5:29–30
In these verses, Jesus used two figurative examples to show that sinning is to be strongly avoided. They are also called examples of hyperbole or exaggeration. Jesus used these examples in order to emphasize a truth. A literal eye or hand cannot cause a person to sin. The only things that cause sin are wrong attitudes, desires, and thoughts that come from the heart. These examples show that it is very important to remove from one’s heart the nonphysical things which cause sin.
Throughout 5:29–30, in the Greek text, the pronouns for “you” or “your” are all singular.
5:29a–b
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away: In this context, the right eye is a figure of speech. The right eye represents sins that a person commits with his eyes.
Here is another way to express this figure of speech:
If you are tempted to sin with/using your right eye, gouge it out
If people in your area will think that this verse is literally commanding someone to remove his eye, you may want to:
• Indicate that this is a figurative example:
If ⌊for a figurative example⌋ your right eye causes you to sin
• Include the non-figurative meaning and also make the figurative example into a simile:
⌊Remove and throw away any cause of sin! Remove it as completely as⌋ if you were removing your right eye that causes you to sin.
• Include a footnote to explain. Here is a sample footnote:
In this verse and the next verse Jesus talked about parts of the body that we use when we sin. He used the right eye and the right hand as symbols that stand for what we look at and what we do. When he said that we should remove our right eye or right hand, he meant that we should do everything possible to keep ourselves from sinning
5:29b
gouge it out and throw it away: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gouge…out means “take/pull out.” This verse part continues the exaggeration in 5:29a.
Here are some other ways to translate gouge it out:
take it out (Good News Translation)
-or-
tear it out (English Standard Version)
-or-
pluck it out (Revised Standard Version)
5:29c–d
It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell: This sentence is a comparison. The two events here are both bad. But to lose one part of your body is not as bad as your whole body being thrown into hell. In that way the first clause is better than the second clause.
Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:
To lose one part of your body is not as bad as your whole body being thrown into hell
-or-
Losing one part of your body is good compared to your whole body being thrown into hell
-or-
Losing one part of your body is good. Having your whole body thrown into hell is bad.
5:29c
The Greek of 5:29c begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “for.” it indicates that 5:29c is the basis for the command to tear out your eye in 5:29b. Many English versions like the Berean Standard Bible do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.
lose one part of your body: The clause lose one part of your body refers specifically to losing your right eye. It also refers to losing that eye while still living. It may be more natural in some languages to make some of this information explicit. For example:
It is better to lose one part of your body ⌊while living⌋
-or-
Losing your right eye is better
5:29d
your whole body to be thrown into hell: The verb be thrown is passive.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
• Use a passive verb as the Berean Standard Bible.
• Use an active verb. For example:
God will throw your whole body into hell.
hell: The word hell refers to the place of eternal punishment where unbelievers will go after the final judgment. The devil and his angels will also go there.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
place of eternal punishment
-or-
place of unending fire
-or-
the place where the dead are made to suffer
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