Mark 9:47

Mar 9:47. Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, 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].

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 47. See Clarke on Mr 9:43.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Salt is good,.... To make meat savoury, and keep flesh from corrupting; and so is the grace of God, to season men's hearts, make their discourse savoury, and preserve them from the corruption of sin: and so men made partakers of the grace of God; they are good and useful to others, both by their words and actions, and especially ministers of the Gospel, who are "the salt of the earth"; see Gill on Mat 5:13; and here Christ may chiefly intend his apostles:

but if the salt hath lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? there is no recovering it, it becomes good for nothing; See Gill on Mat 5:13;

have salt in yourselves; the doctrine of grace, and word of Christ, prudence in talk and conversation, and holiness of heart and life, so as to behave wisely towards them that are without;

and have peace one with another; which the God of peace calls unto, the Gospel of peace requires, and the grace of God teaches. Salt is an emblem of firm union, concord, and agreement: hence the covenant of peace is called a covenant of salt, Num 18:19, compared with Num 25:12. This exhortation, very appropriately follows upon the making mention of salt in different senses; especially, this exhortation was the more necessary to the disciples at this time, since they had been very lately warmly disputing the point among themselves, who should be greatest in the kingdom of the Messiah; and which had occasioned this discourse of Christ's.

Next: Mark Chapter 10

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

hell

"gehenna." (See Scofield "Mat 5:22")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out

Here the word "eye" is a metonym for either 1) desiring to sin by looking at something. AT: "If you want to do something sinful by looking at something, tear your eye out" or 2) Desiring to sin because of what you have looked at. AT: "If you want to do something sinful because of what you look at, tear your eye out" (See: Metonymy)

to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes

This refers to the state of a person's physical body when he dies. A person does not take his physical body with him into eternity. AT: "to enter into the kingdom of God after having lived on earth with only one eye than to have lived on earth with two eyes" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

to be thrown into hell

This can be stated in the active form. AT: "for God to throw you into hell" (See: Active or Passive)

where their worm does not die

The meaning of this statement can be made explicit. AT: "where worms that eat people there do not die" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

stumble

kingdom of God

hell

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

47. [2069][2070][2071][2072][2073][2074] omit τοῦ πυρός.

[2069] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[2070] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[2071] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[2072] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[2073] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[2074] Codex Athous Laurae. 8th cent. Like N and Σ, it is written in silver letters on purple vellum. Contains Mar 9:5 to Mar 16:20, and, as in L, the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9. As in Δ, the text of Mark is specially good.

47. μονόφθαλμον. Hdt. Mar 3:16, Mar 4:29. In Attic Greek, ἐτερόφθαλμος was preferred to denote one who had lost an eye, μονόφθαλμος being reserved for the Cyclops who never had more than one. Popular language de minimis non curat and is not troubled about fine distinctions. An “alternative” is a possibility of one out of two things; but “three alternatives” is too convenient an expression to be driven out of use.

τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. The same as τὴν ζωήν in Mar 9:43; Mar 9:45.

βληθῆναι. [2100] and Syr-Sin. have ἀπελθεῖν.

[2100] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

47. καλόν σέ ἐστιν μονόφθαλμον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἠ δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν γέενναν, ὅπου, etc.—It is well for you to enter one-eyed into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into Gehenna, where, etc.

σέ ἐστιν, instead of σοι ἐστί, Tisch. Treg. WH. (RV.) א B; ἐστίν σε of L Δ. Omit τοῦ πυρός, of fire, after γέενναν (Gehenna of fire, not hell fire), Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BDL Δ 1, 28, 118, 209, mss. Lat. Vet. Memph.

Kingdom of God is substituted in this case for life. The contrast with γέενναν shows that it is the future, rather than the present form of the kingdom, that is strictly meant. But in the mouth of Jesus, such a term as kingdom of God has a permanent meaning, which is never lost among the minor changes. To him it meant simply the realm in which the will of God is done. It is well,1 he says, to enter that realm at any cost.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With one eye [μονοφθαλμον] . Lit., one - eyed. One of Mark's words which is branded as slang. Wyc. oddly renders goggle - eyed.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.