Luke 18:25 Meaning and Explanation
“For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus sharpens the warning into an unforgettable image: a camel through a needle's eye is easier than a rich man entering the kingdom of God.
What Does Luke 18:25 Mean?
The camel was the largest animal in the land; the eye of a needle, the smallest opening in daily life. The pairing is deliberately impossible — even faintly comic — and Jesus means the impossibility, as his answer in verse 27 will confirm. He is not describing a difficult squeeze but a closed door.
Jesus exaggerates to break a spell. Riches whisper that their owner lacks nothing, and that whisper is deadly to a kingdom received with empty hands. He is not shutting heaven against the rich — Zacchaeus will be saved in the very next chapter — but shutting every door marked self-sufficiency, until the only door left standing open is God himself.
Luke 18:25 in the Original Language
belone (βελόνη), 'needle' -- a fine needle, such as a tailor or physician would use.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 18:25
What does Luke 18:25 mean?
Jesus sharpens the warning into an unforgettable image: a camel through a needle's eye is easier than a rich man entering the kingdom of God.