Matthew 18:7 (KJV)

Passage

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!

Nearby Context

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

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:7 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!

Matthew 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "offences", "must", "needs", "come", and "cometh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "offences", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "But whoso shall offend one of these..." into verse 8's "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot...", so "world" and "offences" 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 "world" and "offences" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.