Matthew 19:21

Authorized King James Version (1611)

Jesus said unto him, ‹If thou wilt be perfect, go› [and] ‹sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come› [and] ‹follow me.›

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ: καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι.

Transliteration

Ephē to him the Iēsous, If theleis teleios einai, hypage pōlēson of you the hyparchonta, and dos ptōchois, and hexeis thēsauron en ouranō: and deuro akolouthei me.

Grammar Details

• *Ephē*: imperfect, 3rd singular, active - he said
• *Iēsous*: nominative, masculine, singular - Jesus
• *theleis*: present, 2nd singular, active - you wish
• *teleios*: nominative, masculine, singular - perfect/complete
• *einai*: present infinitive - to be
• *hypage*: present imperative, 2nd singular, active - go
• *pōlēson*: aorist imperative, 2nd singular, active - sell
• *hyparchonta*: accusative, neuter, plural, participle as substantive - possessions
• *dos*: aorist imperative, 2nd singular, active - give
• *ptōchois*: dative, masculine, plural - to poor people
• *hexeis*: future, 2nd singular, active - you will have
• *thēsauron*: accusative, masculine, singular - treasure
• *en*: preposition + dative - in
• *ouranō*: dative, masculine, singular - heaven
• *deuro*: adverb used as imperative - come
• *akolouthei*: present imperative, 2nd singular, active - follow

Word Meanings

• *Ephē*: said/declared
• *theleis teleios einai*: wish to be perfect/want to be complete
• *hyparchonta*: possessions/property/belongings
• *ptōchois*: poor people/the poor
• *thēsauron*: treasure/wealth
• *deuro akolouthei*: come follow/come be my disciple

Referenced Verses

• Mark 10:21 : 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, ‹One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.›
• Luke 12:33 : 33 ‹Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.›
• Acts 2:45 : 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as every man had need.
• Luke 16:9 : 9 ‹And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.›
• Luke 18:22 : 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, ‹Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.›
• Matt 5:48 : 48 ‹Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.›
• Matt 6:19-20 : 19 ¶ ‹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:› 20 ‹But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:›
• Luke 14:33 : 33 ‹So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.›
• Matt 19:28 : 28 And Jesus said unto them, ‹Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.›
• Mark 2:14 : 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the [son] of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, ‹Follow me.› And he arose and followed him.
• Luke 5:27 : 27 ¶ And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, ‹Follow me.›
• Luke 6:40 : 40 ‹The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.›
• Luke 9:23 : 23 And he said to [them] all, ‹If any› [man] ‹will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.›
• John 10:27 : 27 ‹My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:›
• John 12:26 : 26 ‹If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will› [my] ‹Father honour.›
• Acts 4:32-35 : 32 ¶ And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid [them] down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
• 1 Tim 6:17-19 : 17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
• Heb 10:34 : 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
• Phil 3:12-15 : 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 ¶ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
• Mark 8:34 : 34 And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, ‹Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.›
• Matt 9:9 : 9 ¶ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, ‹Follow me.› And he arose, and followed him.
• Matt 16:24 : 24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, ‹If any› [man] ‹will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.›
• Gen 17:1 : 1 ¶ And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
• Ps 37:37 : 37 Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.
• Matt 4:19 : 19 And he saith unto them, ‹Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.›
• Matt 5:19-20 : 19 ‹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach› [them], ‹the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.› 20 ‹For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed› [the righteousness] ‹of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.›
• Job 1:1 : 1 ¶ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
• Gen 6:9 : 9 These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.