Luke 18:21
And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 9
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἐφύλαξαμην
have I kept
G5442
ἐφύλαξαμην
have I kept
Strong's:
G5442
Word #:
6 of 9
to watch, i.e., be on guard (literally of figuratively); by implication, to preserve, obey, avoid
Historical Context
Jewish boys became 'sons of the commandments' at age 13, taking on adult Torah obligations. The ruler had observed the commandments for years, perhaps decades, with scrupulous care. This wasn't Pharisaical hypocrisy but sincere, though misguided, religion. He represents the best that law-based righteousness can produce: external conformity without heart transformation. His upcoming failure proves Paul's later argument: 'by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified' (Galatians 2:16).
Questions for Reflection
- What does the ruler's sincere claim to have kept all commandments reveal about external versus internal righteousness?
- How does Mark's note that Jesus 'loved him' inform how we should view those trapped in works-based religion?
- What commandment is the ruler about to discover he hasn't kept, and why does this matter for salvation?
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Analysis & Commentary
And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up—the ruler's confident claim: tauta panta ephylaxa ek neotētos (ταῦτα πάντα ἐφύλαξα ἐκ νεότητος)—'all these I have kept from youth.' Ephylaxa (ἐφύλαξα) means 'guarded,' 'observed,' 'kept carefully.' He's not lying or boasting—he genuinely believes he's maintained external conformity to the commandments since his bar mitzvah.
Mark 10:21 adds that Jesus, looking at him, loved him. His sincerity was genuine, but tragically misdirected. He measured righteousness by external behaviors, unaware that God's law requires internal heart perfection. Jesus will now expose the tenth commandment—'you shall not covet' (Exodus 20:17)—which governs internal desires rather than external actions. The ruler's confident self-assessment is about to be shattered.