Mark 9:50

Mark 9:50 . Καλὸν … ἀρτύσετε ] a maxim of experience drawn from common life, in which τὸ ἅλας is to be taken literally . Then follows with ἔχετε κ . τ . λ . the application , in which the spiritual meaning of the salt ( wisdom , see on Mark 9:49 , and Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. p. 1208) emerges. The connection with what precedes is : In order to experience in yourselves on the establishment of the kingdom the truth: πᾶσα θυσία ἁλὶ ἁλισθήσεται , ye must—seeing that salt, which in itself is so excellent a thing, when it has become insipid, can in no wise be restored— preserve in your hearts the salt of true wisdom[131] and withal be peaceful one with another. Against both the disciples had sinned by their dispute about precedence ( Mark 9:34 ), from which the entire discourse of Jesus, Mark 9:35 ff., had started, and to which He now again at the close points back. This contest about precedence had been foolish (opposed to the ἅλας ) and unpeaceful . ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας ἄναλον κ . τ . λ .] Comp. on Matthew 5:13 . ΑὐΤῸ ἈΡΤΎΣΕΤΕ ] wherewith shall ye restore it? so that it shall again be provided with saline efficacy (comp. on Colossians 4:6 ). ἔχετε ] emphatically placed first: keep, preserve , which is not done, if the analogue of the ἄναλον γίνεσθαι sets in with you. ἘΝ ἙΑΥΤΟῖς ] in yourselves , correlative to the subsequent ἐν ἀλλήλοις (reciprocally). Comp. Bengel: “prius officium respectu nostri, alterum erga alios.” ἍΛΑ (see the critical remarks) from Ὁ ἍΛς .

See Lobeck, Paralip. p. 93. καὶ εἰρην . ἐν ἀλλ .] The annexing of this exhortation was also suggested by the conception of the salt, since the salt was symbol of a covenant . Hence the course of thought: And —whereof ye are likewise reminded by the symbolic significance of salt— live in peace one with another . [131] Comp. Ignat. ad Magnes. 10 : ἁλίσθητε ἐν αὐτῳ ( Χριστῷ ), ἵνα μὴ διαφθαρῇ τις ἐν ὑμῖν .

(50) Salt is good. —See Note on Matthew 5:13 . There, however, the primary reference of the words is to the visible community of believers, the Church of Christ, as preserving the world from corruption. Here the words speak primarily of the inward grace, of which the salt is the symbol, and which alone makes the Church what it ought to be, as “the salt of the earth.” Have salt in yourselves.—The words that follow, “have peace in yourselves,” seem to refer to the contention in Mark 9:33, with which this portion of our Lord’s teaching had begun. The purity from selfish aims, which was symbolised by the “salt,” was the chief or only preservative of peace.

Mark 9:50 . Καλὸν , good ) Salt. For all other foods are seasoned by it.— ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας , but if the salt ) In this passage the disciples themselves are called “the salt,” inasmuch as being imbued [endued] with the salt themselves, and salting the world.— ἄναλον , saltless [insipid]) so as to have no pungency. Pride [referring to Mark 9:33-34 , the dispute about who should be greatest] most especially makes men saltless [savourless].— αὐτὸ , itself [the very salt]) having lost its primary quality.— ἔχετε , have ye ) To have ‘fire,’ is not within human ability: therefore it is not said, have fire . But he who is imbued with the fire is desired to have salt.— ἐν ἑαυτοῖς , in yourselves ) In antithesis to, among one another , ἐν ἀλλήλοις . The former duty is in regard to ourselves; the second, towards others.— ἅλας ) The singular, or else the plural from ἅλς . The salt is that of self-mortification, whereby pride is destroyed.— καὶ εἰρηνευετε , and have peace ) or else, ye shall have: comp. Mark 9:34 : viz. by removing a puffed up spirit, which is the source of quarrels [ Mark 9:33-34 ].

Mark 9:50 sets forth the other great truth: salting in the form of self-discipline indispensable .— καλὸν τὸ ἅλας , an excellent thing is salt; a most seasonable truth just then. What follows seems less so, as it stands in Mk.’s text. As spoken by Jesus, if we may assume that it was spoken on this occasion, it might come in quite naturally. The three thoughts in this verse: salt good, care must be taken that it lose not its virtue, have salt in yourselves, may be merely themes packed together in a single sentence, on which Jesus discoursed at length.— ἄναλον , ἄπ . λεγ . in N. T., used in later Greek; μωρανθῇ in Mt. and Lk.— ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἅλα , have salt in yourselves. In the two former clauses disciples are thought of, as in Matthew 5:13 , as themselves salt for the world. Here they are viewed as the subject of the salting process. They must be salted in order to be salt to the world, their ulterior vocation. Meantime a more immediate effect of their being salted is pointed out in the closing words.— εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἀλλήλοις : be at peace with one another; which they were not. The cause of dispeace was ambition. The salting would consist in getting rid of that evil spirit at whatever cost.— εἰρηνεύετε : a Pauline word, remarks Holtz. (H. C.). True, but why not also a word of Jesus? certainly very apposite to the occasion. Note .—Salting of disciples imports suffering pain, but is not to be confounded with the cross-bearing of faithful disciples ( Mark 8:34 ).

The former is the discipline of self-denial necessary to make a man a follower of Christ worthy of the name. The latter is the tribulation that comes on all who follow closely in the footsteps of Christ. The one is needful to make us holy, the other overtakes us when and because we are holy.

50 . Salt is good ] in its kind and its effect, as preserving from corruption. have lost ] “It was the belief of the Jews that salt would by exposure to the air lose its virtue ( Matthew 5:13 ) and become saltless. The same fact is implied in the expressions of Pliny sal iners, sal tabescere , and Maundrell asserts that he found the surface of a salt rock in this condition.” his saltness ] Observe his here, where we should now use its . This is frequently the case in the Bible, and indeed the word its does not occur at all in the English Version of 1611. Have salt in yourselves ] In the common life of Orientals, salt was a sign of sacred covenant engagements and obligations ( Leviticus 2:13 ; 2 Chronicles 13:5 ). To eat salt together, meant to make peace, and enter into covenant with each other. Hence the connection here between the disciples having salt in themselves and being at peace one with another, which our Lord further enforced during this “brief period of tranquillity and seclusion” by speaking of the duty not only of avoiding all grounds of offence, but also of cultivating a spirit of gentleness and forgiveness ( Matthew 18:15-20 ), which He illustrated by the Parable of the Lost Sheep ( Matthew 18:12-14 ), and the Debtor who owed Ten Thousand Talents ( Matthew 18:21-35 ).

Verse 50. - Salt is good ; that is, it is useful and beneficial. This is true of the literal salt. Its wholesome antiseptic properties are universally recognized. But our Lord has before his mind in this whole passage the spiritual meaning. He is thinking of the salt of Divine grace, of the salt of a spirit informed and influenced by the Holy Spirit. He had already told his disciples that they were "the salt of the earth." Not, indeed, that they could deliver the earth from corruption - that was beyond their power. But when Christ had delivered it by his mighty sacrifice and the gift of his Spirit, it was their business, as it is the duty of all Christians, to keep it in a healthy state; so that by their wisdom and purity, their holy lives and holy teaching, they might season the whole world. But if the salt have lost its saltness ( ἐὰν τὸ ἅλας ἄναλον γένηται ), wherewith will ye season it?

This insipid, tasteless condition of salt is familiar to travelers in the East Examples are to be found of largo masses of salt which "has lost its savor." Our Lord here applies this in a spiritual sense to his disciples. "If ye, my disciples, who are the salt of the earth, - if ye lose the true properties of salt; if your Christianity loses its heart, its quickening, stimulating influence; so that on account of the love of the world, or the fear of man, or through lust or ambition, you fall away from the heavenly doctrine and life; - who shall restore you to your former spiritual health and vigor? With what can salt itself be seasoned when its own chemical energies are lost?" Our Lord plays upon this figure of salt, and cautions his disciples, lest by any means they should lose the qualities of this mystic salt. Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another . This sentence fitly winds up the whole. Have the salt of wisdom and purity, and of a Christian life, namely, humility, charity, contempt of the world, and especially peace. Do not be idly contending about place or position, as not long ago you were disputing (ver. 33). Our Lord foresaw that this kind of contention, these rivalries, and these ambitious aims, would prove a great scandal and a great hindranee to the progress of his Church in the future ages of the world.