Amplified Bible
Matthew 19:17
17Jesus answered, “Why are you asking Me about what is [essentially] good? There is only One who is [essentially] good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.”
Matthew 19:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
- New International Version (NIV)“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Context of Matthew 19:17
15After placing His hands on them [for a blessing], He went on from there. 16And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what [essentially] good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?” Jesus answered, “Why are you asking Me about what is [essentially] good? There is only One who is [essentially] good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18He said to Jesus, “Which commandments?” And Jesus answered, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony; 19Honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself” [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].
Read all of Matthew 19Matthew 19:17 word by word
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Whyτίςtis · which?G5101
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
- noneοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- butεἰei · ifG1487
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- thou wiltθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- enterεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
- the commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
Cross-references for Matthew 19:17
- 1 Samuel 2:2There is no one holy like the Lord, There is no one besides You, There is no Rock like our God.
- Psalms 52:1Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.
- Psalms 145:7They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodness And will sing joyfully of Your righteousness.
- James 1:17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].
- 1 John 4:8The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]
- Leviticus 18:5So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which, if a person keeps them, he shall live; I am the Lord.
- Ezekiel 20:11I gave them My statutes and explained My ordinances to them, which, if a man keeps, he will live.
- Luke 10:26Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
- Romans 10:5For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it.
- Galatians 3:11Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for “The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith.”
Commentaries on Matthew 19:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Why callest thou me good? - Or, Why dost thou question me concerning that good thing? . This important reading is found in BDL, three others, the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, Ethiopic, latter Syriac, Vulgate, Saxon, all the Itala but one, Origen, Eusebius, Cyril, Dionysius Areop., Antiochus, Novatian, Jerome, Augustin, and Juvencus. Erasmus, Grotius, Mill, and Bengel approve of this reading. This authority appears so decisive to Griesbach that he has…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-30Verses 16-30 This account is found also in Mark 10:17-31; Matthew 19:16 One came - This was a young man, Matthew 19:20. He was a ruler (Luke); probably a ruler in a synagogue, or of the great council of the nation; a place to which he was chosen on account of his unblemished character and promising talents. He came running (Mark); evincing great earnestness and anxiety, He fell upon his knees (Mark); not to worship him, but to pay the customary respectful…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept was of his charity and contempt of the world. It is required of us…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Why do you ask Me: as a Jew, the man should have known that God shows his standard of goodness in his commandments. The man's questions show he did not trust God's revealed will (also Matthew 19:20). there is only One who is good: The man might have thought he could be perfectly good on his own, but only God is the truly good. So, God is from where all goodness comes. keep the commandments: Jesus might be trying to show the man his own sinfulness by…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 19:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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