Matthew 19:23

Authorized King James Version (1611)

¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, ‹Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.›

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, Ὅτι δυσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Transliteration

The de Iēsous eipen to the mathētais of him, Amēn legō to you, That with difficulty plousios eiseleusetai eis the basileian tōn ouranōn.

Grammar Details

• *de*: postpositive particle - but/and
• *Iēsous*: nominative, masculine, singular - Jesus
• *eipen*: aorist, 3rd singular, active - said
• *mathētais*: dative, masculine, plural - disciples
• *Amēn*: Hebrew transliteration - truly/verily
• *legō*: present, 1st singular, active - I say
• *dyskolōs*: adverb - with difficulty/hardly
• *plousios*: nominative, masculine, singular - rich person
• *eiseleusetai*: future, 3rd singular, middle deponent - will enter
• *eis*: preposition + accusative - into
• *basileian*: accusative, feminine, singular - kingdom
• *ouranōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - of heavens

Word Meanings

• *Amēn*: truly/verily/certainly
• *dyskolōs*: with difficulty/hardly/scarcely
• *plousios*: rich person/wealthy individual
• *basileian tōn ouranōn*: kingdom of heaven/heavenly kingdom

Referenced Verses

• Matt 13:22 : 22 ‹He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.›
• 1 Cor 1:26 : 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:
• 1 Tim 6:9-9 : 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
• Mark 10:23 : 23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, ‹How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!›
• Luke 18:24 : 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, ‹How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!›
• John 3:3 : 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, ‹Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.›
• John 3:5 : 5 Jesus answered, ‹Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and› [of] ‹the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.›
• Acts 14:22 : 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
• Luke 12:15-21 : 15 And he said unto them, ‹Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.› 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, ‹The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:› 17 ‹And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?› 18 ‹And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.› 19 ‹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink,› [and] ‹be merry.› 20 ‹But God said unto him,› [Thou] ‹fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?› 21 ‹So› [is] ‹he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.›
• Luke 16:13-14 : 13 ‹No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.› 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
• Luke 16:19-28 : 19 ¶ ‹There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:› 20 ‹And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,› 21 ‹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.› 22 ‹And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;› 23 ‹And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.› 24 ‹And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.› 25 ‹But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.› 26 ‹And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that› [would come] ‹from thence.› 27 ‹Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:› 28 ‹For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.›
• Deut 6:10-12 : 10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good [things], which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 [Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
• Deut 8:10-18 : 10 ¶ When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest [when] thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt [therein]; 13 And [when] thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, [wherein were] fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where [there was] no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; 16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of [mine] hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for [it is] he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as [it is] this day.
• Job 31:24-25 : 24 ¶ If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence; 25 If I rejoiced because my wealth [was] great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
• Ps 49:6-7 : 6 ¶ They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7 None [of them] can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
• Ps 49:16-19 : 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and [men] will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
• Prov 11:28 : 28 ¶ He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
• Prov 30:8-9 : 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].
• Matt 5:20 : 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.›
• Jas 1:9-9 : 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
• Jas 2:6 : 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
• Jas 5:1-4 : 1 ¶ Go to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you]. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
• Matt 18:3 : 3 And said, ‹Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.›
• Matt 21:31 : 31 ‹Whether of them twain did the will of› [his] ‹father?› They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, ‹Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.›