42
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.
Berean Standard Bible · CC0
Greek — tap a word ↓
Kai hos an skandalisē hena toutōn tōn mikrōn tōn pisteuontōn eis eme estin kalon autō ei mallon onikos mylos perikeitai peri autou ton trachēlon kai beblētai eis tēn thalassan
Word by word29 · parsed
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Masculine Singular
√ ἄν — (what-, where-, wither-, who-)soeverParticle
√ σκανδαλίζω — to entrap, iVerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Singular
skandalizō: to entrap, to cause to stumble Aorist subjunctive with ἄν: whoever should at any point trip one of these. The root noun is the trap stick, so the sin named is not harshness but the deliberate laying of a snare in a believer's path. The same verb returns three times in vv. 43, 45, 47 with a present subjunctive, which turns the warning inward: the man who can trap a little one can also be trapped by his own hand.
√ εἷς — oneAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Singular
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounGenitive Masculine Plural
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
√ μικρός — small (in size, quantity, number or (figuratively) dignity)AdjectiveGenitive Masculine Plural
mikros: small in size, number or dignity Smallness of standing, not only of age. Gill is emphatic that Christ is not speaking of infants in years, since they neither believe in Christ nor are ready to take offence, but of disciples "mean both in their own eyes, and the eyes of others." Governed by ἕνα (G1520, one), the whole weight of the threat falls on a single insignificant believer.
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
√ πιστεύω — to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), iVerbPresent Participle ActiveGenitive Masculine Plural
pisteuō: to have faith in, upon, or with respect to A present participle with εἰς ἐμέ: "the ones believing into Me." This is the only credential the little ones are given, and it relocates the offence: the injury is done to a person who is joined to Christ by faith, so the reckoning is with Christ. Gill and Geneva both read the severity of the sentence from exactly this.
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative 1st Person Singular
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
√ καλός — X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthyAdjectiveNominative Neuter Singular
kalos: good, fair, worthy Not "better" but "good." The comparative force is supplied by μᾶλλον, and the bare positive is the sharper word: the millstone is simply the good outcome here.
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
√ εἰ — if, whether, that, etcConjunction
√ μᾶλλον — (adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or ratherAdverb
√ ὀνικός — belonging to a ass, iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
onikos: belonging to an ass A rare adjective, occurring in the New Testament only in this millstone saying (here and in its Matthean parallel). Cambridge cites Suetonius for the Roman practice of loading a heavy weight on the neck and throwing the man into the river, and Ovid for the little she-ass that turns the pumice stones; Gill notes Casaubon on the Grecian custom and that he has nowhere met the penalty in Jewish writings. The image is therefore a pagan execution, the most shameful end available.
√ μύλος — a "mill", iNounNominative Masculine Singular
√ περίκειμαι — to lie all around, iVerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
Present indicative of περίκειμαι (G4029), "lies around": the stone is not being tied on, it is already in place.
√ περί — properly, through (all over), iPreposition
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
√ τράχηλος — the throat (neck), iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
√ βάλλω — to throw (in various applications, more or less violent or intense)VerbPerfect Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
ballō: to throw, violently or intensely Perfect indicative middle or passive, "he has been thrown," a completed act with a standing result. The same verb reappears as an aorist passive in vv. 45 and 47 (βληθῆναι), so the man who would have been thrown into the sea is set against the man who is thrown into Gehenna. The sea has a bottom and the comparison depends on it: the first throw ends somewhere, the second does not.
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
√ θάλασσα — the sea (genitive case or specially)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
θάλασσα (G2281), the sea: in Mark the near sea of Galilee, where these men fished; the punishment is placed in the water they knew.