The Meaning of Matthew 18:8 Explained

Matthew 18:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'And if thy hand or thy foot doth cause thee to stumble, cut them off and cast from thee; it is good for thee to enter into the life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast to the fire the age-during.

Darby: And if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire.

ASV: And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Matthew 18:8 Mean?

Study Notes

everlasting
The Greek has "the" before "everlasting."

Context Summary

Matthew 18:1-9 - Removing Stumbling-Blocks
Our Lord's transfiguration suggested that the time to take up His Kingdom was near; and the Apostles began to arrange their plans. The Master therefore used a child for His text and preached a sermon on humility. We must not be childish, but childlike. See 1 Corinthians 13:11. The beauty of a little child is its unconsciousness, humility, simplicity, and faith. Christ's kingdom abounds with the rare blending of the warrior and the child. See 2 Kings 5:14. God's best gifts are placed, not on a high shelf for us to reach up to, but on a low one to which we must stoop.
An offence is anything that makes the path of a holy and useful life more difficult for others. Be sure, in all your actions, to consider the weaker ones who are watching and following you. "Father," said a boy, "take the safe path; I am coming." A man, whose arm was caught in a machine, saved his boy from being drawn in by severing the arm with a hatchet. All that hurts us or others, however precious, must be severed. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 18

1  Jesus warns his disciples to be humble and harmless,
7  to avoid offenses,
10  and not to despise the little ones;
15  teaches how we are to deal with our brothers when they offend us,
21  and how often to forgive them;
23  which he sets forth by a parable of the king who took account of his servants,
32  and punished him who showed no mercy to his fellow servant

Greek Commentary for Matthew 18:8

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In Matthew 18:8 and Matthew 18:9 we have one of the dualities or doublets in Matthew ( Matthew 5:29-30 ). Jesus repeated his pungent sayings many times. Instead of εις γεενναν — eis geennan ( Matthew 5:29 ) we have εις το πυρ το αιωνιον — eis to pur to aiōnion and at the end of Matthew 18:9 του πυρος — tou puros is added to την γεενναν — tēn geennan This is the first use in Matthew of αιωνιος — aiōnios We have it again in Matthew 19:16 , Matthew 19:29 with ζοη — zoē in Matthew 25:41 with πυρ — pur in Matthew 25:46 with κολασιν — kolasin and ζοην — zoēn The word means ageless, without beginning or end as of God ( Romans 16:26 ), without beginning as in Romans 16:25 , without end as here and often. The effort to make it mean “ αεονιαν — aeonian ” fire will make it mean “ αεονιαν — aeonian ” life also. If the punishment is limited, ipso facto the life is shortened. In Matthew 18:9 also μονοπταλμον — monophthalmon occurs. It is an Ionic compound in Herodotus that is condemned by the Atticists, but it is revived in the vernacular Koiné . Literally one-eyed. Here only and Mark 9:47 in the New Testament. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 18:8

Matthew 18:8  []
In Matthew 18:8 and Matthew 18:9 we have one of the dualities or doublets in Matthew ( Matthew 5:29-30 ). Jesus repeated his pungent sayings many times. Instead of εις γεενναν — eis geennan ( Matthew 5:29 ) we have εις το πυρ το αιωνιον — eis to pur to aiōnion and at the end of Matthew 18:9 του πυρος — tou puros is added to την γεενναν — tēn geennan This is the first use in Matthew of αιωνιος — aiōnios We have it again in Matthew 19:16 , Matthew 19:29 with ζοη — zoē in Matthew 25:41 with πυρ — pur in Matthew 25:46 with κολασιν — kolasin and ζοην — zoēn The word means ageless, without beginning or end as of God ( Romans 16:26 ), without beginning as in Romans 16:25 , without end as here and often. The effort to make it mean “ αεονιαν — aeonian ” fire will make it mean “ αεονιαν — aeonian ” life also. If the punishment is limited, ipso facto the life is shortened. In Matthew 18:9 also μονοπταλμον — monophthalmon occurs. It is an Ionic compound in Herodotus that is condemned by the Atticists, but it is revived in the vernacular Koiné . Literally one-eyed. Here only and Mark 9:47 in the New Testament. [source]
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]
Mark 9:47 With one eye [monophthalmon)]
Literally one-eyed. See also Matthew 18:9. Vernacular Koiné and condemned by the Atticists. See note on Matthew 18:8. Mark has here “kingdom of God” where Matthew 18:9 has “life.” [source]
Hebrews 12:13 That which is lame [τὸ χωλὸν]
Χωλός lamehalting, only in Synoptic Gospels and Acts. Mostly in the literal sense. Proverbial in Isaiah 33:23. Metaphorically here, and partly Matthew 18:8; Mark 9:45. The verb χωλαίνειν tobe lame or to make lame (not in N.T.) is used metaphorically in lxx, Psalm 18:45; 1 Kings 18:21, where the A.V. “how long halt ye between two opinions” is ἕως πότε ὐμεῖς χωλανεῖτε ἐπ ' ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις howlong do ye go lame on both your hams? Τὸ χωλὸν here signifies the lame part or limb. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 18:8 mean?

If now the hand of you or the foot causes to sin you cut off it and cast [it] from you better for you it is to enter into - life crippled lame than two hands two feet having to be cast the fire - eternal
Εἰ δὲ χείρ σου πούς σκανδαλίζει σε ἔκκοψον αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ καλόν σοί ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν κυλλὸν χωλόν δύο χεῖρας δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον

δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
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.
πούς  foot 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.
σκανδαλίζει  causes  to  sin 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative 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.
ἔκκοψον  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐκκόπτω  
Sense: to cut out, cut off.
βάλε  cast  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
καλόν  better 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
σοί  for  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἐστιν  it  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
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.
κυλλὸν  crippled 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κυλλός  
Sense: crooked.
χωλόν  lame 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: χωλός  
Sense: lame.
  than 
Parse: Conjunction
Root:  
Sense: either, or, than.
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.
δύο  two 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: δύο 
Sense: the two, the twain.
πόδας  feet 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.
βληθῆναι  to  be  cast 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
πῦρ  fire 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πῦρ  
Sense: fire.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αἰώνιον  eternal 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: αἰώνιος  
Sense: without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be.