Matthew 19:17

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, he went on from there. 16Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” he said to him. “There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18“Which ones?” he asked him. Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; 19honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.

Matthew 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! And there is no rock like our God.
• Psalms 52:1Why boast about evil, you hero! God’s faithful love is constant.
• Psalms 145:7They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.
• James 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
• 1 John 4:8The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
• Leviticus 18:5Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.
• Ezekiel 20:11Then I gave them my statutes and explained my ordinances to them — the person who does them will live by them.
• Luke 10:26“What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”
• Romans 10:5since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.
• Galatians 3:11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will 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

• Commandments
• Contingencies
• Covetousness
• God
• God Continued...
• Immortality
• Jesus, the Christ
• Life
• Obedience
• Riches
• Salvation
• Self-Righteousness
• Works
• Young Men

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Covenant
• Eternal
• Impossible
• Join
• Life
• Marry
• Possession
• Rich

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