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 18:9KJVWhat does Matthew 18:9 mean?
Matthew 18:9 says that if your eye causes you to sin, it is better to remove it than to keep it and end up in "hell fire." The verse uses strong language to stress that avoiding sin is more important than holding on to anything—even something as valuable as your eyesight.
In this verse, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, using vivid imagery to make a point about the seriousness of sin and the lengths one should go to avoid it. The context is a discussion about stumbling blocks and the dangers of causing oneself or others to fall into sin. The statement is not meant to be taken literally but to show how seriously Jesus views anything that leads a person away from true life with God.
The Greek behind Matthew 18:9
- The word translated as "offend" is σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), which means "to cause to stumble" or "to trip up." Here, it refers to anything that leads a person into sin or causes spiritual harm.
- "Hell" is γέεννα (geenna), which refers to a place of final judgment and destruction. In Jesus’ time, this word evoked a vivid image of a cursed place outside Jerusalem used for burning refuse.
- The phrase "pluck it out" uses ἐξέλε (exele), which means "to take out" or "remove." The forceful language underlines the seriousness of the action being described.
Why Matthew 18:9 matters
- Matthew 18:9 clears up the idea that Jesus is speaking in hyperbole, not commanding physical harm, but highlighting the seriousness of removing sources of sin from one's life.
- The verse emphasizes personal responsibility in dealing with temptation and the radical measures sometimes needed to avoid spiritual ruin.
- This teaching connects to the wider passage about not causing others to stumble, showing that Jesus cares deeply about both personal and communal holiness.