Luke 18:25
New International Version
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

New Living Translation
In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

English Standard Version
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Berean Standard Bible
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Berean Literal Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

King James Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

New King James Version
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

New American Standard Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!”

NASB 1995
“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

NASB 1977
“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Legacy Standard Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Amplified Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.”

Christian Standard Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

American Standard Version
For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

Contemporary English Version
In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom."

Douay-Rheims Bible
For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

English Revised Version
For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Good News Translation
It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."

International Standard Version
Indeed, it's easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God."

Literal Standard Version
For it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

Majority Standard Bible
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

New American Bible
For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

NET Bible
In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

New Revised Standard Version
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

New Heart English Bible
For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of God."

Webster's Bible Translation
For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Weymouth New Testament
Why, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

World English Bible
For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

Young's Literal Translation
for it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to enter, than for a rich man into the reign of God to enter.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Rich Young Ruler
24Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”…

Cross References
Matthew 9:5
Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk?'

Matthew 19:24
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Mark 10:25
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Luke 18:26
Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"


Treasury of Scripture

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

a camel.

Matthew 23:24
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

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Luke 18
1. Of the importunate widow.
9. Of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
15. Of Children brought to Jesus.
18. A ruler would follow Jesus, but is hindered by his riches.
28. The reward of those who leave all for his sake.
31. He foretells his death;
35. and restores a blind man to sight.














(25) Through a needle's eye.--The Greek word for "needle" in the better MSS. differs from that in St. Matthew and St. Mark, and is a more classical word. That which the others use was unknown to Attic writers. The fact, small as it is, takes its place among the signs of St. Luke's culture.

Verse 25. - For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. This simile, taken in its plain and obvious sense, appears to many an exaggerated one, and various explanations have been suggested to soften it down. The best is found in Lord Nugent's 'Lands Classical and Sacred,' who mentions that in some modern Syrian towns the narrow gate for foot-passengers at the side of the larger gate by which waggons, camels, and other beasts of burden enter the city, is known as the "needle's eye." It is, however, very uncertain whether this term for the little gate was known in ancient times. But the simile was evidently a common one among the Jews. The Talmud, for instance, gives us the parallel phrase of an elephant passing through a needle's eye. The Koran repeats the very words of the Gospel. it is the object of the proverb to express human impossibility.

"I would ride the camel,
Yea leap him flying, through the needle's eye
As easily as such a pampered soul
Could pass the narrow gate."


(Southey.) It seems strange that the three evangelists, SS. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who tell this story of the young questioner and the Master's conversation with him, do not mention his name. And yet he must have been a conspicuous personage in the society of the time. First of all, his riches were evidently remarkable. One account tells us that he was" very rich." Two of the Gospels mention his "great possessions." St. Luke tells us that he was "a ruler." He was, then, certainly a very wealthy Jew holding a high official position, not improbably a member of the Sanhedrin council. Why is he nameless in the three Gospels? Dean Plumptre has a most interesting theory that the young wealthy ruler was Lazarus of Bethany. He bases his hypothesis upon the following data: He begins by stating that "there is one other case in the first two Gospels which presents similar phenomena. ]n 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 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, ' 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."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Indeed,
γάρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

it is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

easier for
εὐκοπώτερον (eukopōteron)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 2123: Easier. Comparative of a compound of eu and kopos; better for toil, i.e. More facile.

a camel
κάμηλον (kamēlon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2574: A camel or dromedary. Of Hebrew origin; a 'camel'.

to pass
εἰσελθεῖν (eiselthein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

through
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

an eye
τρήματος (trēmatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 5169: A hole; the eye of a needle. From a derivative of the base of trumalia; an aperture, i.e. A needle's eye.

of a needle
βελόνης (belonēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 956: A missile, dart, javelin, arrow. From ballo; a missile, i.e. Spear or arrow.

than for
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

a rich man
πλούσιον (plousion)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4145: Rich, abounding in, wealthy; subst: a rich man. From ploutos; wealthy; figuratively, abounding with.

to enter
εἰσελθεῖν (eiselthein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

kingdom
βασιλείαν (basileian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 932: From basileus; properly, royalty, i.e. rule, or a realm.

of God.”
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Gospels: Luke 18:25 For it is easier for a camel (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 18:24
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