WG: Stumbling-Block / Scandal / Offence¶
Overview¶
The NT σκανδαλ- / προσκομμ- cluster denotes anything that trips up a person morally, spiritually, or in faith — whether an external bait, a fixed obstacle, or the act of causing the fall. KJV's choice of "offend" / "offence" / "stumblingblock" obscures the underlying imagery: a snare's trigger-stick (σκάνδαλον), a stub one's foot strikes (πρόσκομμα), and the verb of tripping (σκανδαλίζω / προσκόπτω). The concept spans three interlocking uses: (a) Christ as the stone over which unbelievers trip; (b) dominical warnings against causing "little ones" to fall; (c) Pauline ethics of liberty — the strong must not set a stumbling-block before the weak (Rom 14; 1 Cor 8).
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Verses | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4624 | σκανδαλίζω | skandalízō | verb | 28 | The action: to cause to stumble / to be tripped up | G4624 |
| G4625 | σκάνδαλον | skándalon | noun | 13 | The trap-stick: bait/snare that springs on one | G4625 |
| G4348 | πρόσκομμα | próskomma | noun | 6 | The obstacle: stub the foot strikes | G4348 |
| G4350 | προσκόπτω | proskóptō | verb | 8 | The collision: to dash foot against, stumble | TODO(need G4350 study) |
| G4349 | προσκοπή | proskopḗ | noun | 1 | The event: giving of offence (2 Cor 6:3) | TODO(need G4349 study) |
| G0677 | ἀπρόσκοπος | apróskopos | adj | 3 | The negative: without offence, not tripping up | TODO(need G0677 study) |
| G3900 | παράπτωμα | paráptōma | noun | 23 | The outcome: the lapse / fall itself | G3900 |
| G4417 | πταίω | ptaíō | verb | 5 | The self-trip: I stumble (intransitive) | TODO(need G4417 study) |
| H4170 | מוֹקֵשׁ | môqêsh | noun | 27 | OT source-word: fowler's snare → σκάνδαλον in LXX | TODO(need H4170 study) |
| H4383 | מִכְשׁוֹל | mikshôl | noun | 14 | OT source-word: stumbling-block → σκάνδαλον / πρόσκομμα | TODO(need H4383 study) |
| H6341 | פַּח | pach | noun | 25 | OT source-word: bird-snare → σκάνδαλον / παγίς | TODO(need H6341 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- σκανδαλ- stem: σκανδαλίζω (G4624) ← σκάνδαλον (G4625). These two are a tight verb-noun pair unique to biblical / Hellenistic Jewish Greek.
- προσκ- stem: πρόσκομμα (G4348), προσκοπή (G4349), προσκόπτω (G4350), ἀπρόσκοπος (G0677). All derive from πρός + κόπτω ("strike against").
- The two Greek stems are not etymologically related but are semantically merged in NT usage.
Co-occurrence (appear in same verse)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Vv | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| σκάνδαλον (G4625) | πρόσκομμα (G4348) | 3x | Rom 9:33; Rom 14:13; 1 Pet 2:8 — "stumbling-stone and rock of offence" / "stumblingblock or occasion to fall" |
| πρόσκομμα (G4348) | προσκόπτω (G4350) | 2x | Rom 9:32–33; 1 Pet 2:8 — verb + noun in same citation |
| σκανδαλίζω (G4624) | σκάνδαλον (G4625) | 0 (separate verses, but co-clustered in Matt 18:6–9 and parallels) | Jesus' millstone saying joins both — Matt 18:6 uses the verb, 18:7 the noun |
| σκάνδαλον (G4625) | ἀδελφός (G80) | 4x | Pauline ethical contexts — Rom 14:13; 14:21 parallels; 1 Cor 8 |
| πρόσκομμα (G4348) | λίθος (G3037) | 3x | Isa 8:14 citation — "stone of stumbling" |
| σκάνδαλον (G4625) | πέτρα (G4073) | 2x | Isa 8:14 "rock of offence" |
LXX Overlaps¶
| Hebrew | Typical LXX Greek | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| מוֹקֵשׁ (môqêsh) H4170 | σκάνδαλον (G4625), παγίς (G3803) | Primary source of σκάνδαλον imagery |
| מִכְשׁוֹל (mikshôl) H4383 | σκάνδαλον (G4625), πρόσκομμα (G4348) | Split-rendering: the LXX alternates between the two Greek nouns |
| אֶבֶן נֶגֶף (′eben negeph — Isa 8:14) | λίθος προσκόμματος | Source of the Rom 9:33 / 1 Pet 2:8 "stumblingstone" formula |
| צוּר מִכְשׁוֹל (tsûr mikshôl — Isa 8:14) | πέτρα σκανδάλου | Source of the "rock of offence" formula |
| פַּח (pach) H6341 | παγίς (G3803), σκάνδαλον (G4625) | Bird-snare imagery |
Roles in the Concept¶
- Agent of tripping (the trap / the stone): σκάνδαλον (G4625), πρόσκομμα (G4348). These name the thing that causes fall.
- Causative action: σκανδαλίζω (G4624). To place or be the trap — transitive / passive.
- Collision action: προσκόπτω (G4350). To strike against the obstacle — intransitive.
- Abstract occurrence: προσκοπή (G4349). The event/fact of offence being given.
- Negation: ἀπρόσκοπος (G0677). A life or conduct that sets no stumbling-block (Acts 24:16; 1 Cor 10:32; Phil 1:10).
- Resulting lapse: παράπτωμα (G3900). The fall itself, the transgression — the outcome when the stumbling is successful.
- Self-trip (no external agent): πταίω (G4417). To stumble of one's own failing.
Three Streams of NT Usage¶
A. Christological — Christ as Stumbling-Stone¶
A fixed formula built on Isa 8:14 + Isa 28:16, drawn into Rom 9:32–33; 1 Cor 1:23; Gal 5:11; 1 Pet 2:8. Christ himself (and the cross specifically) is the σκάνδαλον / πρόσκομμα over which unbelieving Israel trips. This is divine placement — God lays the stone.
B. Dominical — Warnings Against Causing Fall¶
Jesus' teaching contains the gravest warnings in the NT attached to this field: the millstone saying (Matt 18:6–7; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:1–2) and the self-amputation sayings (Matt 5:29–30; 18:8–9; Mark 9:43–47). Here the concern is for the "little ones" and for one's own integrity of faith.
C. Pauline Ethical — Liberty and the Weak Brother¶
Paul confines the field to a tight ethical argument: Rom 14:13, 20, 21 and 1 Cor 8:9, 13. The strong believer's liberty (eating meat, drinking wine) can become a σκάνδαλον / πρόσκομμα to the weaker conscience. Rom 14:13 stacks both nouns; Rom 14:21 stacks the verb σκανδαλίζω with προσκόπτω and ἀσθενέω ("stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak"). 1 Cor 8:9–13 repeats the logic. Paul's prescription: rather forgo the liberty than set the stumbling-block.
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Rom 9:32–33 — προσκόπτω + πρόσκομμα + σκάνδαλον + λίθος + πέτρα (the Isa 8:14 composite citation)
- Rom 14:13 — πρόσκομμα + σκάνδαλον ("put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall")
- Rom 14:20–21 — πρόσκομμα (v.20) + σκανδαλίζω + προσκόπτω + ἀσθενέω (v.21)
- 1 Cor 8:9, 13 — πρόσκομμα (v.9) + σκανδαλίζω (v.13) — the same Pauline ethic as Rom 14
- 1 Pet 2:7–8 — λίθος + προσκόπτω + πρόσκομμα + πέτρα + σκάνδαλον (full Isa 8:14 / Ps 118:22 composite)
Generated from: gather_word_data.py for G4624, G4625, G4348; KJV text; Louw-Nida DB; LXX PMI mapping Last updated: 2026-04-19