Millstone

How Nave’s arranged it

• Not to be taken as a pledgeDeuteronomy 24:6
• Probably used in executions by drowningMatthew 18:6Mark 9:42Luke 17:2
• Abimelech killed by one being of hurled upon himJudges 9:53
• Figurative of a hard heartJob 41:24

The passages, in Bible order (6)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 6 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Deuteronomy 24:6

   Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 24:62 voices

   “No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge,....

   “To take (accipere) means "to take away." Thus those birds that are eager to seize other birds are called hawks (accipiter). Paul says, "For you bear it, if anyone consumes you, if anyone takes you." The same would be true if he said, if anyone …

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 24:6→

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2. Judges 9:53

   But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.

   ›Commentary on Judges 9:532 voices

   “And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone,....

   “The homicide Abimelech, bastard son of Gideon, killed the seventy legitimate sons, and, thinking he had hit upon a ruse for securing his grasp on the royal power, he destroyed his accomplices in the crime. He, however, was in turn destroyed by them and in the end was slain with a stone cast by a woman's hand.… In short, countless examples teach us that the profit of human wisdom is illusory, for it is a meager and lowly thing and not a great and preeminent good.

   Everything gathered on Judges 9:53→

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3. Job 41:24

   His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!

   ›Commentary on Job 41:242 voices

   “His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. Which must be understood not of the substance but of the qualities of it, being bold, courageous, undaunted, and unmerciful; which is true both of the whale and crocodile, and particularly of the crocodile: Aelianus (z) relates of one sort of them that they are unmerciful, though elsewhere (a), he represents them as fearful. (z) De Animal. l. 12. c. 41. (a) Ibid. l. 10. c. 24.

   “His heart shall be hardened as a stone, and he will be bound as the anvil of the hammerer. 11. For the heart of the ancient enemy will be hardened as a stone, because it will never be softened by any penitence of conversion. And because he will be fitted only for the blows of eternal punishment, it is rightly immediately added; And he will be bound as the anvil of the hammerer. For the hammerer puts up an anvil fitted to receive blows only. For an anvil is erected for the very purpose of being struck with frequent blows.

   Everything gathered on Job 41:24→

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4. Matthew 18:6

   But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 18:62 voices

   “(Verse 6.) But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Note that whoever is scandalized is little: for the greater ones do not receive scandals. Let him be hanged with a millstone around his neck, and let him be thrown into the depths of the sea.

   “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones,....

   Everything gathered on Matthew 18:6→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Mark 9:42

   But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

   ›Commentary on Mark 9:421 voice

   “(in Ezech. 1. Hom. 7) We must observe, however, that in our good works we must sometimes avoid the offence of our neighbour, sometimes look down upon it as of no moment. For in as far as we can do it without sin, we ought to avoid the offence of our neighbour; but if a stumblingblock is laid before men in what concerns the truth, it is better to allow the offence to arise, than that the truth should be abandoned. (de cura past. p. i. c.

   Everything gathered on Mark 9:42→

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6. Luke 17:2

   It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

   ›Commentary on Luke 17:22 voices

   “Third, as regards the horribleness of the punishment, he adds: It is more profitable for him if a millstone were placed around his neck and he were cast into the sea. Bede: "He speaks according to the custom of the province, where this was the …

   "It is impossible," he says, "that scandals should not come." I suppose that a scandal is a sin because sin comes through scandal. "In many things we all offend." Granted that I have not come to ruin, but I have certainly offended not only in one thing but also in many things.

   Everything gathered on Luke 17:2→

   Verse page →Original language →