Mark 10:17

The Rich Man

10:17 Now ¹  as Jesus ²  was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ³ 

Luke 18:18

The Wealthy Ruler

18:18 Now ⁴  a certain ruler ⁵  asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ⁶ 

[10:17]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[10:17]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ³ sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (10:15).

[18:18]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[18:18]  ⁵ sn Only Luke states this man is a ruler (cf. the parallels in Matt 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-22, where the questioner is described only as “someone”). He is probably a civic leader of some kind, a leader in the society.

[18:18]  ⁶ sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (18:17). See the similar question about inheriting eternal life in Luke 10:25.