Islide into heaven1/6/2024 ![]() Whichever image one prefers, when Jesus compares a rich man’s entrance into heaven to a camel/rope passing through a needle’s eye/gate, the meaning is quite clear: it is an impossible task. VERILY, unto those who give the lie to Our messages and scorn them in their pride, the gates of heaven shall not be opened and they shall not enter paradise any more than a twisted rope can pass through a needle’s eye: for thus do We requite such as are lost in sin. The majority of English translations of the Qur’an use “camel” for the Arabic word “ jamal,” but the translation as “rope” is also found: Lo! they who deny Our revelations and scorn them, for them the gates of heaven will not be opened nor will they enter the Garden until the camel goeth through the needle’s eye. Qur’anic VersionĪ verse in the Qur’an presents a similar image. Evidence for this also comes from the 10th century Aramaic lexicographer Mar Bahlul who gives the meaning as a “a large rope used to bind ships”. . Other scholars propose that the word for “camel” can also mean “rope” in Aramaic, and so the intended meaning would refer to the difficulty of threading a needle with a rope.Īn alternative linguistic explanation is … that the Aramaic word gamla means rope and camel, possibly because the ropes were made from camel hair. Many insist on the traditional meaning of “camel.” According to Jerome Biblical Commentary, “the figure of the camel and the eye of the needle means exactly what is said it does not refer to a cable or a small gate of Jerusalem.” Not all scholars agree that Jesus was referring to such entrances. They had to be unloaded and made to kneel to get through, even then with difficulty. Large animals, such as camels, also had difficulty passing. For security reasons, these gates allowed humans to pass singly with relative ease, while armed invaders could not. Small entrances, sometimes named “Needle’s Eye,” were common features of ancient walled cities. Jesus states that the salvation of a rich man is so difficult that “ it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” This has become a proverbial expression describing how difficult it is for the wealthy to submit to God. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. They are tossed out, along with junked bicycles, cars and obsolete technology whose glitter has faded.Īt present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. And again I say unto you, 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.Īt the back-end of our life, in the evening of existence, when thoughts turn to death and beyond, what we once ignored or postponed takes on new meaning.ĭiscarded cravings of earlier times now appear as children’s playthings. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
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