[B-Greek] The use of GAR in Mark 9:49

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu Sep 10 15:02:38 EDT 2009


On Sep 10, 2009, at 1:03 PM, Samuel Cripps wrote:

>
> B-Greekers,
>
> During a recent discussion between myself and a friend who is  
> trained in Biblical Greek, my friend claimed, "GAR is used to give  
> reason and attempts to explain that which precedes it.If there is an  
> idea after it that is connected to it, it must be understood as a  
> contrast."  Concerning the use of GAR in Mark 9:49, my friend wrote,  
> "Verse 49-50 through the use of gar shows a contrast in those  
> verses. Verse 50 speaks of the disciplined life while verse 49  
> reaches back in time namely verse 48 and actually back even further.  
> 'Every' must be understood as meaning 'all' but the real  
> understanding must be in the idea that we read the text as a  
> contrast that is to say that everyone is salted in one manner or  
> another.That contrast is clearly defined by the use of the  
> conjunction "gar".
>
> So if I were to translate this text this is what it would say in a  
> commentary form.
>
> Every man must go through one fire or another (salted with fire) for  
> one it is the fire of hell and for another it is the fire of self  
> discipline of faith."
>
> Is this correct?  Does GAR function in this manner?

It is useful to list-members to cite the text you're asking about:
Mark 9:49 	Πᾶς γὰρ πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται.
[PAS GAR PURI hALISQHSETAI.]

For my part, I can't imagine where the understanding of the function  
of GAR offered by your friend -- that some sort of contrast is implied  
by it -- comes from. I would suggest a careful reading of the lengthy  
entry on GAR in BDAG.
As for Mark 9:49, while one may well imagine that hALISQHNAI will mean  
different tests for different people, I don't really see that a  
distinct antithesis between two alternatives is suggested, certainly  
not by GAR. I would sooner understand the GAR in this verse as  
indicating a summary statement: "So, you see, everyone is going to  
undergo a fire-testing." I don't think it's appropriate to offer (in  
translation) some extrapolated notion of what forms the fire-testing  
may take.


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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