The Meaning of Matthew 18:9 Explained

Matthew 18:9

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'And if thine eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee; it is good for thee one-eyed to enter into the life, rather than having two eyes to be cast to the gehenna of the fire.

Darby: And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

ASV: And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Matthew 18:9 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

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

What do the individual words in Matthew 18:9 mean?

And if the eye of you causes to sin you gouge out it cast [it] from you better for you it is one-eyed into - life to enter than two eyes having to be cast the hell of the fire
καὶ εἰ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζει σε ἔξελε αὐτὸν βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ καλόν σοί ἐστιν μονόφθαλμον εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντα βληθῆναι τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός

ὀφθαλμός  eye 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
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.
ἔξελε  gouge  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐξαιρέω  
Sense: to pluck out, draw out, i.
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.
μονόφθαλμον  one-eyed 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: μονόφθαλμος  
Sense: deprived of one eye, having one eye.
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.
εἰσελθεῖν  to  enter 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
  than 
Parse: Conjunction
Root:  
Sense: either, or, than.
δύο  two 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: δύο 
Sense: the two, the twain.
ὀφθαλμοὺς  eyes 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
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.
γέενναν  hell 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γέεννα  
Sense: Hell is the place of the future punishment call “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire”.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πυρός  fire 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: πῦρ  
Sense: fire.