Matthew 19 · Verse 17

Matthew 19:17

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.

Matthew 19:17, King James Version

Matthew 19:17 in other translations

BSB	“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.”
WEB	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.”
ASV	And he said unto him, Why askest thou me concerning that which is good? One there is who is good: but if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
YLT	And he said to him, ‘Why me dost thou call good? no one is good except One--God; but if thou dost will to enter into the life, keep the commands.'
DARBY	And he said to him, What askest thou me concerning goodness? one is good. But if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
BBE	And he said to him, Why are you questioning me about what is good? One there is who is good: but if you have a desire to go into life, keep the rules of the law.
Webster	And he said to 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.

What does Matthew 19:17 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 17. Why callest thou me good? Why do you give to me a title that belongs only to God? You suppose me to be only a man. Yet you give me an appellation that belongs only to God. It is improper to use titles in this manner. As you Jews use them, they are unmeaning. And though the title may apply to me, yet you did not intend to use it in the sense in which it is proper, as denoting infinite perfection, or Divinity; but you intended to use it as a complimentary or a flattering title, applied to me as if I were a mere man--a title which belongs only to God. The intention, the habit of using mere titles, and applying as compliment terms belonging only to God, is wrong, Christ did not intend here to disclaim Divinity, or to say anything about his own character; but simply to reprove the intention and habit of the young man--a most severe reproof of a foolish habit of compliment and flattery, and seeking pompous title.

Keep the commandments. That is, do what God has commanded. He, in the next verses, informs him what he meant by the commandments. Jesus said this, doubtless, to try him, and to convince him that he had by no means kept the commandments; and that in supposing he had, he was altogether deceived. The young man thought he had kept them, and was relying on them for salvation. It was of great importance, therefore, to convince him that he was, after all, a sinner. Christ did not mean to say that any mail would be saved by the works of the law, for the Bible teaches plainly that such will not be the case, Rom 3:20,28, 4:6, Gall 2:16, Eph 2:9, 2Ti 1:9. At the same time, however, [it is true that if a man perfectly complied with the requirements of the law, he would be saved...EDITOR'S NOTE; the preceding is utter nonsense, please refer to Gal 2:16] for there would be no reason why he should be condemned. Jesus, therefore, since he saw he was depending on his works, told him that if he would enter life he must keep the commandments; if he was depending on them, he must keep them perfectly; and if this was done, [he would be saved...EDITOR'S NOTE this is utter nonsense, I again refer the reader to Gal 2:16] The reasons why Christ gave him this direction were, probably,

1st. Because it was his duty to keep them.

2nd. Because the young man depended on them, and he ought to understand what was required if he did--that they should be kept perfectly, or that they were not kept at all.

3rd. Because he wanted to test him, to show him that he did not keep them, and thus to show him his need of a Saviour.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 17 Why callest thou me good? - Or, Why dost thou question me concerning that good thing? τι με ερωτας περι του αγαθου. 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 received this reading into the text of his second edition, which in the first he had interlined. And instead of, None is good but the one God, he goes on to read, on nearly the same respectable authorities, εις εϚιν ο αγαθος. There is one who is good. Let it be observed also that, in the 16th verse, instead of διδασκαλε αγαθε, good teacher, διδασκαλε only is read by BDL, one other, one Evangelistarium, the Ethiopic, three of the Itala, Origen, and Hilary. The whole passage therefore may be read thus: O teacher! what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why dost thou question me concerning that good thing? There is one that is good. (Or he who is good is one). But If thou art willing to enter into that life, keep the commandments. This passage, as it stood in the common editions, has been considered by some writers as an incontrovertible proof against the Divinity or Godhead of Christ. A very learned person, in his note on this place, thus concludes concerning it: "Therefore our Savior cannot be God: and the notion of, I know not what, a trinity in unity, Three Gods in One, is here proved beyond all controversy, by the unequivocal declaration of Jesus Christ Himself, to be Erroneous and Impossible." Not so. One of the greatest critics in Europe, not at all partial to the Godhead of Christ, has admitted the above readings into his text, on evidence which he judged to be unexceptionable. If they be the true readings, they destroy the whole doctrine built on this text; and indeed the utmost that the enemies of the trinitarian doctrine can now expect from their formidable opponents, concerning this text, is to leave it neuter. Keep the commandments - From this we may learn that God's great design, in giving his law to the Jews, was to lead them to the expectation and enjoyment of eternal life. But as all the law referred to Christ, and he became the end of the law for righteousness (justification) to all that believe, so he is to be received, in order to have the end accomplished which the law proposed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 19:16-22

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 19:16-22 →

Matthew 19:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁho<the>G3588

δὲdeAndG1161

εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036

αὐτῷ·autōto him;G846

τίtiWhyG5101

μεmeMeG3165

ἐρωτᾷςerōtasyou askG2065

ἀγαθοῦ;agathougood?G18

εἷςheisOneG1520

ἀγαθόςagathosgoodG18

εἰeionlyG1487

μὴmēexceptG3361

εἷςheisoneG1520

ὁho<the>G3588

θεός.theosGod.G2316

εἰeiIfG1487

δὲdehoweverG1161

θέλειςtheleisyou desireG2309

εἰςeisintoG1519

τὴνtēn<the>G3588

ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222

εἰσελθεῖν,eiseltheinto enter,G1525

τήρησονtērēsondo keepG5083

τὰςtastheG3588

ἐντολάς.¶entolascommandments.G1785

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 19:17

Leviticus 18:5
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.
Galatians 3:11-13
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Luke 10:26-28
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
Romans 10:5
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
1 Samuel 2:2
There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Ezekiel 20:21
Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:11-12
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
Nehemiah 9:29
And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
1 John 4:8-10
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Psalms 145:7-9
They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

there.
1Sa 2:2; Ps 52:1; 145:7-9; Jas 1:17; 1Jo 4:8-10,16
but.
Le 18:5; Eze 20:11,12; Lu 10:26-28; Ro 10:5; Ga 3:11-13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 19:16
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 19:17
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.
Matthew 19:18
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,

Read all of Matthew 19

Matthew 19:17 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y él le dijo: ¿Por qué me llamas bueno? Ninguno es bueno sino uno, es á saber, Dios: y si quieres entrar en la vida, guarda los mandamientos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il lui dit: Pourquoi m’interroges-tu touchant ce qui est bon? Un seul est bon. Mais si tu veux entrer dans la vie, garde les commandements.
German Elberfelder 1871	Er aber sprach zu ihm: Was fragst du mich über das Gute? Einer ist gut. Wenn du aber ins Leben eingehen willst, so halte die Gebote.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Qui dixit ei: Quid me interrogas de bono? Unus est bonus, Deus. Si autem vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata.