Matthew 18:6 (ASV)

Passage

But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and [that] he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me:

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and [that] he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!

Matthew 18:8 And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whoso", "shall", "cause", "little", "ones", "believe", "stumble", and "profitable". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whoso" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "And whoso shall receive one such little..." into verse 7's "Woe unto the world because of occasions...", so "whoso" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "whoso" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.