HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Matthew 19

1

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan;

2

And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

3

The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

4

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5

And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

7

They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8

He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

9

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

1
10

His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

11

But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

12

For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

13

Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

1
14

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

15

And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

16

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17

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.

18

He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19

Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

20

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

21

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.

22

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

23

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

25

When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

26

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

27

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

30

But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Matthew 19

The Judean ministry section opens with the Pharisees' divorce question, which Jesus refers back to creation (the two shall become one flesh) and identifies Moses' divorce permission as a concession to hardness of heart rather than the original design. The disciples' alarmed response (if this is the case it is better not to marry) receives the reply about those who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom — a teaching about voluntary celibacy for the kingdom's sake. The children brought to Jesus despite the disciples' objections receive his blessing and the teaching that the kingdom belongs to such as these. The rich young man's question about inheriting eternal life leads to the commandments recitation, his claim to have kept them all, Jesus' look of love, and the instruction to sell everything and give to the poor — which the man refuses and goes away grieving because he had great wealth. The camel through the eye of a needle and the disciples' astonished question (who then can be saved?) receive the answer: with people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Peter's question about the disciples' reward receives the regeneration promise and the great reversal: many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matthew 19:1

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. The transition formula closes the Community Discourse and marks the beginning of the journey toward Jerusalem. The move from Galilee to Judea beyond the Jordan is the geographical turning point of Matthew's Gospel: the Galilean ministry is over, and the Jerusalem ministry — which will culminate in the passion — is beginning.

Matthew 19:2

And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. The large crowds that follow Jesus into the Judean territory and the healing ministry that continues communicates the unbroken fruitfulness of his ministry even as the opposition intensifies. The crowds that followed and were healed are the context for the Pharisaic test that follows.

Matthew 19:3

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking: is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause? The divorce question is a test: the Greek for any cause reflects the famous first-century debate between the school of Shammai (divorce only for sexual immorality) and the school of Hillel (divorce for any reason). Jesus is being asked to take sides in an existing rabbinic controversy — and his answer will transcend both sides.

Matthew 19:4

He answered: have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female. Jesus' appeal to the creation narrative — Genesis 1:27 — grounds his teaching on marriage in the created order rather than in the Mosaic regulations. The have you not read challenges the Pharisees' scriptural expertise: the creation foundation for marriage predates Moses and provides the framework within which Moses' regulations must be understood.

Matthew 19:5

And said: therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. The Genesis 2:24 quotation establishes the covenant of marriage as the creation of a new unity: two become one flesh. The leaving of father and mother and the cleaving to the wife are the two movements that constitute the marital covenant. The one-flesh union that results is the creation's vision of marriage's completeness.

Matthew 19:6

So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. The principle derived from the Genesis citations: the one-flesh union is God's joining, and no human authority (including Moses) has the right to separate what God has joined. The what God has joined together is the key: marriage is not merely a human institution but a divine act, and the divine act cannot be undone by human legal procedure.

Matthew 19:7

They said to him: why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away? The Pharisees' counter-argument: if marriage is indissoluble, why did Moses command the certificate of divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1–4? The command language is significant: they say Moses commanded; Jesus will say Moses permitted.

Matthew 19:8

He said to them: because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. The hardness of heart explanation: Moses' divorce permission was an accommodation to the people's moral failure, not the creation's ideal. From the beginning — the repeated appeal to the creation order — establishes the standard from which the Mosaic accommodation is a departure. The hardness of heart that required the accommodation is the same hardness of heart that closes the eyes to the kingdom.

Matthew 19:9

And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. The dominical ruling on divorce: the only ground for divorce that does not produce the adultery of remarriage is sexual immorality (porneia). The except clause — the Matthean exception — limits but does not abolish Jesus' general prohibition on divorce-and-remarriage. The context is the one who divorces and marries another: the one who divorces on other grounds and remarries commits adultery.

Matthew 19:10

The disciples said to him: if such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. The disciples' response to the teaching on divorce communicates the radical character of Jesus' ruling: if the bond is that strong, if divorce-and-remarriage is adultery, marriage itself becomes very serious — perhaps too serious for some. The better not to marry conclusion is the disciples' hyperbolic response to the high bar of Jesus' teaching.

Matthew 19:11

But he said to them: not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. Jesus' response to the disciples' not-marry conclusion: not everyone can receive this saying. The receive is the same language as receiving the kingdom (Matthew 18:5) — the capacity to live within the ruling of verse 9 is a gift, not a universal ability. The discipleship that Jesus describes requires the grace to live by the creation's marriage standard.

Matthew 19:12

For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this, receive it. The three kinds of eunuchs: those born without normal sexual function, those castrated by others (often slaves or prisoners in the ancient world), and those who choose celibacy for the sake of the kingdom. The third category — voluntary celibacy for the kingdom — is the vocation that some are given. The let the one who is able to receive this receive it communicates the gift character of both marriage's permanence and celibacy's freedom.

Matthew 19:13

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people. The children brought for Jesus' blessing are an echo of the child placed in the middle in Matthew 18:2–4. The disciples who are told to receive the little ones (18:5) are now rebuking those who bring them. The irony communicates the persistent gap between the disciples' teaching and their practice.

Matthew 19:14

But Jesus said: let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. The let them come and do not hinder mirrors the disciples' own calling: they came when Jesus called them, and now they are hindering those who come. The to such belongs the kingdom echoes Matthew 18:3–4: the kingdom belongs to those who become like children — and to children themselves.

Matthew 19:15

And he laid his hands on them and went away. The laying on of hands — the blessing gesture — and the departure communicates the completeness of the brief encounter. Jesus did what the people brought their children for: he laid his hands on them and blessed them. The brief narrative communicates the priority Jesus assigns to those the disciples found dispensable.

Matthew 19:16

And behold, a young man came up to him, saying: teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? The rich young man's question — what good deed must I do — frames eternal life as the product of a specific deed. The deed-framework for eternal life is the framework that Jesus will transform in his response. The young man's earnestness is genuine; his framework is insufficient.

Matthew 19:17

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. Jesus' response redirects the question: the good is God's domain, and if the young man wants to enter life, he must keep the commandments. The redirection from a specific good deed to the commandments communicates that the kingdom's entry requirement is not a single extraordinary act but the ongoing covenant faithfulness that the commandments define.

Matthew 19:18

He said to him: which ones? And Jesus said: you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. The young man's which ones question produces the second table of the Decalogue: the commandments addressing human relationships. The selection of the second table rather than the first communicates that Jesus is meeting the young man where he is — and will address the deeper issue in verse 21.

Matthew 19:19

Honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The fifth commandment (honor parents) and the Leviticus 19:18 summary (love your neighbor as yourself) complete the second-table commandments that Jesus specifies. The love-your-neighbor summary frames the entire second table within the love command — and the rich young man will fail precisely at this point.

Matthew 19:20

The young man said to him: all these I have kept. What do I still lack? The young man's claim to have kept all the commandments is not necessarily false — he may genuinely have been morally observant. The what do I still lack communicates the earnestness of his seeking: he knows something is missing, even if he has kept the commandments. The lack he cannot identify is what the next verse will expose.

Matthew 19:21

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. The specific command to the rich young man: sell everything, give to the poor, follow Jesus. The if you would be perfect communicates that this is the step that completes the young man's commandment-keeping. The sell-and-give addresses the specific commandment the young man has failed to love his neighbor as himself — his wealth is the specific obstacle to the love that the commandment requires. The treasure in heaven is the exchange: the earthly wealth surrendered is replaced by the kingdom's imperishable provision.

Matthew 19:22

When the young man heard this saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The sorrowful departure communicates the tragedy: the young man came earnestly seeking eternal life and went away having heard what it required — and choosing not to take it. The great possessions are the specific thorny-ground obstacle (Matthew 13:22: the deceitfulness of riches chokes the word). The sorrow communicates that he knows what he is choosing, and it grieves him — but not enough to change his choice.

Matthew 19:23

And Jesus said to his disciples: truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. The teaching on wealth and the kingdom that follows the young man's departure: the rich person enters the kingdom only with difficulty. The difficulty is not economic but spiritual: wealth creates the illusion of self-sufficiency that closes the door on the dependence that the kingdom requires.

Matthew 19:24

Again I tell you, 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. The camel-through-the-needle's-eye is the most striking image of impossibility in the Gospels: not merely difficult but humanly impossible. The needle's eye as a small gate in the Jerusalem wall is a later interpretation without ancient support; the image is deliberately the most extreme available comparison for impossibility.

Matthew 19:25

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying: who then can be saved? The disciples' astonishment at the camel-and-needle image — and their who then can be saved — communicates the ancient world's assumption that wealth was a sign of God's favor. If the wealthy cannot be saved, who has any hope? The disciples' question opens the space for Jesus' answer about divine possibility.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus looked at them and said: with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. The answer to the disciples' salvation question: with God all things are possible. The impossibility of human achievement (entering the kingdom through wealth, status, or deed) is not the final word: the God who makes all things possible is the God who saves the unsaveable. The camel through the needle's eye is impossible for humans; it is possible for God.

Matthew 19:27

Then Peter said in reply: see, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have? Peter's we-have-left-everything is the contrast to the rich young man's he went away keeping everything. Peter's question — what will we have — is the disciples' legitimate inquiry about the reward that the sacrifice of following Jesus produces. The question is not purely mercenary; it is the honest recognition that Jesus has promised treasure (verse 21) and the disciples have paid the cost.

Matthew 19:28

Jesus said to them: truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The eschatological promise for the disciples: in the palingenesia (the new world, the renewal of all things), the twelve disciples who have followed Jesus will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The promise communicates the kingdom's inversion: those who gave up earthly status will receive extraordinary cosmic status in the age to come.

Matthew 19:29

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. The promise extended beyond the twelve: everyone who has left family or property for the sake of Jesus' name receives a hundredfold in return and inherits eternal life. The hundredfold echoes the good-soil harvest of Matthew 13:8: the sacrifice of the present age produces the super-abundant harvest of the kingdom.

Matthew 19:30

But many who are first will be last, and the last first. The reversal principle closes the chapter and will be illustrated by the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard that opens chapter 20. The first-will-be-last reversal is the kingdom's consistent pattern: the rich young man who came first (with all his commandment-keeping and his wealth) will be last; the disciples who seem to have given up everything will be first. The disciples who are asking about what they will receive (verse 27) should not assume that their sacrifice automatically ranks them at the top of the kingdom's hierarchy.