The Mouths of Babes

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” Matt. 21:16 NIV

The interest which our Lord took in little children, and His view of them, were in accord with the best thought of the Jewish people. The following sentences from the Talmud will indicate the tone of Jewish teaching respecting the children.

" When God intended to give the law to the people, He asked them whom they would offer as their guarantees that they would keep it holy; and they said 'Abraham.'

God said, 'Abraham has sinned—Isaac, Jacob, Moses himself, they all have sinned; I cannot accept them.'

Then they said, 'May our children be our witness, and our guarantees.' And God accepted them; even as it is written, ' From the mouths of the wee babes has He founded His empire.' (paraphrase of Psalms 8:2)"