A.T. Robertson Commentary Luke 17:1

"And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come!" — Luke 17:1 (ASV)

It is impossible (ανενδεκτον εστιν). See ουκ ενδεχετα in 13:33. Alpha privative (αν-) and ενδεκτος, verbal adjective, from ενδεχομα. The word occurs only in late Greek and only here in the N.T. The meaning is inadmissible, unallowable.

But that occasions of stumbling should come (του τα σκανδαλα μη ελθειν). This genitive articular infinitive is not easy to explain. In Ac 10:25 there is another example where the genitive articular infinitive seems to be used as a nominative (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1040). The loose Hebrew infinitive construction may have a bearing here, but one may recall that the original infinitives were either locatives (-εν) or datives (-α). Τα σκανδαλα is simply the accusative of general reference. Literally, the not coming as to occasions of stumbling. For σκανδαλον (a trap) see on Mt 5:29; 16:23. It is here only in Luke. The positive form of this saying appears in Mt 18:7, which see.