Mark 10 23

Mark 10:23 kjv

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

Mark 10:23 nkjv

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"

Mark 10:23 niv

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

Mark 10:23 esv

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"

Mark 10:23 nlt

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!"

Mark 10 verses

Mark 10 23 Meaning

Mark 10:23 reveals Jesus' profound observation immediately following the rich young ruler's sorrowful departure. Jesus articulates the extreme difficulty for those who possess significant material wealth to enter God's Kingdom. This statement challenges prevailing assumptions of His time that linked prosperity directly with divine favor, underscoring instead the spiritual obstacles inherent in worldly attachments.

Mark 10 23 Context

Mark 10:23 immediately follows the dramatic encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler (Mk 10:17-22). The young man asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus, after reviewing the commandments, called him to a radical act of discipleship: sell everything, give to the poor, and follow Him. The young man departed sorrowfully because he had "great possessions." This emotional exit prompts Jesus' statement in verse 23, not as an abstract theological point, but as a direct reflection on this specific failure.

Historically and culturally, the Jewish understanding often equated wealth with God's blessing and favor (e.g., Abraham, Solomon, Job before his trials). Therefore, for Jesus to declare that wealth presented an obstacle to the Kingdom of God would have been astonishing and counter-intuitive to His disciples and the broader Jewish audience. This challenges the prevalent idea that prosperity automatically signified spiritual standing and hints at a new spiritual paradigm where devotion to God transcends material attachment. The scene thus functions as a powerful commentary on the cost of true discipleship.

Mark 10 23 Word analysis

• Then Jesus

  • Significance: Jesus' active initiation of the teaching moment.

• looked around

  • Greek: periblepsamenos (περιβλεψάμενος) - a strong aorist participle indicating a deliberate, penetrating, comprehensive gaze. Not a casual glance, but an intensive observation.
  • Significance: Jesus' direct engagement with His audience and the situation; He is thoughtfully assessing His disciples' reactions and preparing them for a difficult truth. It conveys the seriousness of the teaching to follow.

• and said to His disciples,

  • Significance: The teaching is specifically directed at His core followers, the mathētai (learners/apprentices), who are meant to grasp deeper truths. It sets a teaching moment apart.

• "How hard it is

  • Greek: Pōs dyskolōs (Πῶς δυσκόλως) - Pōs ("how") intensifies dyskolōs ("with difficulty" or "hardly"). Dyskolōs literally means "with difficulty," indicating not impossibility but extreme hardship or a strenuous effort. It suggests an almost insurmountable obstacle under normal human conditions.
  • Significance: This emphasizes the profound challenge, creating a sense of surprise and prompting disciples to consider what makes it so difficult. It contrasts with the easy assumption of the time that wealth indicated favor.

• for those who have riches

  • Greek: hoi ta chrēmata echontes (οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες) - literally, "the ones having the things of value" or "possessions/money." The phrase is descriptive of their status.
  • Significance: The obstacle is tied directly to the possession of significant wealth. This initial statement targets the fact of having riches, setting the stage for Jesus to clarify in the next verse (Mk 10:24) that the true hindrance is "trusting in riches." The riches themselves become an entanglement, creating temptations for security and self-reliance rather than dependence on God.

• to enter

  • Greek: eiselthein (εἰσελθεῖν) - an aorist infinitive, meaning "to come into," "to go into," or "to be admitted."
  • Significance: This signifies gaining full participation, membership, or salvation within the Kingdom of God. It's about being part of God's present reign and inheriting His future blessedness.

• the kingdom of God!"

  • Greek: tēn basileian tou theou (τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ) - God's sovereign reign, rule, and sphere of influence.
  • Significance: This is the ultimate prize of discipleship. It refers both to the spiritual realm and relationship with God now, and the ultimate consummation of His rule in eternity. Jesus emphasizes that worldly attachment obstructs access to this divine reality.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples": This phrasing establishes Jesus' intentional pedagogical approach. His "looking around" suggests a discerning gaze at the ripple effect of the rich young ruler's departure on the disciples, priming them for a challenging teaching.
• "How hard it is for those who have riches": The initial statement powerfully counters the prevailing cultural understanding that wealth indicated divine blessing. Jesus highlights that possessing riches poses a significant spiritual hurdle, hinting at a disconnect between earthly security and divine priorities.
• "to enter the kingdom of God": This emphasizes the core aspiration of any sincere Jew or follower of Jesus: to be part of God's sovereign rule. The connection here directly links material possessions to the most crucial spiritual goal, posing an uncomfortable question about true priorities.

Mark 10 23 Bonus section

The shock Jesus' disciples experienced in Mark 10:23 is deepened in Mark 10:24-25, where Jesus clarifies that the difficulty lies not merely in having wealth, but specifically in trusting in riches. This nuanced distinction is crucial. It means the problem isn't wealth per se, but the spiritual condition of the heart that finds its security, identity, or purpose in material possessions rather than in God. A wealthy person can enter the Kingdom if their heart is free from the love and reliance on riches, and instead fully committed to God. The difficulty for the rich, then, is precisely this internal detachment from their material security, which Jesus often found was easier for the poor who, by necessity, were more inclined to trust in divine providence.

Mark 10 23 Commentary

Mark 10:23 delivers a shocking and profound statement that reverses conventional wisdom. In a world where prosperity was often seen as a mark of God's favor, Jesus unequivocally declares that having great riches presents a significant spiritual impediment to entering God's Kingdom. This is not to say that all rich people are excluded or that poverty guarantees salvation. Rather, Jesus highlights the inherent spiritual dangers associated with wealth: it often fosters self-reliance, security in possessions rather than God, and a potential distraction from heavenly pursuits. The "hardness" comes from the grip wealth can have on a person's heart, leading them away from the complete surrender and dependence required for true discipleship. The rich young ruler, for instance, chose his possessions over following Jesus, illustrating this very struggle. Ultimately, Jesus shows that true discipleship often requires letting go of whatever competes with devotion to God, and for some, that chief competitor is their wealth.