[B-Greek] Mark 9:49
Iver
iver_larsen at sil.org
Thu Sep 11 12:40:27 EDT 2003
> Mark 9:49 PAS GAR PURI ALISQHSETAI.
>
> Is it possible to translate this as:
> "For everyone will be salted FOR [the holy sacrifice] fire."
This is, of course, a very difficult verse with an unclear textual history,
so I won't be dogmatic. However, it seems to me that the suggested
translated is unlikely. PURI ought to be instrumental (some mss like C have
EN PURI).
>
> Compare for example:
> 2 Peter 3:7 OI DE NUN OURANOI KAI H GH TW AUTW LOGW TEQHSAURISMENOI
> EISIN PURI
Here I would say that PUR is used in a different sense. As far as I can
tell, PUR has two different, but related, metaphorical senses in the Bible.
One is a total destruction of evil in fire, and this is found in the context
of punishment, usually the final and complete punishment. The other is used
in the context of trials that result in purification. In this sense, it is
the evil part that is destroyed or removed, but the good part remains, and
the total result is purification.
The 2 Peter text talks about final annihilation of the godless ones, whereas
the Mark 9:49 text IMO talks about purification of the disciples who were
arguing about who were to be the greatest (9:33-34). Verses 43,45 and 45
also talk about purification in the sense of letting go of the evil part
that might cause someone to end up in the final fire, if not dealt with. The
salting is probably a different illustration with the same significance:
purification, since a sacrifice needed to be purified with salt before it
was brought as a sacrifice to God.
>
> The other (Byz, Western) phrase in Mk reads:
> KAI PASA QUSIA ALI ALISQHSETAI
> "and every sacrifice with salt will be salted."
Only D and a few others have this text alone, whereas the Byz texts have
both expressions after each other. Metzger's commentary suggests that a
scribe added the background explanation KAI PASA QUSIA etc in the margin,
and this was later either substituted for the presumed original text PAS GAR
PURI ALISQHSETAI or added to it.
The explanation "every sacrifice is to be salted with salt" points to the
purification by means of salt, and this may well be intended as a help to
understand the first expression "everyone is to be salted with fire". I take
it to mean that every disciple will go through fiery testing in order to be
purified just as a sacrifice is purified with salt before it is an
acceptable sacrifice to God. To be rubbed with salt or go through a fire do
not sound as pleasant experiences, but they may be needed for purification.
Iver Larsen
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