Luke 18:26
in Luke 18Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved?
KJV
And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
⋯
This verse in Luke 18
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWith men therefore whose thoughts creep earthward, salvation is impossible, but with God it is possible. For when man shall have God for his counsellor, and shall have received the righteousness of God and His teaching concerning poverty, as well as have invoked His aid, this shall be possible to him.
This site's exposition
hard it is for the rich
on Luke 18:24-27
Jesus turns the man’s sadness into a general warning: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Jesus answers the hearers without softening the difficulty: What is impossible with man is possible with God.
This site's exposition
Who then can be saved?
Chrysostom held that the disciples asked in fear for the whole world, their own case aside. Their alarm is for everyone. Henry notes how closely the hearts of most men cleave to this world, so that the hearers were ready to despair of it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(ut sup.) Seeing that there is an incomparably greater number of poor which might be saved by forsaking their riches, they understood that all who love riches, even though they cannot obtain them, were to be counted among the number of the rich. It follows, And he said to them, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God, which must not be taken as if a rich man with covetousness and pride might enter into the kingdom of God, but that it is possible with God for a man to be converted from covetousness and pride, to charity and humility.
(Hom. 63. in Matt.) These weighty words so far exceeded the capacity of the disciples, that when they heard them, they asked, Who then can be saved? not that they feared for themselves, but for the whole world.
The Medieval Church3 voices
Fourth, regarding the remedy for this very tenacity through divine help, he adds: And those who heard said: And who can be saved? They say this seeking a remedy and dreading the danger. For since very few perfectly despise riches, it seems from this that …
And those who heard it said, "And who can be saved?" What does this answer pertain to unless it is because the far greater multitude of the poor, who could be saved with the rich being lost, understood that all who love riches, even if …
He who has a human way of thinking, that is, is carried away by earthly things and attached to the terrestrial, for him, as it is said, it is impossible to be saved, but for God this is possible; that is, when someone has God …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But they know how closely the hearts of most men cleave to this world, and are ready to despair of their being ever brought to this. There are such difficulties in the way of our salvation: as could never be got over but by pure omnipotence, by that grace of God which is almighty, and to which that is possible which exceeds all created power and wisdom.
And they that heard it, said, who then can be saved? These were the disciples of Christ, who so said; see Mat 19:25.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
The story we have now read is three times reported in the Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke were all moved by the Holy Spirit to record the history of the rich young ruler. This fact should be noticed. It shows us that there are lessons before us which demand special attention. When God would impress on Peter his duty towards the Gentiles, He sent him a vision which was repeated "three times." (Acts 10:16.) We learn, firstly, from these verses — to what lengths men may go in self-ignorance.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The story we have now read is three times reported in the Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke were all moved by the Holy Spirit to record the history of the rich young ruler. This fact should be noticed. It shows us that there are lessons before us which demand special attention. When God would impress on Peter his duty towards the Gentiles, He sent him a vision which was repeated "three times." (Acts 10:16.) We learn, firstly, from these verses — to what lengths men may go in self-ignorance. We are told of "a certain ruler," who asked our Lord what he should "do to inherit eternal life." Our Lord knew the ruler's heart, and gave him the answer which was most likely to bring to light the real state of his soul. He reminds him of the ten commandments. He recites some of the principal requirements of the second table of the law. At once the spiritual blindness of the inquirer was detected. "All these," said the man, "I have kept from my youth up." An answer more full of darkness and self-ignorance — it is impossible to conceive! He who made it could have known nothing rightly — either about himself, or God, or God's law. Does the case of this rich ruler stand alone? Do we suppose there are none like him at the present day? If we do — then we are greatly deceived. There are thousands, it may be feared, in all our congregations, who have not the least idea of the spiritual nature of God's law, and consequently know nothing of their own sinfulness. They do not see that God requires "truth in the inward parts," and that we may break commandments in our heart and thoughts — even when we do not break them in outward actions. (Psalm 51:6, Matthew 5:21-28.) To be delivered from such blindness, is one of the first things needful to our salvation. The eyes of our understandings must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:18.)
The words behind it
8 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἶπαν | eipan | Said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀκούσαντες· | akousantes | having heard; | G191 → | 425 times |
| καὶ | kai | Then | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τίς | tis | who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| δύναται | dunatai | is able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| σωθῆναι; | sothenai | to be saved? | G4982 → | 105 times |
εἶπανSaid
eipanG2036 →925 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀκούσαντες·having heard;
akousantesG191 →425 times
καὶThen
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τίςwho
tisG5101 →563 times
δύναταιis able
dunataiG1410 →207 times
σωθῆναι;to be saved?
sothenaiG4982 →105 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 13:23“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,
it leads to
- Matthew 7:14
But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
- Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Luke 12:13–15
Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
- John 21:21–22
When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
- Matthew 20:16
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
- Matthew 7:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 18; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.