Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 9:47
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Verse 47. See Clarke on Mr 9:43.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
47. And if thine eye offend thee,pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of Godwith one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fireOnthe words “hell” and “hell-fire,” or “thehell of fire,” see on Mt 5:22.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out,…. Than which, nothing is dearer to man, it being very tender, and exceeding useful: this metaphor the Lord sometimes makes use of, to show how dear his people are unto him, and what a tender concern he has for them, De 32:10. And here it may design such, as are most beloved by men, and are their most intimate acquaintance, and bosom friends; and yet these are to be parted with, when they prove snares and stumbling blocks, or give offence, by endeavouring to draw into sin, and from Christ:
it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye; that kingdom, which God has prepared for his people, from the foundation of the world, and of his rich grace, gives unto them, and in which they will enjoy him to all eternity;
than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. In the two instances before it is added, “that never shall be quenched”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With one eye (). Literally one-eyed. See also Mt 18:9. Vernacular Koine and condemned by the Atticists. See Mt 18:8f. Mark has here “kingdom of God” where Mt 18:9 has “life.”
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
With one eye [] . Lit., one – eyed. One of Mark’s words which is branded as slang. Wyc. oddly renders goggle – eyed.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck a out: (kai ean ho ophthalmos sou skandalize se ekbale auton) ”And if your eye offends or personally scandalizes you, cast it out,” get rid of it, cut out beholding what would hurt your influence, hinder the work of the Lord, and cause a weaker brother to stumble.
2) ”It is better for thee to enter into,” (kalon se estin eiselthein eis) “It is ideal for you personally to enter into,” have an entrance, acceptance into. This cutting off, plucking out, may also refer to the church’s cutting off gravely offending immoral members, lest the church body’s influence be lost.
3) “The kingdom of God with one eye,” (monophthalmon ten basileian tou theou) ”One-eyed into the kingdom of God,” with effective labors, works or testimony, with some rewards,
4) ”Than having two eyes,” (e duo ophthalmous echonta) “Than having or holding on to two eyes,” looking at what you please, selfishly, covetously, without regards for others, Php_2:4.
5) “To be cast into hell fire: (blethenai eisten geenan) “To be cast into the Gehenna-hell,” the influence of your whole body of life’s service, before the weaker brother, lost or burned, not your soul, 1Co 3:13-15; 2Jn 1:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Mar 9:47. It is better, &c. From what has been said, Mar 9:42 our Saviour infers, that it is better to deny oneself the greatest earthly satisfactions, and to part with every thing most precious,represented by the figures of a hand, a foot, an eye, than by these things to cause the weakest of his friends to stumble, as some of the disciples had lately done. The amputation of our hands and feet, and the plucking out of our eyes, when they cause us to offend, import also that we should deny ourselves such use of our members and senses as may lead us into sin. Thus the hand and the eye are to be turned away from those alluring objects which raise in us lust and ambition; the foot must be restrained from carrying us into evil company, unlawful diversions, and forbidden pleasures; nor can we complain of these injunctions as severe, since by tempting others to sin, as well as sinning ourselves, we are exposed to the eternal punishments of hell. See on Mat 5:29. It is observable, that what is called the kingdom of God in this verse, is called life in those preceding; whence it appears, that this kingdom, and life, are the same.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Ver. 47. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out ] Out with it, away with that earthly idol, that image of jealousy, Eze 8:3 , though it be to thee as a hand for profit, or an eye for pleasure.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the kingdom of God. See App-114.
hell fire the Geenna of fire. See note on Mar 9:43.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mar 9:47. , the kingdom of God) Previously He had twice said instead, life: but the mention of the kingdom of God, and of life, is especially appropriate in connection with the eyes. Joh 3:3 [see the kingdom of God], Joh 3:36 [everlasting life-not see life]: comp. the parallel, Mat 18:9 [enter life with one eye].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
hell
“gehenna.” (See Scofield “Mat 5:22”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
thine: Gen 3:6, Job 31:1, Psa 119:37, Mat 5:28, Mat 5:29, Mat 10:37-39, Luk 14:26, Gal 4:15, Phi 3:7, Phi 3:8
offend thee: or, cause thee to offend, Mar 9:43, *marg.
Reciprocal: Pro 23:31 – General Mat 5:22 – hell Mat 7:21 – shall Act 14:22 – enter
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
This is the same lesson as in verses 43 and 45.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace one with another.
We all know that we are to be the salt of the earth and this reference just adds to that line of thought. We are to have salt in ourselves and peace with one another. This might be one of the clearest indications that Christians should get along that the Scripture relates to us.
Not that we closely associate with false doctrine, but we ought to get along with others that name the name of Christ.
Years ago I was told by a missionary to South America that he had set up a small church in his home. The charismatic missionary in the same town rented the building next door and set up loudspeakers to transmit his wild and noisy services to the neighborhood. It was completely disruptive of the services next door.
This sort of thing is obnoxious and totally uncalled for. I would be quick to submit that there are probably similar stories of the non-charismatics actions as well. We all need to understand what the Lord was trying to do in this passage – have peace with one another and all be salt to the society that we live in.One must remember the context of this passage. The disciples had been discussing who would be first, they then discussed one casting out demons in the Lord’s name, and we remember that the Lord introduced them to the child. In this context He calls us to have salt within and unity without. Sounds like a very tall order to me for the believer.
Being first is not relevant, being salt is. Being the true follower is not relevant but unity is. Indeed, who is the true follower? Yes, we fundamentalist/evangelical folks believe we are but then so do all the others that name the name of Christ. All of us being salt is the key. All of us living in unity is the other key.
Verse forty-nine introduces us to an interesting phrase. “For every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” Just what might the Lord have meant by this statement?
Fire often relates to judgment or trial but in the case of a believer, trial would be more fitting. Is there a possible answer in the fact that the salty believer will be tried by fire?
It can be observed in most of history those movements that were doing great things for the Lord have found persecution. Even today in the world motivated and committed Christians find trouble for their cause. In America we are even beginning to see this coming. Those children/teens in our public schools that would take a stand for their Lord often find themselves ridiculed if not discriminated against by zealous teachers/administrators that think the federal government has given them authority to indoctrinate in the cause of secularism.
On the other hand Barnes mentions that many take it to mean that the salt preserves those in hell so that they do not putrefy as meat would without salt.
He comes to another conclusion. “Probably the passage has no reference at all to future punishment; and the difficulty of interpreting it has arisen from supposing it to be connected with the 48th verse, or given as a “reason” for what is said in “that” verse, rather than considering it as designed to illustrate the “general design” of the passage. The main scope of the passage was not to discourse of future punishment; that is brought in incidentally. The chief object of the passage was –
“1. To teach the apostles that “other men,” not “with them,” might be true Christians Mar 9:38-39.
“2. That they ought to be disposed to look favorably upon the slightest evidence that they “might be true believers,” Mar 9:41.
“3. That they ought to avoid giving “offence” to such feeble and obscure Christians Mar 9:42.
“4. That “everything” calculated to give offence, or to dishonor religion, should be removed Mar 9:43.
And “5. That everything which would endanger their salvation should be sacrificed; that they should “deny” themselves in every way in order to obtain eternal life. In this way they would be “preserved” to eternal life.”
The context seems to be the apostles, their place in the kingdom and others doing work forChrist. Thus we should find some understanding within that context.
He mentions that this is a difficult passage and that there are many theories as to its meaning so we may not answer your questions here either.
Verse 49 seems to speak of the sacrifice that one might make for the Lord in His service and in humbling ourselves by controlling our members. That sacrifice will be salted or shown to be properly prepared for the Lord and your offering of it to Him. (Lev 2:13 seems to be the thinking behind what the Lord said relating to sacrifices and salt.)
Verse fifty seems to relate to the thought of unity which has been mentioned. That we that serve Him should be properly prepared and that we should have unity of mind with others that are doing His work.
And just a comment or two about the worm that we were introduced to. “Worm” means that crawly thing or a maggot. Ever hear the comment of “such a worm as I” in a hymn – this is probably the thinking of the writer.
In Isaiah’s closing words in 66.22ff we read “22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”
Two items should be noted here. First of all this is in the context of the new heavens and new earth yet the redeemed can look upon the lost in their torment. What an awesome line of thought this is. We will agree with God in His justice and His disposition of the lost and can agree with Him on their eternal condition.
But more to the point of our text it speaks of the same thing that Mark introduced us to – the worm that will not die.
The worm seems to relate to their life rather than their situation for the situation is described by the fire that will not be quenched.
Barnes takes a little different look at the passage and may be right when he suggests that the worm is like the worms that feed on dead bodies after a huge battle. The worms will continue on as long as there is flesh to feed upon. The failure of his illustrations seems to be in the eternal end of things and the fact that the worm seems to be a part of the person rather than something coming upon the dead person and beginning to feed.
Some mention that verse 44 and 46 are not in a lot of manuscripts and the Net Bible omits both verses, but verse 48 reiterates the thought so we miss nothing either way.The worm is described as “their worm” thus something possessed by the person or indeed some integrated part of the person’s being might be the thought in my mind. This thinking is not seen in the commentaries that I looked into. All speak of the symbolic worm and that it related to the flesh eating worms of death.
If this was the case I must wonder why the Holy Spirit through Mark included the pronoun indicating ownership or possession.
Psa 22:6 Pictures this closer relation to the worm and it does not seem to be something eating upon the body but rather symbolic of the being. “But I [am] a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”
Isa 14:11 seems to be more to the point of the commentaries. When speaking of Lucifer Isaiah mentions “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [and] the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”
Also of interest is the fact that Mark is alone in his descriptiveness and mention of the worm. One might think that his descriptiveness is to bore into his readers mind as a death worm one day will and convince them of their final and ultimate end if they reject this Jesus to which he is giving witness to.
The thought of giving a cup of water in the Lord’s name is of interest and should be noted. Serving Christ is not the dedication of going to deepest Africa as a missionary to reach the tribes of the jungle, but it is the giving of a cup of water. Not to detract from the thousands of committed missionaries that are doing a fine work, and are serving their Lord in far-off lands but all of us can serve Christ right where we are.
So often people get into the I’m going to be a missionary/pastor mode and they commit themselves to study to do so. Christ says giving a cup of water is important as well. While you are preparing for ministry be sure to prepare for eternity by giving water to those that you meet.
No, water is not the issue, it is the giving in Christ’s name. Be sure to serve in whatever small way you can no matter who you are or what you are doing.
One item that many Bible colleges have allowed to go by the wayside is “Christian Service.” When I was in college we were required to put in 15 hours or so of Christian Service. This included anything OUTSIDE of the school that we did for the Lord. If we would go door knocking for an hour that would count. We were held responsible for this service so that the school knew that we were doing it. Most of the Christian service projects had to be cleared by someone at the school.
The point was that even though we were in school preparing for the Lord’s work we were out in the world doing something for Him. It is sure that if we had not been required to do the service we would have found reasons not to in our busy lives of working for a living, raising families and of course church, school and everything else in life. No matter how busy we were we foundfifteen hours a week to serve Him that we serve.
Assure your reward by serving the one that will reward you – Christ.
I’ve related before in my notes that while working for J.C. Penney I went a year without absence. At the end of the year the manager took all of us that had good attendance out for a nice lunch. As we were leaving I thanked the manager and said, “This is neat, to get rewarded with a great lunch for doing what we are supposed to do.” He smiled recognizing my insight.
We are supposed to serve the Lord, but when we do we get rewarded for it – how great does it get?