SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:6
Y cualquiera que hace tropezar a alguno de estos pequeos que creen en mí, mejor le fuera que se le colgase al cuello una piedra de molino de asno, y que se le anegase en lo profundo del mar.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 18:6
Verse 6. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones] But, on the contrary, whosoever shall cause one of the least of those who believe in me to be stumbled-to go into the spirit of the world, or give way to sin-such a one shall meet with the most exemplary punishment. Let those who act the part of the devil, in tempting others to sin, hear this declaration of our Lord, and tremble.
A millstone] mulov onikov, an ass's millstone, because in ancient times, before the invention of wind and water mills, the stones were turned sometimes by slaves, but commonly by asses or mules. The most ancient kind of mills among the inhabitants of the northern nations, was the quern, or hand- mill. In some places in Ireland, Scotland, and the Zetland Isles, these still exist.
Drowned in the depth of the sea.] It is supposed that in Syria, as well as in Greece, this mode of punishing criminals was practised; especially in cases of parricide; and when a person was devoted to destruction for the public safety, as in cases of plague, famine, &c. That this was the custom in Greece, we learn from the Scholiast on the Equites of Aristophanes, otan gar katepontoun tinav, barov apo twn trachlwn ekremwn.
When a person was drowned, they hung a weight, (uperbolon liqon, Suidas,) a vast stone about his neck. See the ancient Scholia upon the Equites, lin. 1360, and Suidas, in uperbolon liqon. We find also that it was a positive institute of the ancient Hindoo law. "If a woman," says the precept, "causes any person to take poison, sets fire to any person's house, or murders a man, then the magistrate, having bound a stone to her neck, shall drown her." Halhead's Code of Gentoo Laws, 4to. edition, page 306.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones , etc.] Not in age, but are little and mean in their own eyes, and contemptible in the esteem of the world; though otherwise men of great grace, gifts, and usefulness; who may be said to be offended, when they are not received; their persons despised, their ministry rejected, and they reproached and persecuted; and everything done to them to discourage, and cause them to stumble and fall, to drop their profession of Christ, to quit his service, and desert his cause: and that such persons are designed, appears by the following descriptive character of them, which believe in me ; which cannot be said of infants, or little ones in age, and who also are not capable of offence; but must be understood of adult persons, of such who by faith look unto, lay hold on, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Saviour and Redeemer, and who make a profession of their faith in him; and chiefly of such who preach the doctrine of faith, who having believed, therefore speak; and who are generally the butt of the contempt, reproach, and persecution of men. It were better for him, that a mill stone be hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea . The word translated depth, is sometimes used for the Sea itself, ( Isaiah 51:10) and signifies the middle, or deeper path, and answers to the Hebrew phrase, the heart of the sea; abr amyd swglyp , used by the Targum, in ( Psalm 46:3) and by Jonathan ben Uzziel, in ( Exodus 15:8). Jerom thinks, that this was a sort of punishment in use among the Jews, that is here referred to; but this does not appear. The four capital punishments inflicted by them were stoning, burning, slaying with the sword, and strangling f987 : they had indeed other sorts of punishment, which they borrowed from other nations; and so they might this, either from the Romans, or Greeks, or their neighbours the Syrians. The mill stone, in the original, is called mulov onikov , which may be rendered the ass mill stone, being either the nether mill stone, as some think, which was called the ass, because, like an ass, it bears the chief of the weight and burden; or else respects such mill stones as were turned about by an ass, in distinction from those that were turned by the hand; for that it was usual with the Jews to make use of asses in grinding, as well as other nations, is certain: hence we read of ayjyr armj the ass of mills, that were employed in grinding in the mills, and of one that turned his mill with wild asses f989 : but it is further to be observed, that mention is made of dy l yjr l rwmj , the ass of an handmill: which the commentators say f991 , was a beam on which an handmill was fixed, and was called the ass. Now, I should rather think that this is meant than the other. It does not seem likely that a nether mill stone, or one that required an ass to turn it, should be tied to a mans neck, in order to drown him, when cast into the sea; for our Lord must be thought to refer to a practice somewhere in use: but rather, that such a beam, or log, of an handmill, so called, were wont to be put about the necks of malefactors, in drowning them. Our Lords sense is, that it was much better for a man to endure the severest temporal punishment, rather than by offending, and evil treating any of his disciples, expose himself to everlasting destruction. The phrase of having a mill stone about the neck, I find, is sometimes used to denote anything very troublesome and burdensome f992 . The tradition is, a man that marries a wife, and after that learns the law, R. Jochanan says, wrawxb yjyr , though a mill stone is about his neck, yet he must study in the law: that is, though his worldly circumstances are narrow, and his wife and family are as burdensome as if he had a mill stone about his neck, he must continue his studies.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Christ spoke many words of his sufferings, but only one of his glory yet the disciples fasten upon that, and overlook the others. Many love to hear and speak of privileges and glory, who are willing to pass by the thoughts of work and trouble. Our Lord set a little child befor them, solemnly assuring them, that unless they were converted and mad like little children, they could not enter his kingdom. Children, when very young, do not desire authority, do not regard outwar distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingl dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to sho other dispositions, and other ideas are taught them at an early age but these are marks of childhood, and render them proper emblems of the lowly minds of true Christians. Surely we need to be daily renewed in the spirit of our minds, that we may become simple and humble, a little children, and willing to be the least of all. Let us daily stud this subject, and examine our own spirits.
Greek Textus Receptus
ος 3739 R-NSM δ 1161 CONJ αν 302 PRT σκανδαλιση 4624 5661 V-AAS-3S ενα 1520 A-ASM των 3588 T-GPM μικρων 3398 A-GPM τουτων 5130 D-GPM των 3588 T-GPM πιστευοντων 4100 5723 V-PAP-GPM εις 1519 PREP εμε 1691 P-1AS συμφερει 4851 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM ινα 2443 CONJ κρεμασθη 2910 5686 V-APS-3S μυλος 3458 N-NSM ονικος 3684 A-NSM επι 1909 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM τραχηλον 5137 N-ASM αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ καταποντισθη 2670 5686 V-APS-3S εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSN πελαγει 3989 N-DSN της 3588 T-GSF θαλασσης 2281 N-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. A millstone (mulov onikov). Two kinds of millstones were in use; the one turned by hand, the other, and larger, by an ass (onov). Here Jesus says an ass-millstone; or, as Rev., a great millstone; Wyc., millstone of asses.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
18:6 {These little ones} (twn mikrwn toutwn). In the same sense as "one such little one" above. The child is the type of believers. {A great millstone} (mulos onikos), literally, "a millstone turned by an ass." The upper millstone was turned by an ass (onos). There were no examples of the adjective onikos (turned by an ass) outside the N.T. until the papyri revealed several for loads requiring an ass to carry them, stones requiring an ass to move them, etc. Deissmann (_Light from the Ancient East_, p. 81) notes it also in papyri examples about the sale of an ass and tax for an ass's burden of goods. {The depth of the sea} (t"i pelagei ts thalasss). "The sea of the sea." pelagos probably from plsso, to beat, and so the beating, splashing waves of the sea. "Far out into the open sea, a vivid substitute for eis tn thalassan" (McNeile).
