EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Matthew 19:21
21Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be completely good, then you must do this: You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
Matthew 19:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.”
Context of Matthew 19:21
19Love your father and your mother and obey them. Love other people as much as you love yourself.’ 20‘I have always obeyed these laws,’ the young man replied. ‘What else must I do?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be completely good, then you must do this: You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’ 22When the young man heard this, he went away. He was not happy. He was feeling sad because he was a very rich man. 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘What I say is true. It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives.
Read all of Matthew 19Matthew 19:21 word by word
Ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς τοῖς πτωχοῖς· καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Ifεἰei · ifG1487
- thou wiltθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- perfectτέλειοςteleios · perfectG5046
- goὑπάγωhupagō · to goG5217
- sellπωλέωpōleō · to sellG4453
- thatὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- to the poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
- thou shalt haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- treasureθησαυρόςthēsauros · treasureG2344
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- comeδεῦροdeuro · comeG1204
- followἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
Cross-references for Matthew 19:21
- Matthew 5:19A person may choose not to obey a rule in God's Law. He may think it is the least important rule. He may also teach other people to think like that. Then God will call him the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But a person may choose to obey all the rules in God's Law. And he may teach other people to obey them too. Then God will call that person great in the kingdom of heaven.
- Genesis 6:9This is the report about Noah and his family. Noah was a good man. He was the only person at that time who lived in a completely right way. He stayed near to God in his life.
- Genesis 17:1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. The Lord said, ‘I am God Almighty. In all your life, obey me and do nothing wrong.
- Job 1:1There was a man who lived in a place called Uz. His name was Job. He was a good and honest man. He was afraid to make God angry. He refused to do evil things.
- Psalms 37:37Think about people who are honest and who do what is right. Those who help people to live in peace will live to enjoy their children.
- Luke 6:40A student is not more important than his teacher is. But each student who has learned everything will be like his teacher.
- Philippians 3:12I am not saying that I have already reached that place in my life. I have not yet completely become the person that God wants me to be. But I am trying very hard to reach that place. That was Christ's purpose when he first made me his own.
- Matthew 6:19Do not want to have many valuable things here in the world. Insects or water can destroy those kinds of things. Or people may come into your house and they can rob you of those things.
- Mark 10:21Jesus looked at the man and Jesus loved him. Jesus said to him, ‘There is still just one thing that you must do. Go now. Sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
- Luke 12:33So sell what you have and give the money to poor people. Then you will have valuable things in heaven. That is like keeping your money in a bag that will never have any holes in it. There, the value of your things will never become less. There, nobody can take them from you. Insects cannot destroy them.
- Luke 14:33Jesus then said, ‘It is like that for all of you, if you want to be my disciples. You must leave everything that you have behind you.
- Luke 16:9So I tell you this. People may get money in wrong ways. But you should use it to do good to those who need help. Then they will be your friends. You will die, one day. Then those people will be happy to see you in that place where people live for all time.
- Luke 18:22Jesus heard what he said and he replied, ‘There is still just one thing that you must do. You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
- Acts 2:45They sold some of their own things. Then they gave that money to any believers who needed it.
- Acts 4:32All the believers agreed completely with each other about how they should live. They wanted to help each other. Nobody kept anything only for themselves. They let the other believers use it.
- 1 Timothy 6:17Warn those people who are rich with many things that belong to this world. Tell them not to think that they are more important than other people. They must not think that their money will keep them safe. They could easily lose all of it. Instead, they should trust God. He gives us many things, so that we can enjoy all of them.
Commentaries on Matthew 19:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21If thou wilt be perfect - , To be complete, to have the business finished, and all hinderances to thy salvation removed, go and sell that thou hast - go and dispose of thy possessions, to which it is evident his heart was too much attached, and give to the poor - for thy goods will be a continual snare to thee if thou keep them; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven - the loss, if it can be called such, shall be made amply up to thee in that eternal life…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. 21-22When Jesus told the man to go, sell … come, follow, Jesus revealed that the man had not truly followed the first of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3). His possessions (his wealth and security) had become his god (see Matthew 6:20, 24; 13:44–46).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 19:21
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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