/, the sea) sc. the deep ; see Gnomon on Acts xxvii. 5. — r^, of the sea) which was near at hand ; see ch. xvii. 27.
7. Tti x6ff>j,u, to the world) offences spread far and wide, — ruv ax.avdd7.uv, of THE offences) TO, ffKdvdaXa, THE offences. — TO axdv- da\ov, THE offence) The article is emphatic. — avdy/.^ yap Icnv sXdsn TO, tfxa^aXa, for it must needs be that offences come) espe cially in the age blessed by the presence of the Messiah ; just as insects abound in summer. The disciples were near offence : how much nearer must others have been! — T/.^V, but) used emphatically.9 Woe to the world which is injured by offences ; but woe indeed to the man who injures it by offence.
8. El &, x.r.x., but if, etc.) He who is not careful to avoid offence to himself, will cause offence to others, and vice versa. — ;/«/>, TOU?, hand — foot) In the impulse of sinning, acting ill, going where we ought not, the hands or other members are urged on by the animal spirits rushing together into them : and there is great propriety in the expressions employed by our Lord : for the imperative Ixxo^ey {cut off}, holds good with regard to the hand, in as far as it is thus affected, and so on with the rest. — ^w^v, life) opposed to eternal fire. — ;/w>.&v x.r.X., lame, etc.) The godly, forsooth, in this world are lame, deaf, dumb, etc., both to themselves and others ;3 see Ps. xxxviii. 14. This must be taken of the time of mortification, not that of glorification ; for those members which have been most mortified will shine the most in glory; see Gal. vi. 17. — a/wwov, eternal) The word, eternal, signifies sometimes in the Old Testament a finite eternity more clearly than it does in the New.
9. ' Op0aX/to£, eye) The eye offends by pride, as in this place ; by envy, as in Mark vii. 22 ; by wantonness [as in Matt. v. 28, 29.] There is a gradation here ; for the eye is dearer than the hand or foot. Frequently, when the offence of one member has been conquered, offence ensues from another. — /jt,ov6<p daXpov, with one eye) /AovopOaXpos has the same force in Matthew and Mark as srspopda'k/Aog has in Ammonius. — rqv r'tiwav, hell) eternal fire: see the preceding verses.
1 ' Avczyx.*, it is necessary) On account of the frequency of unbelief. — V. g.
2 ll'hvty being added to the previous enunciation, forms an ' Epitasis,' or emphatic addition. See Append. — ED.
3 Comp. Rev. iii. 17 ; 1 Cor. iv. 8-13. — ED.