What does this bible verse mean?

Question

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:25)

Answer 1

The Eye of a Needle is the name of one of the doors around Jerusalem. The door is so small the camel has to crawl in to it, and it is not possible. For the camels can't crawl in. They have to be standing up to be able to walk in.

Therefore, even with that. It would be easier for the camel to enter, than the rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Simply, a person can not serve two masters. either God, or money.

Answer 2

It means exactly what it says. But you need to read the whole story. Read Mark 10:17 - 10:27. verse 25 is not the point of the story, but it is the hook. Alot of people stop there and never understand that the true message is in verse 27. Man cannot get himself into heaven, rich or poor, as long as he believes that it hinges on his own efforts. Only through God's grace will anyone get into heaven. A camel cannot go through the eye of a needle without divine intervention from God. A rich man cannot enter the Kingdom of God without divine intervention from God.

Mark - 10:26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

I hope this helps.

P.S. The word "needle" occured only 3 times in the entire Bible, and only when Matthew, Mark, and Luke told this same story. Other than that, the word "needlework" occured 9 times in the Old Testament. A gate called "The eye of the needle" is never mentioned in the Bible.

Answer 3

rich guys in the Bible, especially the pharisees, came with many connotations:

when it says "rich", it's the guys who trust in riches, who are stingy, who are more committed to themselves than to God, who think because they are rich then they're automatically blessed and heavenbound, etc.

anything that is competition for God is an idol. a rich person like described above would have to no longer have money as an idol, which could be very hard in some cases.

whether you look at the "eye of a needle" as a litteral needle as used commonly in the metaphor, or as the small gate known as "the eye of the needle", still emphasizes the point:

for a camel to pass through the gate, it had to bend down, crawl on it's knees and get rid of all it's baggage. so you get the "give it all up" thing. that doesn't mean rich guys HAVE to sell everything to follow God, they just have to recognize that their life and all their possessions are really God's, and can be called upon for use at any time.

personally, I think that it's the literal needle because of a following verse: "with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible". a camel could get through the gate (it was hard, but possible) but obviously, there's no physical way a camel could fit through the eye of a common threading needle

Answer 4

So, then, Jesus meant a literal sewing needle and a real camel. He was using these to emphasize the impossibility of something. Jesus’ statement was not meant to be taken literally. He was using hyperbole to illustrate that just as a literal camel cannot go through the eye of an actual sewing needle, it is impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom if he continues to cling to his riches and does not put Jehovah first in his life.—Luke 13:24; 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Answer 5

Those who have answered that there was a "Needle Gate" in Jerusalem at the time of Christ have been lied to. This supposed gate was invented during the Dark Ages, so as not to offend the wealthy benefactors who were contributing millions to building up the Vatican.

You can look to any reputable archaeological website that deals with the Holy Land, and you will find that this "Needle Gate" is a complete fabrication.

The meaning of the verse is simple. Those who trust in their wealth, rather than Christ, will be doomed.

Answer 6

Although having wealth is not evil and is actually a reward of those who fear the LORD(Psalm112), the issue in this instance with the rich young ruler was not with obeying the 10 commandments but rather that the love for this world's material possessions can be such a stumbling block for people that they can actually miss Heaven because of them. "The earth is the LORD's and everything in it." If the Lord (not a man) asks you to sell something, you should since this world is His.(He will bless you for doing it)The rich ruler did not want to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor.

The Scriptures tell us we are to help the poor but many rich people will not. The tax people will tell you that percentage wise it is usually the lower -lower middle income people who help the poor.

We ourselves are not to be poor for the Scriptures teach us not to be a burden to others, to pay our taxes and to "owe no man anything". We have to live in this world and Jesus said God knows we have need of clothing and food but He said "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."(Matthew 6:33)NIV

Answer 7

Literally: there was a gate mentioned in the Bible called the Eye of the Needle and it was very narrow.

Jesus' meaning: Rich people, or people who are well off, have a tendency to stop seeking the Word because they feel they have everything they need and they no longer need God or spiritual guidance. But those of us who are still struggling seem to hear the Word and its meaning for all of us and we strive to be closer to God.
Jesus was letting us know that he understood his followers were seeking more than what the physical world can give us and we are willing to overcome nearly impossible barriers to follow him and receive our spiritual reward. Those who we see as rich in this world are just that: rich here, but have nothing to gain in the world beyond.

Answer 8

There was a gate in the walls of Jerusalem that was very small. It was called the "Eye of the Needle." When a camel with a rider or a load on it was to pass through the gate, it would have to unload what it was carrying and then go through the gate on its knees.

It seems to me that the comparison is bettween the camel and the rich man. Both are carrying a load - the rich man's load being his worldly riches.He cannot take these into heaven with him. So, to pass the "gate" into heaven, all men must remove the loads they are carrying and become humble - just like the camel going through on its knees.

A rich person must not place a greater importance on his goods than on his efforts to get back to his Father in Heaven. A scripture that helps me when it comes to money is:

"For of him unto whom much is given much is required..."

If a rich man is to remain righteous he must use his riches for righteous purposes. He must not worship them or anything like it.

I hope this has been helpful. Keep studying!

Answer 9

It means that it's hard to for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God because a rich man worships his money and makes money his idol. Instead he should be worshipping God and not his money!

Answer 10

1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.