It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus doesn't just say it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom; he says it's easier for a camel to thread a needle. This isn't about the impossibility of wealth itself, but the almost insurmountable human tendency to trust in riches instead of God, making their path to the kingdom incredibly difficult without divine intervention.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just after a rich young ruler sadly walks away from Jesus, choosing his possessions over eternal life, Jesus turns to his disciples. He makes a stark statement about how difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter God's kingdom, using the now-famous image of a camel passing through a needle's eye. This shocks the disciples, who exclaim, "Then who can be saved?" prompting Jesus to explain that while it's impossible with human effort, it is achievable with God's power.
Jesus says it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom, but is wealth itself the problem?
The core issue isn't possessing riches, but trusting in them. When wealth becomes our security, our source of significance, or our perceived ability to manage life, it acts as a massive barrier. It’s easy for those with plenty to rely on their possessions rather than on God alone. This trust in riches can make us spiritually proud, self-sufficient, and blind to our need for God's grace. The disciples were amazed because, in their cultural context, wealth was often seen as a sign of God’s favor. Jesus redirects their understanding: it’s not wealth, but the misplaced trust in it, that’s the real obstacle.
Jesus says it’s impossible for a rich person to enter the kingdom. So… is it game over?
When Jesus utters this seemingly impossible scenario, the disciples’ natural reaction is panic: 'Who then can be saved?' Jesus’ response is key. He doesn’t backtrack or soften the truth. Instead, He reveals the divine solution. He states, 'With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.' This isn't a contradiction; it's a profound invitation. It highlights humanity's utter inability to achieve salvation through our own merit or resources (especially wealth). But it simultaneously points us to God’s sovereign power and grace. The 'camel through the needle's eye' is impossible for us, but God makes the way.
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This teaching by Jesus occurred during His ministry in Galilee or Judea, a time marked by significant social and economic disparities, and His words challenged the common Jewish belief that wealth was a direct sign of divine blessing.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus Encounters the Rich Young Ruler
A wealthy young man asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life, but turns away sadly when Jesus tells him to sell all he owns, give to the poor, and follow Him.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Teaches Disciples About Riches
Following the encounter with the rich young ruler, Jesus directly addresses His disciples, using the stark imagery of a camel passing through a needle's eye to illustrate the difficulty the rich face in entering the kingdom of God.
c. 30 AD
Disciples' Astonishment and Questioning
The disciples are amazed and ask, "Then who can be saved?" This reveals their understanding that in their cultural context, wealth was often seen as a sign of God's favor.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Affirms God's Power
Jesus reassures them that while it is impossible with humans, all things are possible with God, shifting the focus from human effort to divine grace.
c. 30 AD
Peter's Confession and Jesus's Promise
Peter points to their own sacrifices of leaving everything to follow Jesus, and Jesus promises abundant rewards both in this life and the age to come, with the caveat that many first will be last and the last first.
This passage presents the very same teaching from Jesus, also emphasizing the extreme difficulty for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God, even using the striking imagery of a camel passing through a needle's eye.
Luke 18:24-25Luke records Jesus' astonishment at the disciples' reaction to this statement, highlighting the human tendency to be amazed by the idea that riches could be a barrier to salvation, which Jesus then clarifies as a matter of trust in God rather than wealth.
1 Timothy 6:9-10This passage directly warns against the love of money, equating it to a snare and a source of ruin, which echoes the idea in Mark that riches themselves can become a significant obstacle to spiritual life.
James 5:1-3James issues a severe denunciation against the rich who have amassed wealth unjustly, showing how worldly riches can lead to corruption and alienation from God, reinforcing the concern Jesus expresses in Mark.
Matthew 6:24Jesus states that no one can serve two masters, God and money, illustrating the inherent conflict that arises when wealth becomes a competing loyalty, making it difficult to fully commit to God's kingdom.
vincentMark 10:25: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Needle (ῥαφίδος)A word stigmatized by the grammarians as unclassical. One of them (Phrynichus) says, "As for ῥαφίς, nobody would know what it is." Matthew also uses it. See on Matthew 19:24. Luke uses βελόνης, the surgical needle. See on Luke 18:25.
expositorsMark 10:23-31: "And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"
CHAPTER 10:23-31 (Mark 10:23-31)WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED? "And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto His disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the k…
Jesus doesn't just say it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom; he says it's easier for a camel to thread a needle. This isn't about the impossibility of wealth itself, but the almost insurmountable human tendency to trust in riches instead of God, making their path to the kingdom incredibly difficult without divine intervention.
Just after a rich young ruler sadly walks away from Jesus, choosing his possessions over eternal life, Jesus turns to his disciples. He makes a stark statement about how difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter God's kingdom, using the now-famous image of a camel passing through a needle's eye. This shocks the disciples, who exclaim, "Then who can be saved?" prompting Jesus to explain that while it's impossible with human effort, it is achievable with God's power.
Just after a rich young ruler sadly walks away from Jesus, choosing his possessions over eternal life, Jesus turns to his disciples. He makes a stark statement about how difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter God's kingdom, using the now-famous image of a camel passing through a needle's eye. This shocks the disciples, who exclaim, "Then who can be saved?" prompting Jesus to explain that while it's impossible with human effort, it is achievable with God's power.
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”" — Jesus doesn't just say it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom; he says it's easier for a camel to thread a needle. This isn't about the impossibility of wealth itself, but the almost insurmo…
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Last reviewed October 2026