Study it in the app“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it is better for him that a donkey’s millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Butδ’whoeverὋς ἂνcausesσκανδαλίσῃoneἕναof theseτούτωνlittle onesτῶν μικρῶνwhoτῶνbelieveπιστευόντωνinεἰςmeἐμέto stumble,σκανδαλίσῃit is betterσυμφέρειfor himαὐτῷthatἵναa donkey’sὀνικὸςmillstoneμύλοςbe hungκρεμασθῇaroundεἰςhis neckτὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦandκαὶthathe be drownedκαταποντισθῇinἐνthe depthτῷ πελάγειof the sea.τῆς θαλάσσης
cause to stumble
To make someone fall into sin or lose faith.
Where else “skandalisēi” appearsone
The quantity one, or a single one within a group.
Where else “hena” appearssmall
Of little size, little age or little importance before others.
Where else “mikrōn” appearstrust
To trust in God or in Jesus.
Where else “pisteuontōn” appearsbe useful
To be useful to someone.
Where else “sympherei” appearsof a donkey
Of a donkey: the large millstone turned by a donkey.
Where else “onikos” appearsmillstone
Millstone; also the mill.
Where else “mylos” appearshang
Hang, suspend; in the passive, hang on something, depend on it.
Where else “kremasthēi” appearsneck
Neck.
Where else “trachēlon” appearssink, drown
Sink in the water, drown.
Where else “katapontisthēi” appearsdeep
The deepest waters.
Where else “pelagei” appearssea
Sea; also a large lake, such as the Sea of Galilee.
Where else “thalassēs” appearsThe “donkey’s” millstone was the large one, turned by a donkey walking in circles, not the hand mill.
Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
Causes of stumbling
A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.
Matthew 18:6-9
6But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it is better for him that a donkey’s millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! For it is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes! 8And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter into life maimed or lame than having two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter into life with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.
42And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be far better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life maimed than having the two hands to go away into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. 44where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame than having the two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. 46where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, 48where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. 49For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good; but if the salt becomes saltless, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
1And he said to his disciples, “It is impossible that stumbling blocks should not come; but woe to the one through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
5And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
6 · This verse (above)
7Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! For it is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!
1. What it says
What did Jesus put in the middle of the disciples when they asked who is greatest (vv. 1–3)?
2. What it means
Why does Jesus tell the parable of the slave who was forgiven a huge debt (vv. 23–35)?
3. How I live it
Peter asked how many times to forgive (v. 21). Whom do you find hard to forgive, and what small first step can you take?
