King James Version

What Does Luke 18:19 Mean?

Luke 18:19 in the King James Version says “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.” — study this verse from Luke chapter 18 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.”

Luke 18:19 · KJV

Salvation

Context

17

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein .

18

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

19

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

20

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

21

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Read Luke 18 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God—Jesus challenges the ruler's casual use of agathos (ἀγαθός), 'good.' Ti me legeis agathon (τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν)—'why do you call me good?' Oudeis agathos ei mē heis ho theos (οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός)—'no one is good except one, God.'

Jesus isn't denying His divinity but forcing the ruler to think: either (1) Jesus is merely human and therefore not truly good, or (2) Jesus is divine and therefore the ruler faces God Himself. The ruler used 'good teacher' as flattery; Jesus transforms it into confrontation. Before discussing eternal life, the ruler must recognize who stands before him. Casual religious titles won't suffice when facing the Holy One whose goodness exposes all human unrighteousness.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Jewish monotheism insisted God alone possessed absolute goodness. Human righteousness was always relative and flawed (Isaiah 64:6). By claiming 'no one is good except God,' Jesus forces the ruler to examine both (1) his own goodness—is he truly righteous as he claims? and (2) Jesus's identity—if Jesus is good, He must be divine. This encounter reveals that questions about earning eternal life must begin with recognizing God's absolute holiness and human inability to meet that standard.

Reflection Questions

  1. What two conclusions about Jesus's identity does His statement 'no one is good except God' force the ruler to consider?
  2. How does recognizing God's absolute goodness expose the inadequacy of human attempts at righteousness?
  3. Before discussing 'how to be saved,' why must you first confront 'who can save'?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 16 words
εἶπεν1 of 16

“said”

G2036

to speak or say (by word or writing)

δὲ2 of 16

“And”

G1161

but, and, etc

αὐτῷ3 of 16

“unto him”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

ὁ4 of 16
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

Ἰησοῦς5 of 16

“Jesus”

G2424

jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites

Τί6 of 16

“Why”

G5101

an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions)

με7 of 16

“me”

G3165

me

λέγεις8 of 16

“callest thou”

G3004

properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an

ἀγαθὸς9 of 16

“good”

G18

"good" (in any sense, often as noun)

οὐδεὶς10 of 16

“none”

G3762

not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e., none, nobody, nothing

ἀγαθὸς11 of 16

“good”

G18

"good" (in any sense, often as noun)

εἰ12 of 16
G1487

if, whether, that, etc

μὴ13 of 16
G3361

(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether

εἷς14 of 16

“one”

G1520

one

ὁ15 of 16
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

θεός16 of 16

“that is God”

G2316

a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Luke. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Luke 18:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Luke 18:19 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

James 1:17Job 15:14-16Hebrews 7:26Job 25:4Job 14:4Luke 1:35

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