42And whoever causes to stumble one of these little ones who are believing in Me, it is better for him rather if a donkey millstone is put around his neck and he has been cast into the sea. [9:43] And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off — it is better for you, crippled, to enter into life than having two hands to go away into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, [9:44] where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. [9:45] And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off — it is better for you, lame, to enter into life than having two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, [9:46] where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. [9:47] And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out — it is better for you, one-eyed, to enter into the kingdom of God than having two eyes to be cast into Gehenna of the fire, [9:48] where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
MRK 9:42-48
Temptations and Trespasses
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, the imagery of 'causing to stumble' would have evoked the idea of setting a trap or snare, a deliberate act of leading someone into moral or spiritual failure. The 'little ones' likely referred not just to children but to those who were socially or spiritually vulnerable—new converts, the poor, or those without status in the community. The mention of a 'millstone' turned by a donkey would have been a vivid metaphor for an inescapable and crushing fate, as such stones were massive and their use in punishment would have been horrifying. Gehenna , the Valley of Hinnom, was a place associated with idolatrous practices like child sacrifice and later became a symbol of divine judgment and eternal punishment. The hyperbolic language of cutting off a hand or foot underscores the severity of avoiding sin, reflecting a worldview where communal purity and personal integrity were paramount.
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How other translations render this
MRK 9:42
- KJV
- And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
- BSB
- 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.
- Koinōnos
- And whoever causes to stumble one of these little ones who are believing in Me, it is better for him rather if a donkey millstone is put around his neck and he has been cast into the sea.
MRK 9:43
- KJV
- And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
- BSB
- If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
- Koinōnos
- And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off — it is better for you, crippled, to enter into life than having two hands to go away into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,
MRK 9:44
- KJV
- Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
- Koinōnos
- where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
MRK 9:45
- KJV
- And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
- BSB
- If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
- Koinōnos
- And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off — it is better for you, lame, to enter into life than having two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,
MRK 9:46
- KJV
- Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
- Koinōnos
- where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
MRK 9:47
- KJV
- And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
- BSB
- And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
- Koinōnos
- And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out — it is better for you, one-eyed, to enter into the kingdom of God than having two eyes to be cast into Gehenna of the fire,
MRK 9:48
- KJV
- Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
- BSB
- where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’
- Koinōnos
- where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MRK 9:42
- shall cause to stumble:The word translated 'cause to stumble' implies leading someone into sin or moral failure, not just a physical trip. It suggests placing an obstacle in their path that causes them to fall spiritually.
- little ones:The term 'little ones' here refers not necessarily to children, but to those who are humble, insignificant, or of low status in society, who have placed their trust in Jesus.
- heavy:The word translated 'heavy' describes a millstone so large it would typically be turned by a donkey, not by hand. This emphasizes the immense size and weight of the stone.
MRK 9:43
- hell:The word translated 'hell' refers to Gehenna, a valley outside Jerusalem historically associated with child sacrifice and later used as a refuse dump, becoming a metaphor for a place of fiery judgment and destruction.