New American Standard Bible 1995

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Mark

9

:

43

"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
"If if (a conditional particle used like NG1487, but usually with the Gr. subjunctive mood) Conj H1437 ἐὰν ean
your hand the hand N-AFP H5495 χείρ cheir
causes you to stumble, to put a snare (in the way), hence to cause to stumble, to give offense V-PSA-3S H4624 σκανδαλίσῃ skandalisē
cut it off; to cut off V-AMA-2S H609 ἀπόκοψον apokopson
it is better beautiful, good Adj-NNS H2570 καλόν kalon
for you to enter to go in (to), enter V-ANA H1525 εἰσελθεῖν eiselthein
life life N-AFS H2222 ζωὴν zōēn
crippled, crippled Adj-AMS H2948 κυλλὸν kullon
than, or, than Conj H2228 ē
having to have, hold V-PPA-AMS H2192 ἔχοντα echonta
your two two Adj-AFP H1417 δύο duo
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

hands, the hand N-AFP H5495 χεῖρας cheiras
to go to go away, go after V-ANA H565 ἀπελθεῖν apelthein
into hell, Gehenna, a valley W. and S. of Jer., also a symbolic name for the final place of punishment of the ungodly N-AFS H1067 γέενναν geennan
into the unquenchable unquenched, unquenchable Adj-ANS H762 ἄσβεστον asbeston
fire, fire N-ANS H4442 πῦρ pur

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,
King James Bible "If your And if thy hand causes you to stumble, offend thee, cut it off; off: it is better for you thee to enter into life crippled, than, maimed, than having your two hands, hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,fire that never shall be quenched:
Berean Bible "If And if your hand causes should cause you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than, than having your two hands, hands to go away into hell, Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,fire.
Hebrew Greek English "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,