Luke 2:34

2:34 Then 1  Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: 2  This child 3  is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising 4  of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. 5 

Luke 17:2

17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone 6  tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea 7  than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 8 

1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

2 tn Grk “behold.”

3 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (the child) is supplied in the translation for clarity.

4 sn The phrase the falling and rising of many emphasizes that Jesus will bring division in the nation, as some will be judged (falling) and others blessed (rising) because of how they respond to him. The language is like Isa 8:14-15 and conceptually like Isa 28:13-16. Here is the first hint that Jesus’ coming will be accompanied with some difficulties.

5 tn Grk “and for a sign of contradiction.”

6 tn This term refers to the heavy upper stone of a grinding mill (L&N 7.70; BDAG 660 s.v. μυλικός).

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.

7 tn Grk “if a millstone were tied…and he were thrown.” The conditional construction in Greek has been translated by English infinitives: “to have… and be thrown.”

8 tn Or “to stumble.” This verb, σκανδαλίσῃ (skandalish), has the same root as the noun σκάνδαλον (skandalon) in 17:1, translated “stumbling blocks”; this wordplay is difficult to reproduce in English. It is possible that the primary cause of offense here would be leading disciples (“little ones”) astray in a similar fashion.