Matthew 5:29If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
The setting
Galilee, Israel, ~28 AD. Jesus continues shocking his audience with radical metaphors. Ancient listeners understood hyperbole, but the urgency was real...
The emotion here: urgent love willing to shock people into salvation
The original word
skandalizō (σκανδαλίζει) — to set a trap, cause to stumble into sin
Why it matters
Self-mutilation was practiced in pagan religions; Jesus uses familiar imagery for unfamiliar purpose
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 5:29
Jesus says 'IF' your eye causes sin — the eye itself isn't evil, it's what you do with it
Common misconceptionPeople either take this literally and harm themselves, or dismiss it entirely. Jesus is teaching that avoiding hell is worth any earthly sacrifice — but he's using hyperbole, not commanding self-harm.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 5:29
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 5:29 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 5:29 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 15% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the letter genre of biblical literature. Key themes include sacrifice, drastic action. Notable phrases: pluck it out; cast into Gehenna. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Matthew 5:29 mean to you, today?
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