Matthew 19:18 kjv
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,
Matthew 19:18 nkjv
He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'
Matthew 19:18 niv
"Which ones?" he inquired. Jesus replied, "?'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
Matthew 19:18 esv
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,
Matthew 19:18 nlt
"Which ones?" the man asked. And Jesus replied: "'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.
Matthew 19 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:13-16 | "You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." | Original Decalogue source for the commandments. |
| Deut 5:17-20 | "‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." | Repetition of the Decalogue, highlighting their perpetual importance. |
| Rom 13:9 | For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." | Paul lists these same commandments, emphasizing their summary in love. |
| Jas 2:11 | For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." | Demonstrates the indivisible nature of the Law and sin. |
| Matt 5:21-22 | "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." | Jesus expands on the spiritual depth of the prohibition against murder. |
| Matt 5:27-28 | "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." | Jesus expands on the spiritual depth of the prohibition against adultery. |
| Eph 4:28 | Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. | Application of the command against stealing, linked to positive acts. |
| Col 3:9 | Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. | Reinforcement against false witness and deceit in the new covenant. |
| Zech 8:16 | "These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace." | Prophetic call for truthfulness, aligning with not bearing false witness. |
| Prov 19:5 | A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape. | Consequences of bearing false witness in wisdom literature. |
| Job 31:9-12 | If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, Then let my wife grind for another, And let others bow down over her. For that would be a wicked act... | Job's integrity against adultery. |
| 1 Jn 3:15 | Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. | Connects hatred to the essence of murder, highlighting the inner dimension. |
| Lev 19:18 | 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.' | The summary commandment that underpins the second table of the Law. |
| Matt 22:37-40 | Jesus said to him, "‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." | Jesus' ultimate summary of the entire Law, where the listed commandments find their foundation. |
| Mk 10:17-19 | Now as He was going out on the road, one came running and knelt before Him... "Which commandments?" He said to him, "Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud..." | Mark's parallel account, including "Do not defraud." |
| Lk 18:18-20 | Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"... He said, "Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother." | Luke's parallel account, with slightly different order and inclusion of honor parents. |
| Rom 7:7 | What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." | The Law's role in exposing sin, even for inner thoughts. |
| Gal 2:16 | "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ..." | Underscores that obedience to the Law (like these commands) cannot bring justification. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. | Clarifies that salvation is by grace, not human efforts, including keeping the Law. |
| Tit 3:5 | not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. | Reinforces salvation is not through deeds, but God's mercy and new birth. |
| Matt 19:19 | "‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" | The continuation of Jesus' list, adding another command and the summation of the second table. |
| Deut 30:19 | "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." | Link between keeping commands and life. |
Matthew 19 verses
Matthew 19 18 Meaning
In Matthew 19:18, Jesus responds to a rich young man's inquiry about how to gain eternal life by explicitly enumerating several commandments from the second table of the Mosaic Law. These commandments, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness," define fundamental ethical responsibilities towards one's neighbor, setting a foundational standard for righteous conduct within the covenant. This direct citation from the Decalogue serves to establish the divine requirement for moral integrity and highlights the young man's (and humanity's) inherent inability to perfectly fulfill the Law.
Matthew 19 18 Context
Matthew 19:18 is embedded within the narrative of Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, immediately following the man's profound question, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Jesus initially deflects the "good teacher" compliment, redirecting the man's attention to the singular goodness of God. Then, he directly instructs the man to "keep the commandments" if he wishes to enter into life (Matt 19:17). The young man's follow-up question, "Which ones?", reveals his self-perceived righteousness, or perhaps a desire for a prioritized or specific "key" commandment common in rabbinic discussions of the Law. Jesus' reply in verse 18 (and 19) is a list primarily from the second table of the Decalogue—those commandments pertaining to human relationships—which highlights the ethical and relational demands of God's perfect Law. Historically, in Jewish society, obedience to the Mosaic Law was paramount for righteous living. This encounter would have challenged common assumptions about achieving righteousness through superficial adherence to external religious duties. Jesus' choice to list these specific commands sets the stage for His deeper challenge to the young man's true loyalty and the Law's profound scope.
Matthew 19 18 Word analysis
- He said to Him, 'Which ones?': The rich young man's immediate response. The Greek for "which ones" is `ποίας` (poias), indicating a specific category or selection. This reveals a typical rabbinic preoccupation with categorizing and prioritizing the 613 commandments. It implies the young man's understanding that simply "keeping the commandments" was broad; he sought clarification, possibly expecting Jesus to specify an innovative or particularly weighty command, or to test Jesus' understanding of the Law. It exposes his desire for an actionable list he believes he can fulfill.
- And Jesus said: Jesus now takes the initiative, responding directly to the specific query with divine authority, laying out fundamental requirements of righteous living.
- 'You shall not murder,': Greek: `οὐ φονεύσεις` (ou phoneuseis). From `φονεύω` (phoneuō), "to kill" or "to murder." This is the Sixth Commandment (Exod 20:13, Deut 5:17). It speaks to the sacredness of human life, made in God's image (Gen 9:6). Jesus, in Matt 5:21-22, expands its meaning to include internal anger and hatred, showing the Law's deeper spiritual demand. It protects human dignity and societal peace.
- 'You shall not commit adultery,': Greek: `οὐ μοιχεύσεις` (ou moicheuseis). From `μοιχεύω` (moicheuō), "to commit adultery." This is the Seventh Commandment (Exod 20:14, Deut 5:18). It underscores the sanctity of marriage and sexual purity. Adultery defiles a sacred covenant between two people and breaks trust within society. Jesus' teaching (Matt 5:27-28) broadens this to include lustful thoughts, indicating the heart's true condition.
- 'You shall not steal,': Greek: `οὐ κλέψεις` (ou klepseis). From `κλέπτω` (kleptō), "to steal." This is the Eighth Commandment (Exod 20:15, Deut 5:19). It upholds the right to private property and economic justice. Stealing undermines social order and demonstrates a disregard for a neighbor's well-being. It relates to fairness and integrity in possessions.
- 'You shall not bear false witness;': Greek: `οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις` (ou pseudomartureseis). From `ψευδομαρτυρέω` (pseudomartyreō), "to bear false witness" or "to give false testimony." This is the Ninth Commandment (Exod 20:16, Deut 5:20). It speaks to the importance of truth, especially in legal and relational contexts. False witness can destroy reputations, pervert justice, and break communal trust. It pertains to integrity of speech and upholding truth.
- 'You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness;': These four prohibitions are taken directly from the second table of the Ten Commandments, which focus on human-to-human relationships. Jesus' selection is deliberate; He doesn't start with commandments related to God (like 'no other gods,' 'no idols,' 'no vain use of God's name,' 'Sabbath') which a self-righteous individual might claim to observe outwardly. Instead, He probes the young man's interaction with others, the most direct manifestation of his love (or lack thereof) for his neighbor. These commands protect life, marriage, property, and truth, forming the moral bedrock of any just society. They also serve to expose human inability to perfectly uphold God's righteous standard in all its depth, thus preparing the way for understanding the need for divine grace.
Matthew 19 18 Bonus section
The order of the commandments listed by Jesus in Matthew 19:18 differs slightly from the canonical order in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, and also varies in the parallel accounts in Mark 10:19 and Luke 18:20. In Matthew, it's murder, adultery, stealing, false witness. This variation, also seen in Rom 13:9, suggests that for Jewish understanding of the second table of the Law, the specific sequence of these prohibitions (related to neighbor) was not as strictly adhered to as the full content. The main point was the inclusion of these core ethical obligations rather than a fixed serial presentation, especially as they were collectively summarized under the principle of "love your neighbor as yourself." Mark's inclusion of "Do not defraud" (ἀποστερήσῃς - apostereseis, meaning 'to defraud' or 'to deprive by fraud') and Luke's addition of "Honor your father and your mother" further illustrates how the evangelists recorded Jesus’ consistent emphasis on the moral requirements of the Law, specifically those regulating human relationships. This selection implies Jesus was using these well-known statutes to illustrate God's unbending moral demand, guiding the young man towards the realization of his own spiritual poverty and the deeper requirement of ultimate commitment and perfect love, which no human can attain through self-effort alone.
Matthew 19 18 Commentary
Matthew 19:18 presents Jesus' concise listing of specific commandments in response to the rich young ruler's question about gaining eternal life. By choosing commands from the second table of the Decalogue (neighbor-focused duties), Jesus subtly shifts the emphasis from religious rituals or theological doctrines to practical, ethical living. This choice highlights that genuine righteousness is inextricably linked to one's conduct towards fellow human beings, as these are the visible expressions of one's obedience to God.
Jesus' primary purpose in enumerating these commandments was not to teach salvation by works, but rather to reveal the inadequacy of self-righteousness and to drive the young man to an awareness of the deeper demands of God's perfect Law. By asking "Which ones?", the young man suggested an expectation that certain duties might suffice, or perhaps even a claim of having fulfilled them. Jesus, knowing his heart, used the Law as a mirror, forcing him to confront the divine standard. The simple list of negative prohibitions ("You shall not...") forms the baseline for moral purity and integrity that is expected of God's covenant people. They are essential boundaries that guard human dignity and societal order. Yet, as Jesus had already taught in the Sermon on the Mount, these prohibitions extend beyond external actions to the very intentions and desires of the heart, setting an impossibly high bar for fallen humanity. This interaction is designed to lead the young man—and by extension, us—to realize that achieving eternal life requires more than mere adherence to a moral checklist, thus setting the stage for Jesus to point him towards a more radical commitment and a recognition of his true need for grace.