G4625 σκάνδαλον (skándalon)

Offense (4625) (skandalon from a root meaning jump up, snap shut) was originally the piece of wood that kept open a trap for animals. Outside the Bible it is not used metaphorically, though its derivative skandalethron (e.g. a trap set through questions) is so used. The English word scandal is derived from the noun via the Lat. scandalum. Thus skandalon was literally, that movable part of a trap on which the bait was laid, and when touched caused the trap to close on its prey. Skandalon thus came to mean any entanglement of the foot. Figuratively, as used most often in Scripture, skandalon refers to any person or thing by which one is drawn into error or sin. (but see more detailed notes below) Skandalon is used 15 times: KJV (15) - occasion of stumbling, 1; occasion to fall, 1; offence, 9; stumbling block, 3; thing that offends, 1; NAS (15) - cause for stumbling, 1; hindrances, 1; offense, 2; stumbling block, 7; stumbling blocks, 4 Mt 13:41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, Mt 16:23 - But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's ." Mt 18:7 - "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! Lk 17:1 - He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! William Barclay comments on skandalon in this verse writing... Skandalon has two meanings. (a) It originally meant the bait-stick in a trap. (b) It then came to mean any stumbling-block placed in a man’s way to trip him up. Jesus said that it was impossible to construct a world with no temptations; but woe to that man who taught another to sin or who took away another’s innocence. Every one must be given his first invitation to sin, his first push along the wrong way. Kennedy Williamson tells of an old man who was dying. Something was obviously worrying him. He told them at last what it was. “When I was a lad,” he said, “I often played on a wide common. Near its centre two roads met and crossed, and, standing at the cross-roads, was an old rickety sign-post. I remember one day twisting it round in its socket, thus altering the arms and making them point in the wrong direction; and I’ve been wondering ever since how many travelers I sent on the wrong road.” (The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press) Romans 9:33 (note) - just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED ." Romans 11:9 (note) - And David says, "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. Romans 14:13 (note) - Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this --not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. Romans 16:17 (note) - Now urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 1Corinthians 1:23 - but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, Galatians 5:11 - But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 1 Peter 2:8 (note) - - and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE "; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed 1John 2:10 - The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. Revelation 2:14 (note) - 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality Skandalon - 11x in the Septuagint (LXX) - Lev 19:14; Josh 23:13 (translates Heb = moqesh = bait or lure placed in a hunter's trap); Jdg 2:3; 1Sa 18:21; 25:31; Ps 49:13; 50:20; 69:22; 106:36; 119:165; 140:5; 141:9; Hos 4:17 As noted above, in the NT skandalon is always used metaphorically, and ordinarily of anything that arouses prejudice, or becomes a hindrance to others, or causes them to fall by the way. Sometimes the hindrance is in itself good, and those stumbled by it are the wicked. Paul clearly uses skandalon in the good sense here in Romans 9:33. He also records that rejection of the Messiah was especially true with respect to His Crosst... "we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block (skandalon), and to Gentiles foolishness (1Co 1:23) (see also Galatians 5:11 above) Skandalon can describe that which causes someone to sin or that which produces certain behavior which can lead to ruin. Skandalon thus denotes an enticement to conduct which could ruin the person in question. For example, Balaam’s device was a trap for Israel, John recording Jesus' words... 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. (Rev 2:14) Skandalon can refer to a hindrance which stresses that which cause harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress. For example, Paul writes... Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances (skandalon) contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. (Ro 16:17) William Barclay has a lengthy note on skandalon writing... The interest of this word lies in the fact that it has, not one, but two pictures behind it, and to differentiate between the two will often give us a much more vivid picture. The word skandalon is not a classical Greek word at all. It is late Greek and is, in fact, much commoner in the Septuagint (LXX) and in the NT than anywhere else. The classical equivalent is skandalethron, which means `the bait-stick in a trap'. The skandalethron was the arm or stick on which the bait was fixed. The animal for which the trap was set was lured by the bait to touch or step on the stick; the stick touched off a spring; and so the animal was enticed to its capture or destruction. In classical Greek the word is used by Aristophanes for `verbal traps' set to lure a person in an argument into defeat. It is therefore clear that the original flavour of the word was not so much 'a stumbling-block' to trip someone up as an 'enticement' to lure someone to destruction. When we turn to the Septuagint (LXX) we find that this distinction is still quite clear. The Greek word skandalon is used to translate two Hebrew words. (a) It is used to translate the word michsol, which quite definitely does mean a 'stumbling-block'. It is so in Lev. 19.14, 'Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind.' It is so used in Ps. 119.165, 'Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them.' That is to say, 'Nothing shall trip them up.' (b) It is used to translate the word mokesh, which definitely means 'a trap' or 'a snare'. So in Josh. 23.13 alliances with foreign nations are said to be 'snares' and 'traps'. In Ps. 140.5 the Psalmist says that the proud have hid a 'snare' for him, and cords; they have spread a 'net' by the wayside; they have set 'gins' for him. In Ps. 141.9 the Psalmist prays : 'Keep me, from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.' In Ps. 69.22 the Psalmist says : 'Let their table become a snare before them; and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.' The idea is that success and prosperity can become a snare instead of a blessing. In the Septuagint, then, the word skandalon has two ideas behind it. It means either a 'stumbling-block', something set in a man's path to trip him up, or 'a snare', 'a bait', 'a lure' to entice him astray and so to ruin him. When we turn to the NT we find that the translators of the AV always took skandalon in the sense of 'stumbling-block', but when we go to the NT passages with the idea of the double meaning of skandalon in our minds, we find that in certain passages the other meaning gives a more vivid picture. (i) There are some passages where either meaning is perfectly suitable. In Matt. 13.41 it is said that the Son of Man will remove all skandala from his Kingdom. When the Kingdom comes all the things which are calculated to make a man sin, all the things which could trip him up, all the things which would entice him and seduce him into the wrong way will be taken away. The Kingdom will be a state of things in which temptation will lose its power. (ii) There are some passages where the meaning of `stumbling-block' is more fitting, or where it is even essential. In Rom. 14.13 we are forbidden to put a `stumbling-block' or 'occasion to fall' in our brother's way. The word that is used for 'occasion to fall' is proskomma, which means 'a barrier', 'a hindrance', 'a road-block'. It is the word that would be used for a tree that has been felled and laid across a road to block it. We must never do or allow anything which would be a road-block on the way to goodness. In Matt. 13.21 the shallow hearer of the word is said to be 'offended' (skandalizein) by persecution. Persecution is a stumbling-block that stops him on the Christian way. The Pharisees are 'offended' by Jesus and his words (Matt. 15.12). Jesus forecasts that all his disciples will be 'offended' because of him (Matt. 26.31). The false teachers put a 'stumbling-block' in the way of others (Rev. 2.14). The Jews find the cross of Christ 'a stumbling-block' and 'an offence' (I Cor. 1.23; Gal. 5.11). In all these cases, the words mean something which stops a man's progress, something which trips him up, something which bars the way to him. That something may come from the malicious action of others, or it may come from the prejudice and the pride of a man's own heart. (iii) But there are certain cases where it gives a far better picture to take skandalon and skandalizein in the sense of a 'trap', a 'snare', a 'bait', an 'allurement', an 'enticement to sin'. Rom. 16.17 warns against those who cause divisions and 'offences' contrary to the doctrine which Christ's people have received. That is a warning against those who would 'lure' us from the way of true belief. 1 John 2.10 says : 'He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no skandalon in him.' That is to say, 'He would never entice and seduce anyone into sin.' Matt. 18.6 talks about the sin of 'offending' one of these little ones, and the next verse talks about the terribleness of 'offences'. It gives a much better picture to take skandalon and skandalizein there in the sense of luring and enticing the younger and the more impressionable people to sin. Matt. 5.29, 30 speak of the necessity of cutting off and plucking out the hand and the eye which 'offend' us. Clearly it is better there to take skandalon in the sense of 'that which lays a trap or snare to entice us into the ruin of sin'. If the desires of the hand and the eye are a bait to sin they must be eradicated. When Burns went to learn flax-dressing in Irvine he met an older man who led him far astray. He said of him afterwards : 'His friendship did me a mischief.' That is precisely the meaning of skandalon. A skandalon is that which trips us up or that which lures us into sin. From our own lives such things must be rooted out; and God will not hold us guiltless if we bring such things into the lives of others. (William Barclay. New Testament Words) Regarding skandalon, Vine writes that it was originally the name of the part of a trap to which the bait is attached, hence, the trap or snare itself, as in [Romans 11:9-note], ‘stumbling block,’ quoted from [Ps 69:22 - see Spurgeon's note], and in [Revelation 2:14-note], for Balaam’s device which proved to be a trap for Israel rather than a stumbling block to them...In NT skandalon is always used metaphorically, and ordinarily of anything that arouses prejudice, or becomes a hindrance to others or causes them to fall by the way. Sometimes the hindrance is in itself good, and those stumbled by it are the wicked. Thus it is used (a) of Christ in [Romans 9:33-note] “(a rock) of offense” [cf 1Cor 1:23'; see 1 Peter 2:8-note] and of His cross [Gal 5:11] of the “table” provided by God for Israel [Romans 11:9-note] (b) of that which is evil, eg, [Mt 13:41] lit., “all stumblingblocks”; [Mt 18:7] “occasions of stumbling” and “occasion”; [see Romans 14:13-note] “an occasion of falling” of such use of Christian liberty that proves a hindrance to another; [see Romans 16:17-note] “occasions of stumbling,” of the teaching of things contrary to sound doctrine. (Vine, W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. 1996. Nelson) Paul is saying in these verses that the Messiah is either a stumbling stone (to perdition) or a stepping stone (to salvation). That "stone" which caused Israel to stumble, the "rock" which offended their self-righteousness, was none other than their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel's rejection of their Messiah resulted in God setting Israel aside and turning to the Gentiles. Godet says “In their foolish course Israel thought that they were advancing on a clear path, and lo! all at once there was found in this way an obstacle upon which they were broken; and this obstacle was the very Messiah whom they had so long invoked in all their prayers.” AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED (put to shame): kai o pisteuon (PAPMSN) ep auto ou kataiscunthesetai (3SFPI): (Ro 5:5; 10:11; Ps 25:2,3,20; Isa 45:17; 54:4; Joel 2:26,27; Php 1:20; 2Ti 1:12; 1Jn 2:28) (1Pe 2:6) He who believes in Him - In Christ. The one who places his faith in Christ. 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