Mark 9:47 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,

NIV: And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

NASB: And if your eye is causing you to sin, throw it away; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell,

CSB: And if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

NLT: And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

KJV: And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

NKJV: And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—

While tying a millstone around our necks and throwing ourselves into the sea (Mark 9:42) or cutting off our hands and feet (Mark 9:43, 45) would, indeed, keep us from sinning with our lives, hands, or feet, this verse clearly shows that Jesus is speaking symbolically: even if you pluck out one eye, you can certainly still sin with the other. Jesus is not encouraging physical maiming. Instead, He is conveying that we should take practical—if not quite so extreme—measures to avoid sin. In Jesus' time, the eye was thought to be the source of envy and jealousy. We will always face people with more money, more popularity, more possessions, and better looks than us. We particularly need God's help to overcome sins of the mind.

In modern times, a corollary of "cutting out one eye" could be limiting internet access. Internet pornography is a serious problem with non-Christians and Christ-followers alike. It is much better to install a tracking program or avoid the internet as much as possible than to risk the hellish side of the web.

"Hell" is from the Hebrew root word geenna or Gehenna. In Jesus' time, this valley was a dump where dead animals and other disgusting things were brought to be burned. In the Old Testament, Gehenna, or the Valley of Hinnom, was where the Israelites sacrificed their children to pagan idols. They made great metal statues of the god Molech and built fires around the figures. When the metal grew so hot it glowed, the people burned their children either by placing them in the idol's outstretched arms or in a cavity specially built in the figure's torso (2 Chronicles 28:3).

In contrast, Jesus calls us to enter the "kingdom of God." Ordinarily in the New Testament, the "kingdom of God" means any time and place where God's sovereignty, power, and authority were manifest. Here, however, it means eternity in heaven.

Mark 9:42–48 shows that even if we follow the letter of the law, or maim ourselves in the attempt, we cannot be good enough to get to heaven on our own. In Matthew, directly after Jesus' hard words against sinning and tempting others to sin, Jesus talks about God's forgiveness and love for us (Matthew 18:12–14) and our responsibility to forgive others (Matthew 18:15–35). The various parallels in Matthew and Luke, as well as phrasing intended to transition subjects along suggest this passage is a synopsis of several different teachings. Still, Matthew 18:7–9 gives a reasonable parallel.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.