel, making Yeshua’s command entirely consistent with the foundational pattern. To forbid children is to oppose the very structure of covenant life, whereas welcoming them aligns with God’s intention from the beginning. This is how Yeshua taught Torah in the NT, the Torah has not passed away!
Visual Summary of Concepts the Torah in the NT
