SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:7
¶ ¡Ay del mundo por los escndalos! Porque necesario es que vengan escndalos; mas ¡ay de aquel hombre por el cual viene el escndalo!
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 18:7
Verse 7. Wo!] Or, alas! ouai. It is the opinion of some eminent critics, that this word is ever used by our Lord to express sympathy and concern. Because of offenses] Scandals, stumbling-blocks, persecutions, &c.
For it must needs be that offenses come] anagke gar estin elqein ta skandala, for the coming of offenses is unavoidable. Such is the wickedness of men, such their obstinacy, that they will not come unto Christ that they may have life, but desperately continue deceiving and being deceived. In such a state of things, offenses, stumbling- blocks, persecutions, &c., are unavoidable.
Wo to that man] He who gives the offense, and he who receives it, are both exposed to ruin.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. Woe unto the world because of offences ! etc.] By which are meant, not sins, as sometimes, but rather temptations to sin; and so the Ethiopic version renders this word by temptation in every clause, as the Arabic does in the next; and may design all the contempt and reproach cast upon the doctrines, ordinances, and people of Christ, and all those afflictions, distresses, and persecutions exercised on them, on purpose to cause them to stumble and fall; to tempt them to deny the truth, drop their profession of religion, and relinquish the service of Christ; things which are displeasing to God, discouraging to his people, and often attended with bad consequences to formal professors; and bring down the judgments of God upon the men of the world; who sooner or later will vindicate his own cause, avenge his own elect, and render tribulation to them that trouble them. For it must needs be that offences come ; considering the implacable malice of Satan, his unwearied and indefatigable pains, the malignity of the men of the world, their aversion and enmity to the Gospel of Christ, and all good men; it cannot be thought, God suffering such things for the trial of such as are truly gracious, and for the discovery of hypocrites, and for the manifestation of his grace, power, and faithfulness in the preservation of his dear children, that it should be otherwise, but that such offences should be: but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh ; for though God, for wise ends and reasons, as above, voluntarily permits such things to be in the world; and though they do not succeed, as to cause the true followers of Christ so to stumble and fall, as to perish, yet this does not excuse their sin and wickedness, in doing all that in them lay to effect it. For though God will, and does overrule all their base designs against his ministers, church, and people, for his glory, and their good, this is no thanks to them; and as it does not in the least extenuate their crime, it will not abate the severity of their punishment.
Ver. 8, 9. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot , etc.] The same words are repeated here on occasion of offences, as are spoken by Christ, ( Matthew 5:29,30) on account of unchaste looks, desires and lusts: giving offence to Christs disciples, or endeavouring, by any means whatever, to cause them to stumble and fall, is equally gratifying the flesh, and no more to be indulged, than the other, on pain of eternal damnation. See Gill Matthew 5:29 See Gill Matthew 5:30 Ver. 10. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones , etc.] That is, one of those little ones that believed in Christ; for he is not speaking of infants in age, but of those who might be compared to such, for their humility and modesty; who were little in their own eyes, and mean and despicable in the eyes of the world, as well as appeared but little in the eyes of their fellow disciples and brethren; for our Lord returns and addresses himself to his disciples, who had been contending among themselves who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven; and so were striving to lessen one another, each looking upon himself as the greater, and every other as little. Wherefore Christ cautions them against such a spirit, and bids them beware of despising their fellow disciples, as little, and below them; especially since so much notice and care were taken of them, both in heaven, and in earth: for I say unto you, that in heaven : the phrase, in heaven, is omitted in the Syriac and Persic versions, perhaps because it might be looked upon as unnecessary, since it afterwards appears; but is very proper, or pertinent, whether it be considered as descriptive of the angels, who have their habitation there, in distinction from the evil angels, who are cast down from thence; or as pointing out the place where the angels behold the face of God, and who are styled their angels; the angels of the little ones, that believe in Christ, who are ministering spirits unto them, the guardians of them, who encamp about them, and do many good offices for them. Some have thought from hence, that every good man has his peculiar angel that waits upon him, and cares for him; but this does not necessarily follow from, these words, only that they all have an interest in angels, and in their good services. This seems indeed to have been a notion that prevailed among the Jews, not only that there were angels which presided over particular nations, but who also had the care of particular persons; so they speak of an angel that was particularly appointed for Abraham f993 . Nor will they allow, that one angel does two messages, nor two angels one f994 message: but that everyone has his particular place, person, and work; of whom it is further said, that they do always behold the face of my father which is in heaven : which is not so much to be understood of their intellectual knowledge, and apprehension of the divine being, of their beholding the glory of his nature, and essence, and of their contemplating and applauding his perfections; as of their ministering before him, waiting, as servants, upon him, watching to receive his orders, and ready to obey his commands. And our Lords argument is, that if such excellent creatures as the angels in heaven, who are continually favoured with being in the presence of Christs heavenly father, honoured with so high a station, as always to stand before him, as ministers of his; if these are the guardians of these little ones, if they are committed to their care, and they have the oversight of them, then they ought not to be despised: and besides, since the angels that have the care of them are so near the throne, it should deter everyone from having their charge in contempt, or doing any injury to them; since they arc capable of lodging accusations and complaints against them; and, when leave is given, have power of executing the sorest judgments upon men. This description of angels agrees with what the Jews say of them, especially of the chief of them. Michael, they say f995 , is the first and principal of the chief princes, lmh ynp yawr that behold the face of the king; that is, the King of kings, the Lord of hosts. Suriel, which, with them, is another name of an angel, is called f996 , ynph r , the prince of faces, who is always in the presence of God; and, as the gloss says, is an angel that is counted worthy to come before the king.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-14 - Considering the cunning and malice of Satan, and the weakness an depravity of men's hearts, it is not possible but that there should be offences. God permits them for wise and holy ends, that those who ar sincere, and those who are not, may be made known. Being told before that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors, and bad examples let us stand on our guard. We must, as far as lawfully we may, par with what we cannot keep without being entangled by it in sin. The outward occasions of sin must be avoided. If we live after the flesh we must die. If we, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body we shall live. Christ came into the world to save souls, and he wil reckon severely with those who hinder the progress of others who ar setting their faces heavenward. And shall any of us refuse attention to those whom the Son of God came to seek and to save? A father takes car of all his children, but is particularly tender of the little ones.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουαι 3759 INJ τω 3588 T-DSM κοσμω 2889 N-DSM απο 575 PREP των 3588 T-GPN σκανδαλων 4625 N-GPN αναγκη 318 N-NSF γαρ 1063 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ελθειν 2064 5629 V-2AAN τα 3588 T-APN σκανδαλα 4625 N-APN πλην 4133 ADV ουαι 3759 INJ τω 3588 T-DSM ανθρωπω 444 N-DSM εκεινω 1565 D-DSM δι 1223 PREP ου 3739 R-GSM το 3588 T-NSN σκανδαλον 4625 N-NSN ερχεται 2064 5736 V-PNI-3S
Robertson's NT Word Studies
18:7 {Through whom} (di' ou). Jesus recognizes the inevitableness of stumbling-blocks, traps, hindrances, the world being as it is, but he does not absolve the man who sets the trap (cf. #Lu 17:1).
