Matthew 5:29,30 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And if thy right eye offend thee, &c.— The word rendered offend thee, σκανδαλιζει, signifies to be a stumbling-block in a person's way, or the occasion of his fall; and so implies much more than merely to displease; a remark which deserves attending to, because the sense of many texts depends upon it. We may read, make thee offend, or insnare thee. We may just note, that the greatest part of Christ's auditors being people who lived by their daily labour, to these the loss of a right hand would be a much greater calamity than that of a right eye; so that there is a gradation and force in this passage, beyond what has been generally observed. Every one knows that the expressions in these verses are figurative,and not to be literally understood. The general meaning is, "Denythyself the use of thy senses, though ever so delightful, in all cases where the use of them ensnares thy soul. Turn away thine eye, and keep back thy hand from the alluring object." This, says Chrysostome, is a most mild and easy precept: it would have been much more hard, had he given commandment to converse with and look curiously on women, and then to abstain from farther commission of uncleanness with them. Figurative and proverbial speeches, which may have great beauty and force in one language, often lose their grace and energy when translated into another tongue, wherein the novelty and exotic air of the expression may greatly obscure the sense intended by it. All our translations of the Scripture must labour under this difficulty. A superficial reader will find his imagination shocked at the bare proposal of pulling out an eye, or cutting off an hand, being not aware, that by the eye is meant the intention, and by the hand the execution of it. In the very next chapter we have the eye again in this sense, namely, to denote the intention, view, or design: and to express performance by the hand, is so agreeable to the general tenor of Scripture-language, that it is needless to insist upon it. With this explanation, it appears not only that the precept is reasonable and expedient, but also that the terms by which our Lord chose to express it, are peculiarlyproper to the occasion. The occasion was the prohibition of impure desires, and the mental adultery; an odious subject, which requires great reserve, and a covering of darkness, even in reproving it. But it is known how those who are possessed with that criminal passion, are apt to be transported by it; and that the exaggerating metaphors in which they delight to express their infatuation, amply justify the sacred language of pulling out the right eye, and casting it away, to express the extremeviolencewhichtheyoughttodothemselves,whowould preserve their purity. See Heylin and Ostervald on uncleanness.