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 Jesus blessed them, he went away from there. 16Then a man came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments.” 18“Which commandments?” the man asked. Jesus said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. 19Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love 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 but you, O Lord. There is no Rock like our God.
• Psalms 52:1Why do you brag about the evil you’ve done, you hero? The mercy of God lasts all day long!
• Psalms 145:7They will announce what they remember of your great goodness, and they will joyfully sing about your righteousness.
• James 1:17Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.
• 1 John 4:8The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love.
• Leviticus 18:5Live by my standards, and obey my rules. You will have life through them. I am the Lord.
• Ezekiel 20:11I gave them my laws and made my rules known to them. If people obey them they will live.
• Luke 10:26Jesus answered him, “What is written in Moses’ Teachings? What do you read there?”
• Romans 10:5Moses writes about receiving God’s approval by following his laws. He says, “The person who obeys these laws will live because he obeys them.”
• Galatians 3:11No one receives God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings since, “The person who has God’s approval 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
• Covenant
• Eternal
• Impossible
• Join
• Life
• Marry
• Possession
• Rich
• Concerning

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