And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
And if your right hand is causing you to mess up and sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole self end up in hell.
Sometimes you have to cut off what's hurting you to save yourself, even when it's hard to let go.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context, Jesus delivered this teaching as part of the Sermon on the Mount, a major discourse to his followers and a crowd in first-century Judea, where he challenged conventional interpretations of the Law. He used exaggerated, hyperbolic language common in Jewish rabbinic teaching to stress the dire spiritual consequences of unrepentant sin, urging immediate and decisive action to avoid eternal judgment. This verse builds on his earlier warnings about lust and adultery, emphasizing that personal holiness must take precedence over any part of life that leads to wrongdoing.
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