17:2
This verse emphasizes how terrible it is for someone to cause a little one to sin. Even an awful death like drowning is better than the punishment that such a person will receive.
17:2a
It would be better for him: The clause It would be better introduces a comparison. The comparison is between two terrible punishments:
(a) drowning in the sea with a millstone tied around the neck (17:2b);
(b) ⌊the punishment for⌋ causing a little one to sin (17:1b).
Jesus was saying that the punishment for causing a little one to sin is worse than drowning. A person should prefer to drown rather than to cause a little one to sin. Languages compare such situations in various ways. For example:
2bIf people tied a big stone around the neck of a person who did that and threw him in the ocean ⌊so that he drowned⌋, 2athat would be a little punishment. 2cBut if he causes one of these little ones to sin, ⌊God⌋ will give him a really big punishment.
-or-
2cThe person who causes a little one to sin ⌊will be punished⌋ 2ain a way that will be worse than 2bif a millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Use a natural way to express the comparison in your language.
17:2b
to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea: This part of the verse describes how a person might be punished. People might tie a millstone around the person’s neck and then throw the person into the sea. Some English versions mention the sea first. For example:
to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck (New International Version)
But in some languages it may be more natural to mention these actions in the order they happen. For example:
if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea (Good News Translation)
You should use a natural order in your language.
millstone hung…thrown: The verbs hung and thrown are passive. In some languages it may be more natural to use active verbs and supply a general subject like “people” or “someone.” For example:
if ⌊people⌋ tied a large stone around his neck and threw him into the sea
to be thrown into the sea: If someone is thrown into deep water with a millstone tied around his neck, he will sink and die by drowning. In some languages it may be necessary to make this implied information explicit. For example:
thrown into the sea ⌊to drown/die⌋
the sea: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sea refers to a large, wide body of water. The water can be either salty or fresh. This word can also be used in contrast to land. The phrase the sea does not refer here to any particular sea.
In some areas people may not be familiar with large seas. If that is true in your language, you can translate it with a more familiar term. For example:
into a lake/river
a millstone: A millstone is a large, heavy stone. People used stones like this to grind grain to make flour.
Sometimes a person rotated the stone. At other times an animal turned the stone.
Some other ways to translate the word millstone are:
large stone
-or-
very heavy stone
17:2c
than to cause one of these little ones to stumble: This verse implies that God will severely punish a person who causes little ones to sin. The punishment will be far worse than if someone had killed him by drowning him. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:
than to endure the way that ⌊God⌋ would punish him for causing one of these little ones to sin
cause…to stumble: Translate cause…to stumble in a similar way as you translated “stumbling blocks” in 17:1a.
these little ones: The phrase little ones often refers to children. In this context Jesus used the phrase figuratively to refer to people who are innocent or weak in some way. They need protection and help. The word these refers to people who were listening to Jesus and probably to others like them. Some ways to translate this are:
one of these childlike people
-or-
an innocent/vulnerable person ⌊like⌋ these
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