Luke 17:2

Luke 17:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
• New International Version (NIV)It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Context of Luke 17:2

1Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Some bad things in this world will make other people do wrong things. You can be sure about that. But God will punish anyone who makes these bad things happen. These other people may not seem to be important. But you must not make them do wrong things. Do not do that! It would be better if someone tied a big stone round your neck, and then he threw you into the sea. 3Be careful how you live. If your Christian brother does something wrong, speak to him. Tell him that he has done a bad thing. He may say, “I am sorry for what I did. I will not do it again.” If he says that, you must forgive him. 4Your brother may do a bad thing to you seven times in one day. He may turn to you each time and say, “I am sorry for what I did. I will not do it again.” If he does that, you must forgive him every time.’

Luke 17:2 word by word

λυσιτελεῖ αὐτῷ εἰ λίθος μυλικὸς περίκειται περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔρριπται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἢ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ἕνα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• It were betterλυσιτελεῖlusitelei · to profitG3081
• for himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• thatεἰei · ifG1487
• a millstoneμύλοςmulos · millstoneG3458
• ·ὀνικόςonikos · huge millstoneG3684
• were hangedπερίκειμαιperikeimai · to surroundG4029
• aboutπερίperi · aboutG4012
• neckτράχηλοςtrachēlos · neckG5137
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• he castῥίπτωrhiptō̄ · to throw/lay downG4496
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• thanἤē · orG2228
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• he should offendσκανδαλίζωskandalizō · to cause to stumbleG4624
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• of theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• little onesμικρόςmikros mikroteros · smallG3398

Cross-references for Luke 17:2

• Matthew 18:6Jesus said, ‘A person who believes in me may not seem important. But you should never make that person do wrong things. Do not do that! It would be better for you if someone tied a big stone round your neck. Then you would sink deep down into the sea and die.
• Matthew 26:24The Son of Man must die in the way that the Bible says. But it will be very bad for the man who gives me to my enemies. It would be better for that man if he had not been born.’
• Mark 9:42A person who believes in me may not seem important. But you should never make that person do wrong things. Do not do that! It would be better if someone tied a big stone around your neck and then he threw you into the sea!
• 1 Corinthians 9:15But I have not used my authority as an apostle to demand these things from you. And I am not writing this letter to demand that you help me now. No! It would be better for me to die than to change the way that I live. I can be proud of that and nobody should stop me.
• 2 Peter 2:1Many years ago, there were false prophets among God's people. They did not speak God's true messages. In the same way, there will also be false teachers among you. They will come among you and they will teach you things that are not true. Their wrong ideas will deceive people. Those false teachers will even speak against the Master, who paid the price for their sins. As a result, they will bring trouble on themselves that quickly destroys them.
• Isaiah 40:11He takes care of his people, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep. He picks up the young lambs and he carries them near to his heart. He carefully leads the mother sheep that have lambs.
• Zechariah 13:7‘Attack my shepherd with a sharp knife. Attack the man that is next to me,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Kill the shepherd and then the sheep will run away. Then I will attack the young sheep.
• Matthew 18:3He said, ‘I tell you this: You must change and become like little children. If not, you will never come into the kingdom of heaven.
• John 21:15When they had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other disciples love me?’ Peter answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’
• 1 Corinthians 8:11Because you understand properly, you are hurting someone who does not understand so well. In that way, the life of your Christian friend has become completely spoiled. Remember that Christ died to save that friend.
• 1 Corinthians 9:22With weak people, I became like someone who is weak too. I did that so that I could bring weak people to believe in Christ. Whoever I am living among, I live like they do. I want to do everything that I can to save some of them.

Commentaries on Luke 17:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2A mill-stone - That drowning a person with a stone tied about the neck was an ancient mode of punishment, see proved in the note on Matthew 18:6, Matthew 18:7; (note), to which let the following be added. To have a mill-stone hanged about the neck, was a common proverb. "Samuel saith, A man may marry, and after that addict himself to the study of the law. Rab. Jochanan saith, No: shall he addict himself to the study of the law with a mill-stone about his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2A millstone is a large, round stone with a hole in its center. People used it to grind grain in a mill. A millstone could weigh hundreds of pounds.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-101-2. (See Mt 18:6, 7).Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 17:2

• Jesus, the Christ
• Millstone
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Cast
• Luke, the Gospel of
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Martha
• Neck
• Year
• woe

Commentaries on Luke 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings