Matthew 18:3 (YLT)

Passage

and said, `Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:1 At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, `Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?'

Matthew 18:2 And Jesus having called near a child, did set him in the midst of them,

Matthew 18:3 and said, `Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;

Matthew 18:4 whoever then may humble himself as this child, he is the greater in the reign of the heavens.

Matthew 18:5 `And he who may receive one such child in my name, doth receive me,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "verily", "turned", "become", "children", "enter", "reign", and "heavens". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "verily", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And Jesus having called near a child..." into verse 4's "whoever then may humble himself as this...", so "said" and "verily" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "verily" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.