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."

◄ Matthew 19:24 ►

New International Version
Again I tell you, 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
I’ll say it again—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
Again I tell 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.”

Berean Standard Bible
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.”

Berean Literal Bible
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."

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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 the kingdom of God.”

New American Standard Bible
And 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.”

NASB 1995
“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 the kingdom of God.”

NASB 1977
“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 the kingdom of God.”

Legacy Standard Bible
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 the kingdom of God.”

Amplified Bible
Again I tell you, 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 and status] to enter the kingdom of God.”

Christian Standard Bible
Again I tell 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.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Again I tell 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.”

American Standard Version
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.

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."

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I can guarantee again that 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
I repeat: 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
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God."

Majority Standard Bible
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.”

NET Bible
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."

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

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
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."

World English Bible
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.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
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.”

Berean Literal Bible
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."

Young's Literal Translation
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.'

Smith's Literal Translation
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.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for the wealthy to enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

New American Bible
Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

New Revised Standard Version
Again I tell you, 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.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Again I say to you, It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“And again I say to you that it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
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.

Godbey New Testament
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 go into the kingdom of God.

Haweis New Testament
And again I repeat it 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 God.

Mace New Testament
I tell you again, it is easier for a cable to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the divine kingdom.

Weymouth New Testament
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."

Worrell New Testament
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."

Worsley New Testament
and 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 into the kingdom of God.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Rich Young Man
…23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 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.” 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

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 18:25
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.”

Proverbs 11:28
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

James 5:1-3
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

Luke 6:24
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. / For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. / The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Revelation 3:17-18
You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. / I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Psalm 49:6-7
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. / No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.

Luke 12:15-21
And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” / Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ...

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. / When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Mark 4:19
but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Treasury of Scripture

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.

It.

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

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

Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

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Matthew 19

1. Jesus heals the sick;
3. answers the Pharisees concerning divorce;
10. shows when marriage is necessary;
13. receives the little children;
16. instructs the young man how to attain eternal life;
20. and how to be perfect;
23. tells his disciples how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God;
27. and promises reward to those who forsake all to follow him.

Berean Study Bible

Again I tell you
This phrase emphasizes the importance of repetition in Jesus' teaching. In the Greek, "πάλιν λέγω ὑμῖν" (palin legō hymin) underscores the necessity of understanding and internalizing the message. Jesus often repeated key teachings to ensure His disciples grasped the gravity of His words. This repetition serves as a reminder of the consistency and reliability of His message, urging believers to pay close attention.

it is easier
The Greek word "εὐκοπώτερον" (eukopōteron) suggests something that is more straightforward or less complicated. Jesus uses this comparative term to illustrate the stark contrast between two seemingly impossible tasks. The use of "easier" here is not to suggest that either task is simple, but rather to highlight the extreme difficulty of the latter.

for a camel
The camel, "κάμηλος" (kamēlos) in Greek, was the largest animal commonly found in the region of Judea. Its mention here is significant, as it represents something vast and cumbersome. The camel was a familiar sight to Jesus' audience, symbolizing wealth and trade, yet also embodying the burdens and challenges of earthly possessions.

to pass through
The phrase "διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς" (dia trymalias) means to go through or penetrate. This imagery of passing through a narrow space is used to convey the difficulty of the task. It suggests a process that requires transformation or reduction, much like the spiritual transformation required to enter the kingdom of God.

the eye of a needle
This phrase, "τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος" (trymalias rhaphidos), has been the subject of much debate. Some suggest it refers to a small gate in Jerusalem, while others maintain it is a literal needle's eye. Regardless, the imagery is clear: it represents an impossibility by human standards. The needle's eye symbolizes the narrow path of righteousness and the humility required to enter God's kingdom.

than for a rich man
The term "πλούσιος" (plousios) refers to someone who is wealthy or possesses great material resources. In the context of Jesus' teaching, wealth is not condemned, but the attachment to it is. The rich man symbolizes those who place their trust in material wealth rather than in God. This serves as a warning against the idolatry of riches and the spiritual blindness it can cause.

to enter the kingdom of God
The "βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ" (basileia tou Theou) is the ultimate goal for believers, representing eternal life and communion with God. Entering the kingdom requires a heart aligned with God's will, free from the entanglements of earthly wealth. This phrase calls believers to prioritize spiritual riches over material ones, emphasizing the transformative power of God's grace.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.--Two explanations have been given of the apparent hyperbole of the words. (1.) It has been conjectured that the Evangelists wrote not ??????? (a camel), but ??????? (a cable). Not a single MS., however, gives that reading, and the latter word, which is not found in any classical Greek author, is supposed by the best scholars (e.g., Liddell and Scott) to have been invented for the sake of explaining this passage. (2.) The fact that in some modern Syrian cities the narrow gate for foot-passengers, at the side of the larger gate, by which wagons, camels, and other beasts of burden enter the city, is known as the "needle's eye," has been assumed to have come down from a remote antiquity, and our Lord's words are explained as alluding to it. The fact--to which attention was first called in Lord Nugent's Lands, Classical and Sacred--is certainly interesting, and could the earlier use of the term in this sense be proved, would give a certain vividness to our Lord's imagery. It is not, however, necessary. The Talmud gives the parallel phrase of an elephant passing through a needle's eye. The Koran reproduces the very words of the Gospel. There is no reason to think that the comparison, even if it was not already proverbial, would present the slightest difficulty to the minds of the disciples. Like all such comparisons, it states a general fact, the hindrance which wealth presents to the higher growths of holiness, in the boldest possible form, in order to emphasise its force, and leaves out of sight the limits and modifications with which it has to be received, and which in this instance (according to the text on which the English version is based) were supplied immediately by our Lord Himself (Mark 10:24).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - Again I say unto you. The disciples, St. Mark notes, "were astonished at his words," so he proceeds to state the startling proposition more unreservedly and energetically. It is easier for a camel, etc. This is a proverbial expression for an impossibility. A similar proverb is found in many countries, only substituting another great animal instead of the camel, e.g., the elephant. From taking a too literal view of the passage, some commentators have invented a gate at Jerusalem, low and narrow, designed only for foot passengers, which was called "the needle's eye." Others have remedied the supposed absurdity by reading κάμιλος (if, indeed, there is such a word) "rope," for κάμηλος, as if we were to say cable instead of camel. But there is no difficulty in the expression. Such hyperboles and paradoxes are common in all languages (comp. Matthew 23:24). The impossibility, indeed (as ver. 26 shows), is relative, but the warning is none the less real and terrible. The Lord says that the possession of riches prevents the owner from following him, and endangers his eternal salvation; for that is what it comes to. In St. Mark (whether the words are genuine or not is uncertain) we find a limitation introduced: "How hard it is for them that trust in riches!" Now, this is the effect of riches; men learn to trust in them, to deem that their earthly state is secure, that change and chance will not affect them, that they are, so to speak, independent of Providence; they love the world which is so good to them and so pleasant in their eyes, and they have no earnest longing for a better home. Such is the natural consequence of the possession of wealth, and that which makes the impossibility of entrance into the kingdom.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

Again
πάλιν (palin)
Adverb
Strong's 3825: Probably from the same as pale; anew, i.e. back, once more, or furthermore or on the other hand.

I tell
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

you,
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

[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
εὐκοπώτερόν (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.

[the] eye
τρυπήματος (trypēmatos)
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
ῥαφίδος (rhaphidos)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4476: A needle. From a primary rhapto; a needle.

than for
ἢ (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
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

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: Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you it is easier (Matt. Mat Mt)