Lucas 18

Lucas 18

Vincent has a lengthy note on camel...eye of needle - Compare the Jewish proverb, that a man did not even in his dreams see an elephant pass through the eye of a needle. The reason why the camel was substituted for the elephant was because the proverb was from the Babylonian Talmud, and in Babylon the elephant was common, while in Palestine it was unknown. The Koran has the same figure: “The impious shall find the gates of heaven shut; nor shall he enter there till a camel shall pass through the eye of a needle.” Bochart, in his history of the animals of scripture, cites a Talmudic passage: “A needle’s eye is not too narrow for two friends, nor is the world wide enough for two enemies.” The allusion is not to be explained by reference to a narrow gate called a needle’s eye. Still others have attempted to soften Jesus' words by saying what he was referring to was a small gate in the wall in Jerusalem, which of course is absurd, but it shows how far people will go to twist the truth when the truth hurts! Here is a Wikipedia description that relates to the "gate theory"... The "Eye of the Needle" has been claimed to be a gate in Jerusalem, which opened after the main gate was closed at night. A camel could only pass through this smaller gate if it was stooped and had its baggage removed. This story has been put forth since at least the 15th century, and possibly as far back as the 9th century. However, there is no widely accepted evidence for the existence of such a gate. (Ed: Thus even a secular encyclopedia debunks this idea!) Criswell - To enter "the kingdom of God" (Mt 19:24), i.e., "the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 19:23), is as impossible by human means as it is for a camel to go through a needle's eye. Jesus consciously uses hyperbole (exaggeration) to stress His point (cf. Luke 18:25, note). He intends to show the miraculous nature of salvation for a rich man who must turn his affections from his possessions to the Savior. Thereby he is prepared for entrance into the future kingdom of God (Mt 19:28). ...Most likely this is simply a proverbial saying underscoring the impossibility of putting something large through the eye of a needle, and thus illustrating the impossibility of entry into the kingdom for a man who worships wealth (cf. Mt. 19:24). John