Teks -- Luke 18:25 (NET)

18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Luk 18:25 - Through a needle’ s eye

Through a needle’ s eye ( dia trēmatos belonēs ).

Both words are old. Trēma means a perforation or hole or eye and in the N.T. only here and Mat 19:24. Belonē means originally the point of a spear and then a surgeon’ s needle. Here only in the N.T. Mar 10:25; Mat 19:24 have rhaphidos for needle. This is probably a current proverb for the impossible. The Talmud twice speaks of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle as being impossible.

Vincent: Luk 18:25 - Camel

Camel

See on Mat 19:24.

Vincent: Luk 18:25 - To go through the eye of a needle

To go through the eye of a needle ( διὰ τρήματος βελόνης εἰσελθεῖν )

Rev., more literally, to enter in through a needle's eye. Both Matthew and Mark use another word for needle (ῥαφίς ); see on Mar 10:25. Luke alone has βελόνη , which, besides being an older term, is the peculiar word for the surgical needle. The other word is condemned by the Greek grammarians as barbarous.

JFB: Luk 18:23-25 - was very sorrowful

Matthew (Mat 19:22) more fully, "went away sorrowful"; Mark still more, "was sad" or "sullen" at that saying, and "went away grieved." Sorry he was, very sorry, to part with Christ; but to part with his riches would have cost him a pang more. When Riches or Heaven, on Christ's terms, were the alternative, the result showed to which side the balance inclined. Thus was he shown to lack the one all-comprehensive requirement of the law--the absolute subjection of the heart to God, and this want vitiated all his other obediences.

JFB: Luk 18:25 - easier for a camel, &c.

A proverbial expression denoting literally a thing impossible, but figuratively, very difficult.

Clarke: Luk 18:25 - It as easier for a camel

It as easier for a camel - Instead of καμηλον, a camel, S, and four other MSS., read καμιλον, a cable. See the same reading noticed on the parallel place, Mat 19:24 (note).

TSK: Luk 18:25 - a camel

a camel : Some render a cable; but it may justly be doubted whether καμηλος [Strong’ s G2574] ever was so translated before, for the word for a cable, as the scholiast on Aristophanes expressly affirms, is written καμιλος , not with an ""e"" η , but with an ""i"" ι . Some few manuscripts, it is true, have got the word καμιλος into the text, but it is evidently an attempted improvement. Mat 23:24

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Luk 18:18-27

Ver. 18-27. We have met with this story at large, Mat 19:16-26 ; and with (if not the same) very like to it. Mar 10:17-27 . See Poole on "Mat 19:16" , and following verses to Mat 19:26 . See Poole on "Mar 10:17" , and following verses to Mar 10:17 . The history is of great use to us.

1. To show how far a man may go, that yet is a great way short of a truly good and spiritual state. He may know that nothing in this life will make him perfectly happy. He may desire eternal life, and salvation. He may go a great way in keeping the commandments of God, as to the letter of them. He may come to the ministers of the gospel to be further instructed. But herein he will fail, he will not come to Christ that he may have life, but fancy he should do something meritorious of it; he doth not aright understand the law, and that there is no going to heaven that way, but by the perfect observation of it, and therefore fancies himself in a much better state than he is.

2. It instructs us in this, that there is no coming to heaven by works, but by a full and perfect obedience to the whole revealed will of God.

3. That every hypocrite hath some lust or other, in which he cannot deny himself. This ruler’ s lust was his immoderate love of the world, and the things thereof.

4. That it is a mighty difficult thing for any persons, but especially such as have great possessions on earth, to get to heaven.

5. As difficult and almost impossible as it may appear to men, yet nothing is impossible with God. He can change the heart of the rich, and incline it to himself; as well as the, heart of the poor. The rich man hath more impediments; but be men rich or poor, without the powerful influence of God upon the heart, without his free grace, no soul will be saved.

Gill: Luk 18:25 - For it is easier for a camel

For it is easier for a camel,.... These words were spoken to the disciples again, and were a second address to them, after they had shown astonishment at the former; See Gill on Mat 19:24 and See Gill on Mar 10:24.