God’s Word Translation
Matthew 18:7
7How horrible it will be for the world because it causes people to lose their faith. Situations that cause people to lose their faith will arise. How horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith!
Matthew 18:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
- New International Version (NIV)Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
Context of Matthew 18:7
5And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. 6“These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be drowned in the sea with a large stone hung around his neck. How horrible it will be for the world because it causes people to lose their faith. Situations that cause people to lose their faith will arise. How horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith! 8“If your hand or your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life disabled or injured than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. 9If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire.
Read all of Matthew 18Matthew 18:7 word by word
Οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων· ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα, πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ δι᾽ οὗ τὸ σκάνδαλον ἔρχεται.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
- unto the worldὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- unto the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- becauseἀπόapo · away fromG575
- of offencesσκάνδαλονskandalon · stumbling blockG4625
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- itεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- must needsἀνάγκηanagkē · necessityG318
- thatἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- butπλήνplēn · but/howeverG4133
- toἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
Cross-references for Matthew 18:7
- Genesis 13:7Quarrels broke out between Abram’s herders and Lot’s herders. (Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in that area.)
- 1 Samuel 2:17The sin of Eli’s sons was a serious matter to the Lord, because these men were treating the offerings made to the Lord with contempt.
- 2 Samuel 12:14But since you have shown total contempt for the Lord by this affair, the son that is born to you must die.”
- Luke 17:1Jesus told his disciples, “Situations that cause people to lose their faith are certain to arise. But how horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith!
- Romans 2:23As you brag about the laws in Moses’ Teachings, are you dishonoring God by ignoring those laws?
- 1 Timothy 5:14So I want younger widows to marry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them.
- 1 Timothy 6:1All slaves who believe must give complete respect to their own masters. In this way no one will speak evil of God’s name and what we teach.
- 2 Peter 2:2Many people will follow them in their sexual freedom and will cause others to dishonor the way of truth.
- Mark 13:7“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come.
- Acts 1:16“Brothers, what the Holy Spirit predicted through David in Scripture about Judas had to come true. Judas led the men to arrest Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 11:19Factions have to exist in order to make it clear who the genuine believers among you are.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3Don’t let anyone deceive you about this in any way. ⌞That day cannot come unless⌟ a revolt takes place first, and the man of sin, the man of destruction, is revealed.
- 1 Timothy 4:1The Spirit says clearly that in later times some believers will desert the Christian faith. They will follow spirits that deceive, and they will believe the teachings of demons.
- 2 Timothy 3:1You must understand this: In the last days there will be violent periods of time.
- 2 Timothy 4:3A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear.
- Jude 1:4Some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. Not long ago they were condemned in writing for the following reason: They are people to whom God means nothing. They use God’s kindness as an excuse for sexual freedom and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Commentaries on Matthew 18:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Wo! - Or, alas! . It is the opinion of some eminent critics, that this word is ever used by our Lord to express sympathy and concern. Because of offenses - Scandals, stumbling-blocks, persecutions, etc. For it must needs be that offenses come - Ϛ , for the coming of offenses is unavoidable. Such is the wickedness of men, such their obstinacy, that they will not come unto Christ that they may have life, but desperately continue deceiving and being…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Woe unto the world because of offences - That is, offences will be the cause of woe or of suffering. Offences, here, mean things that will produce sin: that will cause us to sin, or temptations to induce others to sin. See the notes at Matthew 5:29. It must needs be - That is, such is the depravity of man that there will be always some who are attempting to make others sin; some people of wickedness endeavoring to lead Christians astray, and rejoicing…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 Considering the cunning and malice of Satan, and the weakness and depravity of men's hearts, it is not possible but that there should be offences. God permits them for wise and holy ends, that those who are sincere, and those who are not, may be made known. Being told before, that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors, and bad examples, let us stand on our guard. We must, as far as lawfully we may, part with what we cannot keep without…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-35This fourth major teaching in Matthew (see study note on Matthew 5:1–7:29) focuses on how people responded to the Messiah. The disciples accepted him, while the Jewish leaders and most people did not. As this division increased, Jesus taught his disciples about community life. To follow the standards of Jesus, a community should live with: humility (18:1–5), sensitivity (18:6–9), compassion (18:10–14), discipline (18:15–18), and forgiveness (18:21–35)…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 18:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 18
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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