Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 19:24

"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle`s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." — Matthew 19:24 (ASV)

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle — Two explanations have been offered for the apparent hyperbole in these words. The first suggests that the Evangelists wrote not κάμηλος (a camel), but κάμιλος (a cable). However, not a single manuscript supports that reading, and the latter word, which is not found in any classical Greek author, is thought by the best scholars (for example, Liddell and Scott) to have been invented simply to explain this passage.

A second explanation is based on the fact that in some modern Syrian cities, the narrow gate for pedestrians beside the larger city gate—used by wagons, camels, and other beasts of burden—is known as the “needle’s eye.” It has been assumed that this name dates back to ancient times and that our Lord was alluding to this gate. This idea, first highlighted in Lord Nugent’s Lands, Classical and Sacred, is certainly interesting. If the term could be proven to have been used this way in antiquity, it would add a certain vividness to our Lord’s imagery.

However, such an explanation is not necessary. The Talmud offers a parallel phrase: an elephant passing through a needle’s eye. The Koran reproduces the very words of the Gospel. There is no reason to think the comparison would have presented the slightest difficulty to the disciples, even if it was not already a proverb. Like all such comparisons, its purpose is to state a general truth—the obstacle that wealth presents to spiritual growth—in the boldest possible form to emphasize its power. It intentionally leaves out the qualifications and exceptions, which in this case were supplied immediately by our Lord Himself (Mark 10:24).