Matthew 18:8 (GNV)

Passage

Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foote cause thee to offend, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life, halt, or maimed, then hauing two hands, or two feete, to be cast into euerlasting fire.

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:6 But whosoeuer shall offend one of these litle ones which beleeue in me, it were better for him, that a milstone were hanged about his necke, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:7 Wo be vnto the world because of offences: for it must needes be that offences shall come, but wo be to that man by whome the offence commeth.

Matthew 18:8 Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foote cause thee to offend, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life, halt, or maimed, then hauing two hands, or two feete, to be cast into euerlasting fire.

Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye cause thee to offende, plucke it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, then hauing two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Matthew 18:10 See that ye despise not one of these litle ones: for I say vnto you, that in heauen their Angels alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heauen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherefore", "hand", "foote", "cause", "thee", "offend", and "cast". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherefore" and "hand", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Wo be vnto the world because of..." into verse 9's "And if thine eye cause thee to...", so "wherefore" and "hand" 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 "wherefore" and "hand" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.