Luke 18:19
What does Luke 18:19 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 18:19 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 18:19 means
Jesus, perceiving the ruler's heart, questions his use of the title "Good Teacher." He redirects the ruler's attention from human teachers to the ultimate source of goodness: God alone. This challenge is not a denial of Jesus's own divine nature, but an invitation for the ruler to consider the implications of his address. It forces the ruler to think more deeply about who Jesus truly is and what true goodness entails, beyond mere human virtue.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Jesus said to him, Why do you say that I am good? No one is good, but only God.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And Jesus said to him, `Why me dost thou call good? no one <FI>is<Fi> good, except One--God;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And Jesus said to him: Why dost thou call me good? None is good but God alone.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one,God.
Context
This verse records Jesus's immediate and sharp response to the ruler's address in verse 18. By questioning the term "Good Teacher," Jesus probes the ruler's understanding of goodness and, by extension, God's unique goodness. This establishes the divine standard against which all human efforts, including the ruler's, will be measured, setting the stage for Jesus's subsequent challenge.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Job 25:4
How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
- Luke 11:13
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
- Job 15:14
What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
- Hebrews 7:26
For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- Job 14:4
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
- James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
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