Lexical Summary rhaphis: Needle Original Word: ῥαφίς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance needle. From a primary rhapto (to sew; perhaps rather akin to the base of rhapizo through the idea of puncturing); a needle -- needle. see GREEK rhapizo HELPS Word-studies 4476 rhaphís – a sewing or surgical needle referred to in Mt 19:24 and Mk 10:25. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rhaptó (to sew) Definition a needle NASB Translation needle (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4476: ῤαφίςῤαφίς, ῤαφίδος, ἡ (ῤάπτω to sew), a needle: Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25 Rec. ((cf. κάμηλος)). Class. Greek more common uses βελόνη (which see); see Lob. ad Phryn., p. 90; (Winer's Grammar, 25). Topical Lexicon Physical Object and Daily Use A ῥαφίς was a small, pointed implement—normally bone, bronze, or iron—used for stitching cloth or leather in first-century Judea and the wider Greco-Roman world. Archaeological finds from Qumran, Jerusalem, and the Decapolis show needles under five centimeters long, pierced near the blunt end with an aperture scarcely wider than a thread of flax. Tailors, tentmakers, and homemakers kept such tools in household boxes or leather rolls. Because of their commonness and diminutive scale, they lent themselves naturally to teaching illustrations about minuteness or difficulty. Biblical Occurrences Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25 record Jesus saying, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. Both Evangelists preserve the same vivid comparison, placing it in the context of the rich young ruler’s departure and the ensuing dialogue with the disciples about wealth and salvation. Rhetorical Function in Jesus’ Teaching 1. Hyperbolic Imagery: Pairing the largest animal native to the region—the camel—with the smallest aperture known to everyday life creates an absurdly impossible picture. The force of the analogy heightens the sense of utter human inability. Historical Explanations Examined • “Needle-Gate” Theory: A later medieval proposal suggested an after-hours gate in Jerusalem termed “the Needle’s Eye.” No early textual or archaeological evidence supports this claim; it undermines the intended impossibility of Jesus’ statement. Theological Significance • Total Dependence on God: The ῥαφίς image underscores the monergistic nature of salvation—human merit and material security cannot pierce the barrier. Implications for Ministry and Discipleship • Preaching: The needle account offers a trenchant illustration for messages on covetousness, surrender, and divine grace. Related Imagery in Scripture • Proverbs 11:28 warns, “He who trusts in his riches will fall.” The ῥαφίς metaphor harmonizes with these passages, reinforcing a consistent biblical call to trust the Lord, not mammon. Summary The ῥαφίς, though a minor tool of ancient households, becomes in Jesus’ mouth a piercing emblem of human impotence and divine omnipotence. It confronts every generation with the question: will we, like the rich young ruler, cling to possessions, or will we, by God’s enabling, thread the needle into the kingdom? Forms and Transliterations ραφιδος ραφίδος ῥαφίδος raphidos rhaphidos rhaphídosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 19:24 N-GFSGRK: διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ NAS: the eye of a needle, than KJV: the eye of a needle, than INT: through [the] eye of a needle to pass than Mark 10:25 N-GFS |
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