Matthew 18:8
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.
Matthew 18:8 in other translations
| BSB | If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. |
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| WEB | If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the 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. |
| 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. |
| BBE | And if your hand or your foot is a cause of trouble, let it be cut off and put it away from you: it is better for you to go into life with the loss of a hand or a foot than, having two hands or two feet, to go into the eternal fire. |
| Webster | Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to sin, 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?
Barnes' Notes
It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed-with one eye, etc. It is not meant by this, that when the body shall be raised it will be maimed and disfigured in this manner. It will be perfect. See 1Cor 15:42-44. But these things are said for the purpose of carrying out or making complete the figure, or the representation of cutting off the hands, etc. The meaning is, it is better to go to heaven, without enjoying the things that caused us to sin, than to enjoy them here, and then be lost.
Halt. Lame.
Maimed. With a loss of limbs.
Into hell fire. It is implied in all this, that if their beloved sins are not abandoned, the soul must go into everlasting fire. This is conclusive proof that the sufferings of the wicked will be eternal. Mk 9:44, Mk 9:46, Mk 9:48.
(c) "Wherefore if thy hand" Mt 5:29,30, Mk 9:43,45
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 18:7-14
Considering the cunning and malice of Satan, and the weakness and depravity of men's hearts, it is not possible but that there should be offences. God permits them for wise and holy ends, that those who are sincere, and those who are not, may be made known. Being told before, that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors, and bad examples, let us stand on our guard. We must, as far as lawfully we may, part with…
Matthew 18:8 in the original Greek
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Cross references for Matthew 18:8
- 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.
- Philippians 3:8-9
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
- Romans 13:12
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
- Luke 18:22-23
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
- Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
- Luke 14:26-27
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
- Matthew 25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
- Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
- Revelation 14:10
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
- Luke 14:33
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
- 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:
- Luke 16:24
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5:29,30; 14:3,4; De 13:6-8; Mr 9:43-48; Lu 14:26,27,33; 18:22,23
and cast.
Isa 2:20,21; 30:22; Eze 18:31; Ro 13:12; Php 3:8,9
maimed.
15:30,31
everlasting.
25:41,46; Isa 33:14; Mr 9:48,49; Lu 16:24; 2Th 1:8,9; Re 14:10
Re 20:15; 21:8
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Matthew 18:7
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!
- Matthew 18:8
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.
- Matthew 18:9
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 having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Matthew 18:8 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Por tanto, si tu mano ó tu pie te fuere ocasión de caer, córtalo y échalo de ti: mejor te es entrar cojo ó manco en la vida, que teniendo dos manos ó dos pies ser echado en el fuego eterno. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et si ta main ou ton pied est pour toi une occasion de chute, coupe-les et jette-les loin de toi: il vaut mieux pour toi d’entrer dans la vie boiteux ou estropié, que d’avoir deux mains ou deux pieds, et d’être jeté dans le feu éternel. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wenn aber deine Hand oder dein Fuß dich ärgert, so haue ihn ab und wirf ihn von dir. Es ist dir besser, lahm oder als Krüppel in das Leben einzugehen, als mit zwei Händen oder mit zwei Füßen in das ewige Feuer geworfen zu werden. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Si autem manus tua, vel pes tuus scandalizat te, abscide eum, et projice abs te: bonum tibi est ad vitam ingredi debilem, vel claudum, quam duas manus vel duos pedes habentem mitti in ignem æternum. |