Matthew 18:8

So, if you are wanting to use one of your hands or feet to sin, stop using that hand or foot! Even if you have to cut it off to avoid sinning, do it [MET]! It is good that you not sin and go where you will live with God eternally, even though while you are still here on earth you are maimed or lame and do not have a hand or a foot. But it is not good that you continue to have your two hands and two feet and do [MTY] the sinful things you want to, and as a result, you are thrown into hell, where there is eternal fire burning.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

In Context

7It will be terrible for those [MTY] who cause others to stop believing in me. God will punish them eternally. It is inevitable that there will be those who cause others to stop believing in me. But it will be horrible for everyone who does that.

9If what you see you makes you want to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away to avoid sinning, do it [HYP]! It is good that you not sin and go where you will live with God eternally, even though while you are still here on earth you have only one eye. But it is not good that you continue to have your two eyes and do the sinful things you want to, and as a result, you are thrown {God throws you} into hell where there is eternal fire burning.”

Read all of Matthew 18

Cross References

Isaiah 2:20On that day, people will get rid of all their gold and silver idols that they made to worship, and they will throw them to the bats and rats.

Isaiah 33:14The sinners in Jerusalem will tremble because of being very afraid; godless people will be terrified. They say, “None of us can [RHQ] remain alive because this fire is burning everything; it is like the fire on Yahweh’s altar that will burn forever!”

Matthew 5:29If because of what you see [MTY] you are tempted to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away [HYP] to avoid sinning, do it! It is good that you not sin and as a result go to heaven, even though while you are still here on earth you lack one or both of your eyes. But it is not good that you continue to have two eyes and sin and, as a result, God sends your whole body to hell.

Matthew 15:30Crowds kept coming to him for the next two days and brought lame, crippled, and blind people, those who were unable to talk, and many others who had various sicknesses. They laid them in front of Jesus so that he would heal them [SYN]. And he healed them.

Matthew 25:46Then those people on my left will go away to the place where they will be punished { God will punish them} eternally, but the righteous people will go to where they will live forever with God.”

Luke 14:26“If anyone comes to me who loves his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters more than [HYP] he loves me, he cannot be my disciple. He must even love me more than he loves his own life!

Matthew Henry on Matthew 18:8-15

Cautions against Offences. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than… Read the whole commentary →

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