MAT 19:24 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through an eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.”

UST I want you to understand that, so I will repeat it. Large animals like camels cannot fit into very small spaces. However, it is even harder for rich people to participate in God’s kingdom.”

BSB 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.”

MSB Again I tell you, [it] is easier for a camel to pass through[fn] [the] eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

BLB And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

AICNT “Again I say to you, 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.”

OEB I say again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!’

WEBBE Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.”

LSV and again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

FBV I also tell you this: It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

TCNT Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to [fn]go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

19:24 go through ¦ enter SBL WH

T4T Note this also: It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is almost as difficult [HYP] for rich people to decide to let God rule their lives.”

LEB And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich person into[fn] the kingdom of God.”

19:24 Some manuscripts have “to enter into”

BBE And again I say to you, It is simpler for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of God.

Moff I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the Realm of God."

Wymth Yes, I tell you, 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."

ASV And again I say unto you, 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.

DRA And again I say to you: 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 heaven.

YLT and again I say to you, it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to go, than for a rich man to enter into the reign of God.'

Drby and again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to enter a needle's eye than a rich man into the kingdom of [fn]God.

19.24 Elohim

RV And again I say unto you, 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.

SLT And again I say to you, It is of easier labor for a camel to pass through the hole of a needle, than for a rich one to come into the kingdom of God.

Wbstr And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

KJB-1769 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

KJB-1611 And againe I say vnto you, It is easier for a camel to goe thorow the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God.
(And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.)

Bshps And agayne I say vnto you: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a nedle, then for the riche, to enter into the kyngdome of God.
(And again I say unto you: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a nedle, then for the rich, to enter into the kingdom of God.)

Gnva And againe I say vnto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into ye kingdome of God.
(And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into ye/you_all kingdom of God. )

Cvdl And morouer I saye vnto you: It is easier for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a nedle, the for a rich man to entre in to the kyngdome of heauen.
(And moreover/what’s_more I say unto you: It is easier for a Camell to go through the eye of a nedle, the for a rich man to enter in to the kingdom of heaven.)

TNT And moreover I saye vnto you: it is easier for a camell to go through the eye of a nedle then for a ryche man to enter into the kyngdome of God.
(And moreover/what’s_more I say unto you: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. )

Wycl And eftsoone Y seie to you, it is liyter a camel to passe thorou a needlis iye, thanne a riche man to entre in to the kyngdom of heuens.
(And soon_afterward I say to you, it is lighter a camel to pass through a needlis eye, then a rich man to enter in to the kingdom of heavens.)

Luth Und weiter sage ich euch: Es ist leichter, daß ein Kamel durch ein Nadelöhr gehe, denn daß ein Reicher ins Reich Gottes komme.
(And further said I you: It is easier, that a camel through a eye_of_a_needle go, because/than that a rich_(person) into_the kingdom God’s come.)

ClVg Et iterum dico vobis: Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire, quam divitem intrare in regnum cælorum.[fn]
(And again I_mean/say to_you(pl): Facilius it_is camelum through foramen acus to_pass, how divitem to_enter in/into/on kingdom of_the_heavens. )

19.24 Quam divitem. ISID. Nullus dives intrabit, id est, confidens in divitiis, ut Jesus secundum Marcum exponit.

19.24 How divitem. ISID. Nullus dives will_enter, that it_is, confidens in/into/on wealth, as Yesus after/second Marcum explains.

UGNT πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ.
(palin de legō humin, eukopōteron estin kamaʸlon dia traʸmatos ɽafidos dielthein aʸ plousion eiselthein eis taʸn Basileian Theou.)

SBL-GNT πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ ⸀τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος ⸀εἰσελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον ⸂εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ⸃.
(palin de legō humin, eukopōteron estin kamaʸlon dia ⸀trupaʸmatos ɽafidos ⸀eiselthein aʸ plousion ⸂eis taʸn basileian tou theou⸃.)

RP-GNT Πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν.
(Palin de legō humin, eukopōteron estin kamaʸlon dia trupaʸmatos ɽafidos dielthein, aʸ plousion eis taʸn basileian tou theou eiselthein.)

TC-GNT Πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ [fn]τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος [fn]διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον [fn]εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν.
(Palin de legō humin, eukopōteron esti kamaʸlon dia trupaʸmatos ɽafidos dielthein, aʸ plousion eis taʸn basileian tou Theou eiselthein. )

19:24 τρυπηματος ¦ τρηματος WH

19:24 διελθειν ¦ εισελθειν SBL WH

19:24 εις την βασιλειαν του θεου εισελθειν ¦ εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου NA TH ¦ εις την βασιλειαν του θεου SBL WH

Key for above GNTs: red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 19:16–30: Jesus taught about entering the kingdom of heaven

In this section, a young man asked Jesus what he must do to get eternal life. Jesus gave him a standard answer, which was to obey God’s commands.

The young man apparently felt that this was not enough and asked what else he should do (19:20). Then Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. The young man was rich, and he was not willing to sell his things. So he left.

Jesus then used the rich young man as an example. He explained that riches make it difficult to enter the kingdom (19:23–24). The saying of a camel going through the eye of a needle was probably a well-known proverb about something impossible to do. Without God making it possible, neither a rich person nor anyone else is able to enter the kingdom (19:26).

Jesus also gave a promise that those whom he asked to leave their possessions and family behind to serve him would receive great rewards (19:29).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Rich Young Man (NIV)

A rich young man’s questions

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 10:17–31 and Luke 18:18–30.

19:24a

Again I tell you,

I say to you again,
To say it another way,

Again I tell you: The Greek words that the BSB here translates as I tell you are the same words that the BSB translates as “I tell you” in 19:23a. These words together with the word Again emphasize a second time how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

Furthermore

To say it another way

I’ll say it again (NLT)

19:24b–c

In 19:24b–c, Jesus compared two things. He compared a difficult thing (a rich man entering the kingdom of God) to an impossible thing (a camel going through the eye of a needle). This comparison shows that it is also impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

It may be more natural in your language to translate the comparison in another way. For example:

The difficulty for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God surpasses the difficulty for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

It is not possible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But the difficulty for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God surpasses even that.

It is difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is even more difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

19:24b

it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

a camel can go through the hole in a needle more easily
it is hard/difficult for a very large animal to go/pass through a tiny hole.

a camel: A camel is a large animal that carries people and cargo in desert areas. It was the largest animal that lived in the land of the Jews.

Here are some other ways to translate the word camel:

Use the current word for camel in your language.
Spell the word camel (or the major language word for camel) as a speaker of your language will say it. Use a picture with a camel and a person in it to show how large a camel is. Or you may want a footnote to explain. A sample footnote is:
A camel is a large animal that carries people and cargo. It generally lives in desert areas. It was the largest animal that lived in the land of the Jews.
Spell the word camel (or the major language word for camel) as a speaker of your language will say it and add a descriptive phrase. For example:
a large domesticated animal called a camel
Use a descriptive phrase instead of the word camel. For example:
a large domesticated animal

the eye of a needle: The Greek word that the BSB translates as needle is a thin, sharp piece of metal, wood or bone that is used to sew cloth or animal skins. It has a small hole at one end for thread to go through and be held during stitching. That hole is called the eye of the needle. It was the smallest hole that the Jews knew.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the hole of a needle

a sewing needle hole

19:24c

than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

than a rich person can enter into God’s kingdom.”
It is even more difficult for a rich person to become a citizen of the kingdom of God!”

a rich man: This is the same term as in 19:23b. Translate it the same way here as there.

to enter the kingdom of God: The verb enter also occurs in 19:23b. Translate it the same way here as there.

Matthew rarely used the kingdom of God. More frequently he used “kingdom of heaven.” In these two verses, he used both phrases in the same context. This shows that they mean the same thing.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

to become a citizen of the kingdom of God

to become one of those who are in God’s kingdom

to be added to the people over whom God rules

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

πάλιν δὲ

furthermore (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάλιν Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν εὐκοπώτερον ἐστίν κάμηλον διά τρήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἤ πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ)

The phrase And again introduces a restatement of what Jesus said in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a restatement, or you could leave And again untranslated. Alternate translation: [To repeat:] or [Indeed,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάλιν Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν εὐκοπώτερον ἐστίν κάμηλον διά τρήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἤ πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ)

Jesus compares a rich person entering the kingdom of the heavens with something that is impossible: a camel passing through an eye of a needle. Jesus does this to emphasize how hard it is for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God. As [19:26](../19/26.md) shows, Jesus does not think that this is completely impossible, however. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea here in such a way that it does not sound as if it is totally impossible for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God. Alternate translation: [consider how difficult it is for a camel to pass through an eye of a needle. That illustrates how difficult it is for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

τρήματος ῥαφίδος

˓the˒_eye ˱of˲_˓a˒_needle

The phrase an eye of a needle refers to the small hole at the end of a sewing needle through which the thread passes. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of tool or the tiny hole in it, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could use a more general term for a small opening. Alternate translation: [the small hole at the end of a needle] or [a very small hole]

Parallel MAT 19:24

Section 19:16–30: Jesus taught about entering the kingdom of heaven

19:24a

19:24b–c

19:24b

19:24c