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

English

Etymology

From the Gospel of Matthew, verse 19:24. Some assert that "camel" is a misinterpretation of a word meaning "rope" and others assert that the "Needle's Eye" was a gate in the walls of Jerusalem, but the evidence for each of these theories is contested, and the literal interpretation remains the most common.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Proverb

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

1. (Christianity, biblical) It is unlikely that the wealthy will go to heaven.

Related terms

• camel through the eye of a needle

Translations

proverb

• Arabic: إِنَّ مُرُورَ جَمَل مِنْ ثَقْب إِبْرَةٍ أَيْسَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ غَنِيٌّ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ اللهِ (ʔinna murūra jamal min ṯaqb ʔibratin ʔaysaru min ʔan yadḵula ḡaniyyun ʔilā malakūti llāhi)
• Danish: det er lettere for en kamel at komme igennem et nåleøje end for en rig at komme ind i Guds rige
• German: eher geht ein Kamel durch ein Nadelöhr, als dass ein Reicher in das Reich Gottes gelangt
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: det er lettere for en kamel å gå gjennom et nåløye enn for en rik man å komme inn i Guds rike

• Polish: łatwiej jest wielbłądowi przejść przez ucho igielne, niż bogatemu wejść do królestwa niebieskiego
• Portuguese: é mais fácil passar um camelo pelo fundo de uma agulha do que entrar um rico no reino de Deus
• Russian: ле́гче верблю́ду пройти́ сквозь иго́льное ушко́, чем богачу́ войти́ в ца́рствие небе́сное (léxče verbljúdu projtí skvozʹ igólʹnoje uškó, čem bogačú vojtí v cárstvije nebésnoje)
• Spanish: es más fácil que un camello pase por el ojo de una aguja, que un rico entre en el reino de Dios