The Meaning of Mark 9:42 Explained

Mark 9:42

KJV: And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

YLT: and whoever may cause to stumble one of the little ones believing in me, better is it for him if a millstone is hanged about his neck, and he hath been cast into the sea.

Darby: And whosoever shall be a snare to one of the little ones who believe in me, it were better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck, and he cast into the sea.

ASV: And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  whosoever  shall offend  one  of [these] little ones  that believe  in  me,  it is  better  for him  that  a millstone  were hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he were cast  into  the sea. 

What does Mark 9:42 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse gives the other side of the idea just expressed. Anyone who discouraged a disciple of Jesus from following Him faithfully could expect severe treatment from God. Probably Jesus used the little child present to illustrate a childlike disciple ( Mark 9:36-37; cf. Matthew 18:3-14). Jesus referred to a large donkey-driven millstone (Gr. mylos onikos), not a small one that people turned by hand (Gr. mylos). The Romans had so drowned some insurrectionists in Galilee (cf. Acts 5:37), and a group of the Galileans had so dealt with some of Herod"s supporters. [1] The disciples had probably heard about these events.
"This brief incident stands as a firm rebuke to the spirit of sectarianism. It condemns that exclusive attitude which insists that only those who carry on their work in harmony with our own views and practices can be accepted as really doing God"s work. If they demonstrate that they are on God"s side in the war with Satan, even though their views may be imperfect, they must not be condemned for such work or regarded with abhorrence." [2]
John evidently learned this lesson well as evidenced by the frequent references to loving one another that appear in his writings.

Context Summary

Mark 9:30-50 - The Path To Greatness
Such were the hopes awakened by the Transfiguration and the following miracles that the disciples were led to speculate upon their relative position in the Kingdom. Jesus therefore took a little child for His text, and preached to them a sermon on humility. How constantly the Master speaks of the little ones! He says that we must be converted to become like them; that to cause them to stumble will involve terrible penalties; that they are not to be despised; that each has an angel of the Father's presence-chamber appointed to his charge; that to seek and to save one He is prepared as the shepherd to traverse the mountains; that it is not the Father's will that one of them should perish. How infinitely tender and humble was His love for them!
Let us strive to cut off whatever causes us to stumble. It may be a friendship, a pastime, a pursuit, a course of reading; but there must be no quarter given, no excuse accepted. As soon as the soul dares to make this supreme renunciation, there is an accession of life. Whenever the body loses the use of one member, such as the eye, there is an accession of vigor in others; so, to deny the lower is to open the door to the higher, and, though maimed, to enter into life. Mark 9:44-48 evidently refer to the valley of Hinnom, where fires were kept burning to consume waste. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 9

1  Jesus is transfigured
11  He instructs his disciples concerning the coming of Elijah;
14  casts forth a deaf and mute spirit;
30  foretells his death and resurrection;
33  exhorts his disciples to humility;
38  bidding them not to prohibit such as are not against them,
42  nor to give offense to any of the faithful

Greek Commentary for Mark 9:42

Millstone []
Rev., great millstone. See on Matthew 18:6. Wyc., millstone of asses. Note the graphic present and perfect tenses; the millstone is hanged, and he hath been cast. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 9:42

Mark 9:41 Because ye are Christ‘s [hoti Christou este)]
Predicate genitive, belong to Christ. See Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 10:7. That is the bond of universal brotherhood of the redeemed. It breaks over the lines of nation, race, class, sex, everything. No service is too small, even a cup of cold water, if done for Christ‘s sake. See note on Matthew 18:6. for discussion on stumbling-blocks for these little ones that believe on Jesus (Mark 9:42), a loving term of all believers, not just children. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 9:42 mean?

And whoever - might cause to stumble one of the little ones these - believing in Me better it is for him rather if is put a millstone heavy around the neck of him he has been cast into the sea
Καὶ ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων ‹εἰς ἐμέ› καλόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ μᾶλλον εἰ περίκειται μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ βέβληται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν

ὃς  whoever 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἂν  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: ἄν  
Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV.
σκανδαλίσῃ  might  cause  to  stumble 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: σκανδαλίζω  
Sense: to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend.
ἕνα  one 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
μικρῶν  little  ones 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: μικρός  
Sense: small, little.
τούτων  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
τῶν  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πιστευόντων  believing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
ἐμέ›  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
καλόν  better 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
ἐστιν  it  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
αὐτῷ  for  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μᾶλλον  rather 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μᾶλλον  
Sense: more, to a greater degree, rather.
περίκειται  is  put 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: περίκειμαι  
Sense: to lie around.
μύλος  a  millstone 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μύλινος 
Sense: a mill stone.
ὀνικὸς  heavy 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὀνικός  
Sense: of or for an ass, turned by an ass.
περὶ  around 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
τράχηλον  neck 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τράχηλος  
Sense: to be ready to incur the most imminent peril to life.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
βέβληται  he  has  been  cast 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
θάλασσαν  sea 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: θάλασσα  
Sense: the sea.