lame

The Greek that is translated as “lame” in English is translated in various ways:

cause to stumble, offend

“The word ‘offend’ as a translation of the Greek skandalizó seems to cause all sorts of trouble for translators. The difficulty is that the meaning of this word covers such a wide area. The basic meaning of the Greek is ‘to cause to stumble by putting some impediment in the way.’ The present central meaning of English ‘offend’ is often quite different. In some languages there is no metaphorical value in a translation ‘to cause someone to stumble.’ If the language permits no such metaphor, the translator should not attempt to force it. In Highland Totonac, the metaphor ‘to show the wrong road to’ is used in a manner almost exactly parallel to the Greek idiom.” (Source: Nida 1947)

In San Blas Kuna the translation is “spoil the heart” (source: Claudio and Marvel Iglesias in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 85ff. 1996.) and in Cherokee “trip someone up” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 39).

See also fall away, stumble.

eternity, forever, forever and ever

The Greek, Hebrew and Ge’ez that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)

In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)

In Makonde it is often translated as navyaka or “years and years.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

See also forever, eternal life and salvation.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Concepts of Eternity .

complete verse (Matthew 18:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 18:8:

  • Uma: “‘If for instance one of our (incl.) hands or one of our (incl.) feet causes [lit., carries] us (incl.) to sin, just cut it off and throw it away. It is better to have just one hand or one foot, as long as we (incl.) receive goodness of life with God. It is better that way, than to have both hands and both feet, but finally/at the end we (incl.) are thrown into the fire that continually flames.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘If your hand or your foot influences you to sin, leave/give up your sin. Figuratively as if you cut off your hand and your foot and throw it away. It is better for you to enter heaven even (if) you (have a limb) cut off than (if) you (have) two hands or two feet but are thrown into the fire which cannot be put out.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If your hand or your foot is the thing by which you are successfully tempted, cut it off and throw it away, because it is better if you are maimed and given eternal life rather than to have two hands or feet and be thrown into the fire which is forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore if your (sing.) hand/arm or your (sing.) foot/leg is your (sing.) means-of-sinning, cut it off to throw it away. Because it is better if you (sing.) go join-in-experiencing the life in heaven with one of your (sing.) hands/arms or legs cut-off than that you (sing.) have two arms or legs and you (sing.) are thrown into the place of fire that never goes-out.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore supposing your (sing.) hand or your foot is where the sin you do originates, you had better just cut it off and throw it away. For it doesn’t matter even if one hand or foot is cut off, as long as life which is without ending will be yours. Certainly (better) than still having both hands and feet and be thrown into the fire which never dies down.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore if you should say that it is the sin of your hand or the sin of your foot that you committed sin, then cut it off. Throw it far away. It is better that you are without a hand or without a foot when you enter where you will live with God than that you should have both your hands or both your feet and thus you go to where there is the fire forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 18:8-9

These two verses are similar to 5.29-30; therefore, only a few additional comments need be made: (1) The body parts differ. In 5.29-30 the arrangement is “right eye … right hand”; here it is your hand or your foot … eye. (2) The place of final punishment is described in slightly different terms. In 5.29-30 it is “hell” as opposed to eternal fire … hell of fire of the present passage. (3) The expression enter life, absent from the earlier passage, is used twice here.

The expression enter life is difficult, because for many readers it will mean simply “enter into this life,” that is, “be born.” The reference is to eternal life, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “to live with God” (verse 8) and “to live eternally” (verse 9). INCL translates both times as “to live with God.” “To receive real life” or “to have the life that doesn’t end” are also good. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible provides a footnote, indicating that the meaning is eternal life, and at the same time noting that the word “life” is used in the same sense as in 7.14; 19.16, 29; 25.46.

The majority of translators and commentators understand both eternal fire and hell of fire as references to the place of final destruction. Phillips, however, wrongly distinguishes between the two: “the everlasting fire … the fire of the rubbish-heap.” One way to avoid a false distinction is to render eternal fire by “hell, where the fire doesn’t go out (or, burns forever)” and hell of fire as “the fire of hell” or “hell, where the fire is.” For more comments on the terms hell and “Gehenna,” see also 5.22, 29.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 18:8



Paragraph 18:8–9

It is good to start a new paragraph at 18:8. Jesus was still talking here about things that cause people to sin. However, the focus shifts to the importance of avoiding sin in a person’s own life.

These verses are similar to what Jesus said in 5:29–30. You should compare the way you translated the verses there to the way you translate the verses here.

18:8a–b

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away: Jesus used these words to continue to show that things that cause sin are serious. These words are intended to shock the listener with extreme language.

When Jesus said that you should cut off your hand of your foot, he meant that you should do everything possible to keep yourself from sinning. This might even require extreme self-sacrifice.

If people in your area will think that this verse only refers to literally cutting off your hand or foot, you may want to:

• Indicate that this is figurative language. For example:

If ⌊for a figurative example⌋ your hand or your foot causes you to sin
-or-
If ⌊as a parable⌋ your hand or your foot causes you to sin

• Include a footnote to explain. Here is a sample footnote:

The “hand” and “foot” of this verse are figurative examples of causes of sin. Jesus was not saying that people should actually cut off parts of their bodies. Instead, he wanted them to understand how serious sin is. The real causes of sin (wrong attitudes, thoughts and beliefs) are to be removed as if it were removing a hand or foot in this parable.

18:8a

your: The pronouns “your” and “you” in 18:8–9 are singular.

hand: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hand refers to the part of the body that is at the end of the arm. It is the part to which the fingers are attached.

In some languages, there is a word that refers to both the arm and the hand. It is everything from the shoulder down. For Jesus’ illustration, it does not matter which meaning comes through in your translation.

foot: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foot refers to the part of the body that is at the end of the leg.

In some languages, there is a word that refers to both the leg and the foot. It is everything that is below the hip. For Jesus’ illustration, it does not matter which meaning comes through in your translation.

causes you to sin: The verb causes…to sin is the same verb used in 18:6a. But here the phrase refers to something that causes the person himself to sin.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

makes you sin

18:8b

cut it off: Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

chop it off
-or-
sever it

and throw it away: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as throw it away is more literally “throw it from you” (as in the New American Standard Bible). The whole clause means to get rid of the thing that causes you to sin.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

and get rid of it

18:8c–d

It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire: This is a comparison. Some ways that languages may show this comparison are:

• One situation is better than the other (as in the Berean Standard Bible).

• One situation is worse than the other. For example:

Being thrown into eternal fire with two hands or two feet is worse than entering eternal life crippled or lame.

• One situation is good. The other situation is bad. For example:

If you enter into heaven, even if you have only one hand or one foot, that is good. But if you keep two hands or two feet and go to hell, that is bad.

Some languages do not use comparison words. One possible way to translate this verse without using such words is:

It is very bad if your hand or foot leads you into sinful ways. Those sinful ways will cause you later to be thrown into the eternal fire as punishment. Rather than let that happen, cut off your hand or foot before it causes you to sin, and throw it away. That way your body will be crippled, but you will still be able to enter into eternal life.

18:8c

to enter life: In this context, the word life refers to eternal life.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

to enter eternal life (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to enter ⌊the place of eternal⌋ life
-or-
to enter heaven (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
to go live ⌊forever with God⌋

crippled: This word refers to a person who has an arm or leg that is deformed or missing. Because this word is parallel to “hand” in 18:8a, Jesus was probably referring to a missing hand.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

maimed (New International Version)
-or-
without a hand (Good News Translation)
-or-
with only one hand (New Living Translation (2004))

lame: This word refers to a person who has a difficult time walking because one or both legs are deformed or missing. Because this word is parallel to “foot” in 18:8a, Jesus was probably referring to a missing foot.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

without…a foot (Good News Translation)
-or-
with one foot

18:8d

than: This word connects two things that are being compared. The situation in 18:8c (entering eternal life crippled but alive) is compared to the situation in 18:8d (whole but punished in the fire). The first situation is preferable. If you are not able to make a comparison like this in your language, see 18:8c–d above for other possible ways to translate this verse.

to have two hands and two feet: This phrase refers to what would happen if you did not do what Jesus said. When your hand or foot caused you to sin, you did not cut it off. Then at the final judgment, you would have both hands and both feet. But you would be thrown into the fire of punishment because of that sin.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

with two hands or two feet (English Standard Version)
-or-
to keep both hands and both feet (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it will be more natural to put this phrase at the end of 18:8d. For example:

than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet (New Living Translation (2004))

and be thrown: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be thrown is passive. This part of the verse refers to the final judgment, so God is the person who will throw people into eternal fire.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

be cast (King James Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

God will throw you

into the eternal fire: This phrase refers to the fire that is the final punishment for sin. It is the same as “fire of hell” in 5:22c.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

into the fire that never goes out (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊into the place⌋ where fire burns forever

-or-

into hell where fire always burns

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