Matthew 19:21

World English Bible (2000)

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, 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 Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross."
• Luke 12:33 : 33 Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don't grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.
• Acts 2:45 : 45 They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
• Luke 16:9 : 9 I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.
• Luke 18:22 : 22 When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me."
• Matt 5:48 : 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
• Matt 6:19-20 : 19 "Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal;
• Luke 14:33 : 33 So therefore whoever of you who doesn't renounce all that he has, he can't be my disciple.
• Matt 19:28 : 28 Jesus said to them, "Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Mark 2:14 : 14 As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.
• Luke 5:27 : 27 After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me!"
• Luke 6:40 : 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
• Luke 9:23 : 23 He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, 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 anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
• Acts 4:32-35 : 32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. 34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.
• 1 Tim 6:17-19 : 17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be 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 of eternal life.
• Heb 10:34 : 34 For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.
• Phil 3:12-15 : 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.
• Mark 8:34 : 34 He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
• Matt 9:9 : 9 As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, "Follow me." He got up and followed him.
• Matt 16:24 : 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
• Gen 17:1 : 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.
• Ps 37:37 : 37 Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
• Matt 4:19 : 19 He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men."
• Matt 5:19-20 : 19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
• Job 1:1 : 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.
• Gen 6:9 : 9 This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.