The Meaning of Mark 9:43 Explained

Mark 9:43

KJV: And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

YLT: And if thy hand may cause thee to stumble, cut it off; it is better for thee maimed to enter into the life, than having the two hands, to go away to the gehenna, to the fire -- the unquenchable --

Darby: And if thy hand serve as a snare to thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having thy two hands to go away into hell, into the fire unquenchable;

ASV: And if thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  if  thy  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it is  better  for thee  to enter  into  life  maimed,  than  having  two  hands  to go  into  hell,  into  the fire  that never shall be quenched: 

What does Mark 9:43 Mean?

Study Notes

hell gehenna.
hell fire
Gr. "Geenna" = Gehenna, the place in the valley of Hinnom where, anciently, human sacrifices were offered. 2 Chronicles 33:6 ; Jeremiah 7:31 The word occurs,; Matthew 5:22 ; Matthew 5:29 ; Matthew 5:30 ; Matthew 10:28 ; Matthew 18:9 ; Matthew 23:15 ; Matthew 23:33 ; Mark 9:43 ; Mark 9:45 ; Mark 9:47 ; Luke 12:5 ; James 3:6 . In every instance except the last the word comes from the lips of Jesus Christ in most solemn warning of the consequences of sin. He describes it as the place where "their" worm never dies and of fire never to be quenched. The expression is identical in meaning with "lake of fire".; Revelation 19:20 ; Revelation 20:10 ; Revelation 20:14 ; Revelation 20:15 .
See "Death, the second" ( John 8:24 ; Revelation 21:8 ); also (See Scofield " Revelation 21:8 ") See Scofield " Luke 16:23 ".

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 9:43

Into hell, into the unquenchable fire [eis tēn geennan]
Not Hades, but Gehenna. Asbeston is alpha privative and sbestos from sbennumi to quench. It occurs often in Homer. Our word asbestos is this very word. Matthew 18:8 has “into the eternal fire.” The Valley of Hinnom had been desecrated by the sacrifice of children to Moloch so that as an accursed place it was used for the city garbage where worms gnawed and fires burned. It is thus a vivid picture of eternal punishment. [source]
Hell []
See on Matthew 5:22. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 9:43

John 10:11 The good shepherd [ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς]
Literally, the shepherd the good (shepherd). Καλὸς , though not of frequent occurrence in John, is more common than ἀγαθός , good, which occurs but four times and three times out of the four in the neuter gender, a good thing, or that which is good. Καλὸς in John is applied to wine (John 2:10), three times to the shepherd in this chapter, and twice to works (John 10:32, John 10:33). In classical usage, originally as descriptive of outward form, beautiful; of usefulness, as a fair haven, a fair wind. Auspicious, as sacrifices. Morally beautiful, noble; hence virtue is called τὸ καλὸν . The New Testament usage is similar. Outwardly fair, as the stones of the temple (Luke 21:5): well adapted to its purpose, as salt (Mark 9:50): competent for an office, as deacons (1 Timothy 4:6); a steward (1 Peter 4:10); a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3): expedient, wholesome (Mark 9:43, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:47): morally good, noble, as works (Matthew 5:16); conscience (Hebrews 13:18). The phrase it is good, i.e., a good or proper thing (Romans 14:21). In the Septuagint καλὸς is the most usual word for good as opposed to evil (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 24:50; Isaiah 5:20). In Luke 8:15, καλὸς and ἀγαθός are found together as epithets of the heart; honest (or virtuous, noble) and good. The epithet καλὸς , applied here to the shepherd, points to the essential goodness as nobly realized, and appealing to admiring respect and affection. As Canon Westcott observes, “in the fulfillment of His work, the Good Shepherd claims the admiration of all that is generous in man.” [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 9:43 mean?

And if should cause to stumble you the hand of you cut off it better it is for you crippled to enter into - life than - two hands having to go away hell the fire - unquenchable
Καὶ ἐὰν σκανδαλίζῃ σε χείρ σου ἀπόκοψον αὐτήν καλόν ἐστίν σε κυλλὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν τὰς δύο χεῖρας ἔχοντα ἀπελθεῖν γέενναν τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον

σκανδαλίζῃ  should  cause  to  stumble 
Parse: Verb, Present 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.
χείρ  hand 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἀπόκοψον  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀποκόπτω  
Sense: to cut off, amputate.
καλόν  better 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
ἐστίν  it  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
σε  for  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
κυλλὸν  crippled 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κυλλός  
Sense: crooked.
εἰσελθεῖν  to  enter 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ζωὴν  life 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ζωή  
Sense: life.
  than 
Parse: Conjunction
Root:  
Sense: either, or, than.
τὰς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δύο  two 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: δύο 
Sense: the two, the twain.
χεῖρας  hands 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
ἀπελθεῖν  to  go  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀπέρχομαι  
Sense: to go away, depart.
γέενναν  hell 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γέεννα  
Sense: Hell is the place of the future punishment call “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire”.
πῦρ  fire 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πῦρ  
Sense: fire.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἄσβεστον  unquenchable 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἄσβεστος  
Sense: unquenched, unquenchable.