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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Whoso shall offend.--The words seem to indicate the thoughts which rise unbidden in the minds of men in proportion as they are Christ-like in character. We gaze on the innocent beauty of childhood with love and admiration. What if that beauty should be marred by the taint of evil? What if those who do the Tempter's work should cause the "little one" to stumble and to fall? That a millstone were hanged about his neck.--The word for "millstone" indicates the larger stone-mill, in working which an ass was commonly employed, as distinguished from the smaller handmill of Luke 17:35. The punishment was not recognised in the Jewish law, but it was in occasional use among the Greeks (Diod. Sic. xvi. 35), and had been inflicted by Augustus (Sueton. Aug. lxvii.) in cases of special infamy. Jerome states (in a note on this passage) that it was practised in Galilee, and it is not improbable that the Romans had inflicted it upon some of the ringleaders of the insurrection headed by Judas of Galilee. Our Lord's words, on this assumption, would come home with a special vividness to the minds of those who heard them. The infamy of offending one of the "little ones" was as great as that of those whoso crimes brought upon them this exceptional punishment. It was obviously a form of death less cruel in itself than many others, and its chief horror, both for Jews and heathen, was, probably, that it deprived the dead of all rites of burial. St. Mark and St. Luke, it may be noted, insert here the complaint of St. John, that he had seen one casting out devils in the name of Jesus, and this must be taken into account as an element in the sequence of thought. He was unconsciously placing himself among those who were hindering the work of Christ, and so "offending" those who believed in him. (See Note on Mark 9:38.) Pulpit CommentaryVerse 6. - There is an opposite side to this picture. Shall offend; cause to stumble - give occasion for a fall, i.e. either in faith or morals. This is done by evil example, by teaching to sin, by sneers at piety, by giving soft names to gross offences. One of these little ones. Whether child or adult, a pure, simple soul, which has a certain faith it be not strong enough to resist all attack. Even the heathen recognized the respect due to the young: "Maxima debetur puero reverentia" (Juvenal, 'Sat.,' 14:47); and guilelessness and purity, wherever found, win some regard, even from worthless and careless observers. To wilfully lead one such astray is a deadly sin, which the Lord denounces in solemn terms. Christ affectionately calls his disciples "little ones" (Matthew 10:42). Believe in (εἰς) me. We must always distinguish between "believe in" (πιστεύειν εἰς, or ἐν: credo in) and "believe" with the simple dative; the former is applied to faith in God alone. Says St. Augustine, "Credimus Paulo, sed non credimus in Paulum." In the present passage the phrase implies the Divinity of Christ. It were better; literally, it is profitable. The crime specified is so heinous that a man had better incur the most certain death, if by this means he may avoid the sin and save the soul of his possible victim. A millstone; a great millstone - such a one as required an ass to inure. The upper, or movable, stone is meant, which was usually turned by the hand. Drowned. We do not know that the Jews punished criminals by drowning (καταποντισμὸς), though it is probable that it was practised in some cases; but by other nations this penalty was commonly exacted. Among the Romans, Greeks, and Syrians, it was certainly the practice. Commentators quote Suetonius, 'Aug.,' 67; Diod. Sic., 16:35; Livy, 1:51; Aristophanes, 'Schol. ad Equit.,' 1360. The punishment seems to have been reserved for the greatest criminals; and the size of the stone would prevent any chance of the body rising again to the surface and being buried by friends - a consideration which, in the minds of heathens, greatly increased the horror of this kind of death. Parallel Commentaries ...GreekButδ’ (d’)ConjunctionStrong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.ifἂν (an)ParticleStrong's 302: A primary particle, denoting a supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty.anyoneὋς (Hos)Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 3739: Who, which, what, that. causesσκανδαλίσῃ (skandalisē)Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 4624: From skandalon; to entrap, i.e. Trip up (transitively) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure).oneἕνα (hena)Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.of theseτούτων (toutōn)Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine PluralStrong's 3778: This; he, she, it. little onesμικρῶν (mikrōn)Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralStrong's 3398: Little, small. Including the comparative mikroteros apparently a primary word; small (figuratively) dignity).whoτῶν (tōn)Article - Genitive Masculine PluralStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.believeπιστευόντων (pisteuontōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine PluralStrong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.inεἰς (eis)PrepositionStrong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.Me {to stumble},ἐμέ (eme)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person SingularStrong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.it would be betterσυμφέρει (sympherei)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 4851: From sun and phero; to bear together, i.e. to collect, or to conduce; especially advantage.for himαὐτῷ (autō)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularStrong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.to haveἵνα (hina)ConjunctionStrong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.a largeὀνικὸς (onikos)Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 3684: Pertaining to an ass. From onos; belonging to a ass, i.e. Large.millstoneμύλος (mylos)Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 3458: A millstone, mill. Probably ultimately from the base of molis; a 'mill', i.e., a grinder.hungκρεμασθῇ (kremasthē)Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 2910: To hang, hang up, suspend; mid: To be hanging, hang. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to hang.aroundπερὶ (peri)PrepositionStrong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.hisαὐτοῦ (autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularStrong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.neckτράχηλον (trachēlon)Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularStrong's 5137: The neck. Probably from trecho; the throat, i.e. life.andκαὶ (kai)ConjunctionStrong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. to be drownedκαταποντισθῇ (katapontisthē)Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 2670: From kata and a derivative of the same as Pontos; to plunge down, i.e. Submerge.inἐν (en)PrepositionStrong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.theτῷ (tō)Article - Dative Neuter SingularStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.depthsπελάγει (pelagei)Noun - Dative Neuter SingularStrong's 3989: The sea, the deep. Of uncertain affinity; deep or open sea, i.e. The main.of theτῆς (tēs)Article - Genitive Feminine SingularStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.sea.θαλάσσης (thalassēs)Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularStrong's 2281: Probably prolonged from hals; the sea.LinksMatthew 18:6 NIVMatthew 18:6 NLTMatthew 18:6 ESVMatthew 18:6 NASBMatthew 18:6 KJVMatthew 18:6 BibleApps.comMatthew 18:6 Biblia ParalelaMatthew 18:6 Chinese BibleMatthew 18:6 French BibleMatthew 18:6 Catholic BibleNT Gospels: Matthew 18:6 But whoever causes one of these little (Matt. Mat Mt)
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