Mark 9 · Verse 43

Mark 9:43

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:
Mark 9:43, King James Version

Mark 9:43 in other translations

BSBIf your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
WEBIf your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,
ASVAnd 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.
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--
DARBYAnd 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;
BBEAnd if your hand is a cause of trouble to you, let it be cut off; it is better for you to go into life with one hand than to have two hands and go into hell, into the eternal fire.
WebsterAnd if thy hand causeth thee to fall into sin, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

What does Mark 9:43 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
43. 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--See Mt 5:29, 30. The only difference between the words there and here is that there they refer to impure inclinations; here, to an ambitious disposition, an irascible or quarrelsome temper, and the like: and the injunction is to strike at the root of such dispositions and cut off the occasions of them.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 43.

(w) "And if thine hand" De 13:6 (1) "offend" or, "cause thee to offend"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 43 Thy hand - foot - eye - cause thee to offend; - See the notes on Mat 5:29-30 (note). The fire that never shall be quenched - That is, the inextinguishable fire. This clause is wanting in L, three others, the Syriac, and later Persic. Some eminent critics suppose it to be a spurious reading; but the authorities which are for it, are by no means counterbalanced by those which are against it. The same clause in Mar 9:45, is omitted in BCL, seven others, Syriac, later Persic, Coptic, and one Itala. Eternal fire is the expression of Matthew.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 9:41-50

It is repeatedly said of the wicked, Their worm dieth not, as well as, The fire is never quenched. Doubtless, remorse of conscience and keen self-reflection are this never-dying worm. Surely it is beyond compare better to undergo all possible pain, hardship, and self-denial here, and to be happy for ever hereafter, than to enjoy all kinds of worldly pleasure for a season, and to be miserable for ever. Like the…

Read the full comment on Mark 9:41-50 →

Mark 9:43 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐὰνeanifG1437
σκανδαλίζῃskandalizēshall cause to stumbleG4624
σεseyouG4771
ἡhētheG3588
χείρcheirhandG5495
σου,souof you,G4771
ἀπόκοψονapokopsondo cut offG609
αὐτήν·autēnit;G846
καλόνkalonbetterG2570
ἐστίνestinit isG1510
σεsefor youG4771
κυλλὸνkulloncrippledG2948
εἰσελθεῖνeiseltheinto enterG1525
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222
ἢēthanG2228
τὰςtas<the>G3588
δύοduotwoG1417
χεῖραςcheirashandsG5495
ἔχονταechontahavingG2192
ἀπελθεῖνapeltheinto go awayG565
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
γέεννανgeennanhellG1067
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὸtotheG3588
πῦρpurfireG4442
τὸto<the>G3588
ἄσβεστον.asbestonunquenchable.G762

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 9:43

  • Matthew 5:29-30

    And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

  • Matthew 18:8-9

    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. 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 having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

  • Matthew 25:41

    Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

  • Hebrews 12:1

    Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

  • Matthew 5:22

    But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

  • Matthew 3:12

    Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

  • Titus 2:12

    Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

  • Galatians 5:24

    And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

  • Romans 8:13

    For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

  • Colossians 3:5

    Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

  • 1 Corinthians 9:27

    But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

  • 1 Peter 2:1

    Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
if.
De 13:6-8; Mt 5:29,30; 18:8,9; Ro 8:13; 1Co 9:27; Ga 5:24; Col 3:5
Tit 2:12; Heb 12:1; 1Pe 2:1
offend thee. or, cause thee to offend: and so.
45,47
maimed.
Mt 15:30,31; Lu 14:13,21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 9:42

    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.

  • Mark 9:43

    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:

  • Mark 9:44

    Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Read all of Mark 9

Mark 9:43 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y si tu mano te escandalizare, córtala: mejor te es entrar á la vida manco, que teniendo dos manos ir á la Gehenna, al fuego que no puede ser apagado;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et si ta main est pour toi une occasion de chute, coupe-la: il vaut mieux pour toi d’entrer estropié dans la vie, que d’avoir les deux mains, et d’aller dans la géhenne, dans le feu inextinguible,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und wenn deine Hand dich ärgert, so haue sie ab. Es ist dir besser, als Krüppel in das Leben einzugehen, als mit zwei Händen in die Hölle hinabzufahren, in das unauslöschliche Feuer,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
ubi vermis eorum non moritur, et ignis non extinguitur.