It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
It would be well for him if a great stone was put round his neck and he was dropped into the sea, before he made trouble for any of these little ones.
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to fall into sin.
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
A mill-stone - That drowning a person with a stone tied about the neck was an ancient mode of punishment, see proved in the note on Matthew 18:6, Matthew 18:7 (note), to which let the following be added. To have a mill-stone hanged about the neck, was a common proverb. "Samuel saith, A man may marry, and after that addict himself to the study of the law. Rab. Jochanan saith, No: shall he addict himself to the study of the law with a mill-stone about his neck?" The place in Aristophanes, to which the reader is referred in the note on Matthew 18:6 (note), is the following: -
Αραν μετεωρον εις το βαραθρον εμβαλω,
Εκ του λαρυγγος εκκρεμασας ὑπερβολον
"Lifting him up into the air, I will plunge him into the deep: a great stone being hung about his neck."
Aristoph. in Equit. ver. 1359.
17:2 Little ones - Weak believers.