New American Standard Bible 1995

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Matthew

Note Journal Prayer

18

:

6

“

but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
but whoever usually rel. who, which, that, also demonstrative this, that RelPro-NMS H3739 Ὃς os
causes to put a snare (in the way), hence to cause to stumble, to give offense V-ASA-3S H4624 σκανδαλίσῃ skandalisē
one one Adj-AMS H1520 ἕνα ena
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
of these this DPro-GMP H3778    
little ones small, little Adj-GMP H3398 μικρῶν mikrōn
who believe to believe, entrust V-PPA-GMP H4100 πιστευόντων pisteuontōn
in Me to stumble, to put a snare (in the way), hence to cause to stumble, to give offense V-ASA-3S H4624    
it would be better to bring together, to be profitable V-PIA-3S H4851 συμφέρει sumpherei
for him to have a heavy of or for a donkey Adj-NMS H3684 ὀνικὸς onikos
millstone a mill, a millstone N-NMS H3458 μύλος mulos
hung to hang V-ASP-3S H2910 κρεμασθῇ kremasthē
around about, concerning, around (denotes place, cause or subject) Prep H4012 περὶ peri
his neck, the neck N-AMS H5137 τράχηλον trachēlon
and to be drowned to throw into the sea V-ASP-3S H2670 καταποντισθῇ katapontisthē
in the depth the deep, the deep sea N-DNS H3989 πελάγει pelagei
of the sea. the sea N-GFS H2281 θαλάσσης thalassēs

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
King James Bible but whoever causes But whoso shall offend one of these little ones who which believe in Me to stumble, me, it would be were better for him to have that a heavy millstone hung around were hanged about his neck, and to be that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Berean Bible but And whoever causes shall cause to stumble one of these of the little ones who believe believing in Me to stumble, Me, it would be is better for him to have that a heavy millstone should be hung around his neck, and to he be drowned sunk in the depth of the sea.
Hebrew Greek English but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.