New Living Translation
Matthew 5:29
29So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Matthew 5:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
- New International Version (NIV)If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Context of Matthew 5:29
27“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 31“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:29 word by word
εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- rightδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
- eyeὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
- offendσκανδαλίζωskandalizō · to cause to stumbleG4624
- pluckἐξαιρέωexaireō · to take out/selectG1807
- itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- it is profitableσυμφέρωsumpherō · be profitableG4851
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- ofμέλοςmelos · memberG3196
- should perishἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
- notμήmē · notG3361
- wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650
- bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- hellγέενναgeenna · hell: GehennaG1067
Cross-references for Matthew 5:29
- Matthew 18:8So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.
- Mark 9:43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.
- Matthew 19:12Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
- Romans 6:6We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
- Romans 8:13For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
- 1 Corinthians 9:27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
- Galatians 5:24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
- Colossians 3:5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
- 1 Peter 4:1So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.
- Matthew 16:26And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
- Proverbs 5:8Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!
- Mark 8:36And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
- Luke 9:24If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Commentaries on Matthew 5:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29Pluck it out - cut it off - We must shut our senses against dangerous objects, to avoid the occasions of sin, and deprive ourselves of all that is most dear and profitable to us, in order to save our souls, when we find that these dear and profitable things, however innocent in themselves, cause us to sin against God. It is profitable for thee that one of thy members - Men often part with some members of the body, at the discretion of a surgeon, that they…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29Thy right eye - The Hebrews, like others, were accustomed to represent the affections of the mind by the members or parts of the body, Romans 7:23; Romans 6:13. Thus, the bowels denoted compassion; the heart, affection or feeling; the reins, understanding, secret purpose. An evil eye denotes sometimes envy Matthew 20:15, and sometimes an evil passion, or sin in general. Mark 7:21-22; “out of the heart proceedeth an evil eye.” In this place, as in 2 Peter…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-32Verses 27-32 Victory over the desires of the heart, must be attended with painful exertions. But it must be done. Every thing is bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them. All our senses and powers must be kept from those things which lead to transgression. Those who lead others into temptation to sin, by dress or in other ways, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be accountable for it. If painful…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 29Hell (Greek Gehenna): Gehenna was the name of a valley outside Jerusalem. Some kings of Judah used this place to worship idols and even offered children as sacrifices by fire (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35). King Josiah eventually destroyed this site (2 Kings 23:10). In the New Testament, Gehenna refers to the place where God punishes. Jesus taught that unless his followers live with greater righteousness (living in the right way before…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2929. And if thy right eye--the readier and the dearer of the two. offend thee--be a "trap spring," or as in the New Testament, be "an occasion of stumbling" to thee. pluck it out and cast it from thee--implying a certain indignant promptitude, heedless of whatever cost to feeling the act may involve. Of course, it is not the eye simply of which our Lord speaks--as if execution were to be done upon the bodily organ--though there have been fanatical ascetics…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:29
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 5
- 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
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