Matthew 19:16
New International Version
Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

New Living Translation
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

English Standard Version
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

Berean Standard Bible
Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”

Berean Literal Bible
And behold, one having come to Him said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I might have eternal life?"

King James Bible
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

New King James Version
Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

New American Standard Bible
And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do so that I may obtain eternal life?”

NASB 1995
And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”

NASB 1977
And behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And behold, someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

Amplified Bible
And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what [essentially] good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?”

Christian Standard Bible
Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Just then someone came up and asked Him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”

American Standard Version
And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And one came near and said to him, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

Contemporary English Version
A man came to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold one came and said to him: Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?

English Revised Version
And behold, one came to him and said, Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then a man came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?"

Good News Translation
Once a man came to Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what good thing must I do to receive eternal life?"

International Standard Version
Just then a man came up to Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what good deed should I do to have eternal life?"

Literal Standard Version
And behold, one having come near, said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing will I do that I may have continuous life?”

Majority Standard Bible
Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Good Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”

New American Bible
Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”

NET Bible
Now someone came up to him and said, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?"

New Revised Standard Version
Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

New Heart English Bible
And look, someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good thing must I do, that I may have everlasting life?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

Weymouth New Testament
"Teacher," said one man, coming up to Him, "what that is good shall I do in order to win the Life of the Ages?"

World English Bible
Behold, one came to him and said, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”

Young's Literal Translation
And lo, one having come near, said to him, 'Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have life age-during?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Rich Young Man
15And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there. 16Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” 17“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”…

Cross References
Matthew 19:15
And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.

Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Mark 10:17
As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Luke 10:25
One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Luke 18:18
Then a certain ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


Treasury of Scripture

And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

one.

Mark 10:17
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Luke 18:18
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

what.

Luke 10:25
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

John 6:27-29
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed…

Acts 16:30
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

eternal.

Matthew 25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Daniel 12:2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 3:15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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Matthew 19
1. Jesus heals the sick;
3. answers the Pharisees concerning divorce;
10. shows when marriage is necessary;
13. receives the little children;
16. instructs the young man how to attain eternal life;
20. and how to be perfect;
23. tells his disciples how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God;
27. and promises reward to those who forsake all to follow him.














(16) Behold, one came and said . . .--The vagueness with which a man who must have been conspicuous is thus introduced, without a name, is every way significant. He was, like Nicodemus, "a ruler of the Jews" (Luke 18:18), i.e., probably, a member of the Sanhedrin or great Council, like Joseph of Arimathaea. He was, beside this, conspicuously rich, and of high and ardent character. There is one other case in the first two Gospels which presents similar phenomena. In the narrative of the supper at Bethany, St. Matthew and St. Mark record the passionate affection which expressed itself in pouring the precious ointment of spikenard upon our Lord's head as the act of "a woman" (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3), leaving her unnamed. In St. John 12:3 we find that the woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus. The train of thought thus suggested points to the supposition that here also there may have been reasons for suppressing in the records a name which was familiar to the narrator. What if the young ruler were Lazarus himself? The points of agreement are sufficiently numerous to warrant the conjecture. The household of Lazarus, as the spikenard ointment shows, were of the wealthier class. The friends who came to comfort the bereaved sisters, were themselves, in St. John's language, "of the Jews"--i.e., of the chief rulers (John 11:19). The young ruler was obviously a Pharisee, and the language of Martha (John 11:24) shows that she too believed in eternal life and the resurrection of the dead. The answer to the young ruler, as "One thing thou lackest" (as given by St. Mark and St. Luke), is almost identical with that to Martha, "One thing is needful" (Luke 10:42). In such a case, of course, nothing can be attained beyond conjectural inference, but the present writer must avow his belief that the coincidences in this case are such as to carry the evidence to a very high point of probability. It is obvious that the hypothesis, if true, adds immensely to the interest both of the narrative now before us, and to that of the death and resurrection of Lazarus in John 11 . . . Verses 16-22. - Answer to the inquiry of the rich young ruler concerning eternal life. (Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23.) Verse 16. - And, behold. The exclamation, as usual, denotes the suddenness and unexpected nature of the occurrence. It took place probably on the next day after the blessing of the children. One came (εϊς προσελθών). This is more emphatic than the enclitic τις, and we learn from St. Luke that he was "a ruler," i.e. of the synagogue, and he must have been of noted piety and worth to have arrived at this dignity while still a youth (ver. 22). St. Mark gives more details - he "came running, and kneeled to him." He was eager for an answer to his question, and recognized in Jesus a Rabbi worthy of all honour and veneration, though he saw in him nothing more. lie comes with no sinister intention, as the Pharisees did, but in all good faith, hoping to have a religious difficulty solved. Good Master. Thus the received text in the three synoptists. The epithet "good" is omitted by many excellent manuscripts, and has been expunged by most modern editors. It is required if the received text of the next verse is retained. It occurs in Mark and Luke without variation. The young man may have used the expression with the view of winning Christ's favour, or, at any rate, with the idea of showing the light in which he regarded him. What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? His notion was that eternal happiness was obtained by the performance of certain acts, and he is not sure that he has done enough for the reward, and wishes to know particularly what further good work will secure it. The other synoptists have merely, "What shall I do? but of course, good work is implied, if not expressed. This was a question much mooted in the rabbinical schools, and one to which the answers were as various as they were puerile. Some taught that the commandments were not equally important, and that what they deemed the lesser might be violated with impunity, if the others were observed. Some made the gift of perfection to depend on the daily recitation of certain prayers or psalms, others on giving due honour to the aged. Amid such perplexing rules, the youth desires an authoritative decision, which he may put in practice, and thus be sure of a happy place in Messiah's kingdom - be, as the Jews termed it, "a son of the age to come."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Just then,
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

a man
εἷς (heis)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

came up
προσελθὼν (proselthōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4334: From pros and erchomai; to approach, i.e. come near, visit, or worship, assent to.

to [Jesus]
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[and] inquired,
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“Teacher,
Διδάσκαλε (Didaskale)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1320: A teacher, master. From didasko; an instructor.

what
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

good [thing]
ἀγαθὸν (agathon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 18: A primary word; 'good'.

must I do
ποιήσω (poiēsō)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

obtain
σχῶ (schō)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

eternal
αἰώνιον (aiōnion)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 166: From aion; perpetual.

life?”
ζωὴν (zōēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 19:16 Behold one came to him and said (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 19:15
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