Matius 15:2-3

15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their ¹  hands when they eat.” ²  15:3 He answered them, ³  “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

Matius 18:6-7

18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, ⁴  it would be better for him to have a huge millstone ⁵  hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. ⁶  18:7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It ⁷  is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.

[15:2]  ¹ tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 ˹ 579 700 892 1424 pc f g¹); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA²⁷ has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[15:2]  ² tn Grk “when they eat bread.”

[15:3]  ³ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”

[18:6]  ⁴ tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”

[18:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.

[18:6]  sn The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.

[18:6]  ⁶ tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”

[18:7]  ⁷ tn Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.