Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 19].
18:3f.
19:16 {What good thing} (\ti agathon\). Mark (Mr 10:17) has the
adjective "good" with "Teacher." {May have} (\sch•\). Ingressive
aorist subjunctive, "may get," "may acquire."
19:17 {Concerning that which is good} (\peri tou agathou\). He
had asked Jesus in verse 16 "what good thing" he should do. He
evidently had a light idea of the meaning of \agathos\. "This was
only a teacher's way of leading on a pupil" (Bruce). So Jesus
explains that "One there is who is good," one alone who is really
good in the absolute sense.
19:20 {What lack I yet?} (\ti eti huster•?\) Here is a
psychological paradox. He claims to have kept all these
commandments and yet he was not satisfied. He had an uneasy
conscience and Jesus called him to something that he did not
have. He thought of goodness as quantitative (a series of acts)
and not qualitative (of the nature of God). Did his question
reveal proud complacency or pathetic despair? A bit of both most
likely.
19:21 {If thou wouldest be perfect} (\ei theleis teleios einai\).
Condition of the first class, determined as fulfilled. Jesus
assumes that the young man really desires to be perfect (a big
adjective that, perfect as God is the goal, 5:48). {That thou
hast} (\sou ta huparchonta\). "Thy belongings." The Greek neuter
plural participle used like our English word "belongings." It was
a huge demand, for he was rich.
19:22 {Went away sorrowful} (\ap•lthen lupoumenos\). "Went away
grieved." He felt that Jesus had asked too much of him. He
worshipped money more than God when put to the test. Does Jesus
demand this same test of every one? Not unless he is in the grip
of money. Different persons are in the power of different sins.
One sin is enough to keep one away from Christ.
19:23 {It is hard} (\duskol•s\). With difficulty. Adverb from
\duskolos\, hard to find food, fastidious, faultfinding, then
difficult.
19:24 {It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye}
(\eukop•teron estin kam•lon dia tr•matos rhaphidos eiselthein\).
Jesus, of course, means by this comparison, whether an eastern
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