Matthew 19:23
in Matthew 19Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
KJV
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
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This verse in Matthew 19
Commentary
3 notes on this verse(Verse 23) But Jesus said to his disciples: Amen I say to you, that it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And how did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, being rich, enter into the kingdom of heaven (Genesis 13 and 36), and in the Gospel Matthew and Zacchaeus, leaving their riches behind, are proclaimed by the testimony of the Lord?
This site's exposition
shall hardly enter into the kingdom
on Matthew 19:23-24
A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven, sharpened by the camel and the needle's eye, is read two ways in the tradition: a late suggestion that a small gate in Jerusalem's wall was nicknamed the needle's eye, through which an unladen camel could barely stoop, and the bench notes this reading has no support earlier than the ninth century and likely softens a deliberately impossible image; the plainer reading takes the largest common animal and the smallest common opening as Jesus' own hyperbole for a natural impossibility, matching the disciples' own reaction in the next verse. Kingdom of God appears here rather than Matthew's usual kingdom of heaven, one of only five such uses in the Gospel, without altering the saying's force.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A rich man shall hardly enter - That is, into the spirit and privileges of the Gospel in this world, and through them into the kingdom of glory. Earthly riches are a great obstacle to salvation; because it is almost impossible to possess them, and not to set the heart upon them; and they who love the world have not the love of the Father in them. 1Jn 2:15. To be rich, therefore, is in general a great misfortune: but what rich man can be convinced of this?
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταῖς | mathetais | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| αὐτοῦ· | autou | of Him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀμὴν | amen | Amen | G281 → | 127 times |
| λέγω | lego | I say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| πλούσιος | plousios | a rich man | G4145 → | 28 times |
| δυσκόλως | duskolos | with difficulty | G1423 → | |
| εἰσελεύσεται | eiseleusetai | will enter | G1525 → | 194 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανῶν.¶ | ouranon | heavens. | G3772 → | 272 times |
Ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταῖςdisciples
mathetaisG3101 →260 times
αὐτοῦ·of Him;
autouG846 →5565 times
ἀμὴνAmen
amenG281 →127 times
λέγωI say
legoG3004 →1325 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
πλούσιοςa rich man
plousiosG4145 →28 times
δυσκόλωςwith difficulty
duskolosG1423 →
εἰσελεύσεταιwill enter
eiseleusetaiG1525 →194 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείανkingdom
basileianG932 →162 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανῶν.¶heavens.
ouranonG3772 →272 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Matthew 13:22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:17
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…
- Luke 8:14
The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does…
- 1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
- Mark 4:18–19
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
- Luke 12:15
And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- 1 Timothy 6:17
Through
Mark 10:23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:26
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
- James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Luke 18:24
Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
- 1 Corinthians 1:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
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About Matthew

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew and John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament.
