9:43–48
In these verses Jesus spoke about people in general. He used singular forms of pronouns like “you” and “your.” In some languages it may be more natural to use plural forms or other forms. For example:
If your(plur) hand causes you(plur) to sin, cut(plur) it off.
-or-
If our hand causes us to sin, we should cut it off.
In 7:20–23 Jesus had already taught his disciples that all sin originates in a person’s heart/mind. Here in 9:43–48 he focused on particular parts of the body that people use when they sin. He used the hand, foot and eye as figures of speech. These parts of the body stand for what people do, where people go and what people look at. When he said that a person should cut off/out parts of his body, he meant that a person should do everything possible to keep himself from sinning. This might even require extreme self-sacrifice.
9:43a
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off: In this context, the hand is a figure of speech. The hand represents sins that a person commits with his hand.
Here is another way to express this figure of speech:
If you are tempted to use your hand to sin, cut it off.
If people in your area will think that this verse only refers to literally cutting off a hand, you may want to:
• Indicate that this is figurative language. For example:
If as a figurative example your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
• Include the non-figurative meaning and use a simile. For example:
Remove and throw away any cause of sin! Reject it as completely as if you were cutting off a hand that causes you to sin.
• Include a footnote to explain. For example:
In this verse and the next two verses Jesus talked about parts of the body that we use when we sin. He used the hand, foot and eye as symbols that stand for what we do, where we go and what we look at. When he said that we should remove our hand, foot or eye, he meant that we should do everything possible to keep ourselves from sinning
9:43b–c
It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell: This is a comparison.
Here are some ways that languages may show this comparison:
• One situation is better than the other (as in the Berean Standard Bible).
• One situation is worse than the other. For example:
Having two hands and going to hell is worse than having one hand and going to heaven.
-or-
It may seem hard to enter heaven with one hand missing, but it is far worse to keep both hands and enter hell.
• One situation is good. The other situation is bad. For example:
If you go to heaven, even if you have only one hand, that is good. But if you keep two hands and go to hell, that is bad.
9:43b
enter life: In this context the word life refers to eternal life in heaven with God. If people in your area will think that the word life refers only to life on earth, you may want to include some implied information. For example:
enter heaven (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
go to live forever where God dwells
crippled: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crippled describes a person who has a hand or foot that is deformed or abnormal. In this context it refers to someone who has had a hand cut off.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
disabled (God’s Word)
-or-
without a hand (Good News Bible)
-or-
with only one hand
9:43c
two hands: In the parable, having two hands indicates that the person has not removed the cause of sin in his life. Therefore, he has not truly repented before God.
If people in your area will not understand the meaning of the figurative expression two hands, you may want to:
• Include some implied information in the text. For example:
two hands because you did not repent
• Include a footnote. For example:
In this parable, having two hands or two feet indicates that the person has not removed the cause of sin in his life.
hell: The word hell refers to the place of eternal punishment where unbelievers will go after the final judgment. The devil and his angels will also go there.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
place of eternal punishment
-or-
place of unending fire
9:43d
the unquenchable fire: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as the unquenchable fire describes hell (9:43b). The word unquenchable refers to a fire that will never end. No one will ever put it out or extinguish it.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
into the fire that can never be put out (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
where the fire never goes out (New International Version, 2011 edition)
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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