Tree of Life Version
Matthew 19:17
17“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Yeshua said to him. “There is only One who is good; but if you want to enter into 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 laying His hands upon them, He went on from there. 16Now behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good shall I do to have eternal life?” “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Yeshua said to him. “There is only One who is good; but if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18“Which ones?” he said. Yeshua said, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
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 none holy as Adonai, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.
- Psalms 52:1For the music director: a contemplative song of David,
- Psalms 145:7They will pour out the renown of Your great goodness, and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.
- James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
- 1 John 4:8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
- Leviticus 18:5So you are to keep My statutes and My ordinances. The one who does them will live by them. I am Adonai.
- Ezekiel 20:11I gave them My laws and taught them My judgments, which if a man does, he will live by them.
- Luke 10:26Then Yeshua said to him, “What has been written in the Torah? How do you read it?”
- Romans 10:5For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on Torah, “The man who does these things shall live by them.”
- Galatians 3:11It is clear that no one is set right before God by Torah, for “the righteous shall live by emunah.”
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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