MARK 9:49 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 9:42–50: Jesus gave various warnings

In this section, Jesus warned his disciples about several things. A believer should not cause another person to sin (9:42). A believer should not allow causes of sin to remain in his own life (9:43–48). Jesus warned believers that they would suffer because they follow him (9:49).

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus warned his followers with various sayings

Various warnings

Temptations to Sin (GNT)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 18:6–9 and Luke 17:1–2.

Paragraph 9:49–50

In these verses, there are three different sayings about salt. Salt had many functions for the Jewish people. Each of these sayings refers to a different use of salt.

(9:49) God commanded his people to put salt on all their sacrifices (Leviticus 2:13). Salt became a symbol of the eternal nature of the covenant between God and his people.
(9:50a) People used salt to keep food from spoiling. They also used it to make food taste better.
(9:50b–d) When people entered into an agreement or covenant, they ate salt (or a meal that included salt) together.

9:49

For everyone will be salted with fire.

¶ All who follow me will be salted with fire.
¶ I say this because everyone will experience suffering/difficulties just like we/people put salt on our/their sacrifices and then burn them.
¶ Everyone will be purified by fire as a sacrifice is purified by salt. (GNT)

For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as “For” connects 9:49 to the previous verse. In this context it indicates that 9:49 in some way explains the previous verses. All believers should remove causes of sin because they will all experience suffering of some kind. Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. You should introduce 9:49 in a way that is natural in your language.

You may want to refer back to 9:43–48 in a general way or refer to the general principle taught in those verses. For example:

I say that because

Remove causes of sin because

everyone will be salted with fire: There is a textual issue here:

Some Greek texts have: “For everyone will be salted with fire.” (BSB, RSV, NIV, NJB, NASB, REB, NET, GW, CEV, JBP, NCV, ESV)
Other Greek texts have: “For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” (KJV, GNTThe GNT appears to follow option (2). However, there is a possibility that it actually follows option (1) and makes explicit its interpretation of those manuscripts.)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

The expression everyone will be salted with fire is very difficult. Bible scholars have interpreted it in different ways. However, most scholars believe that Jesus’ words figuratively referred to Jewish sacrifices which were always salted (see Leviticus 2:13). Most of these sacrifices were also burned with fire. Fire here is an image of the suffering or hardships that all disciples would experience. This suffering would make them more holy and help them to rely more on God.

In many languages, it will not be easy to translate salted with fire literally. In languages where it can be translated, it may not be easily understood. Another problem is that your culture may use salt and fire figuratively to mean different things than they meant to the Jews. If that is true, you may want to:

Translate this expression in a way that explains the metaphor. For example:
Just as every sacrifice/food is salted, everyone passes though fires of suffering.
Everyone will experience suffering/difficulties that will be like going through fire.
Everyone will be like a sacrifice that is salted and then burned.
Everyone will be purified by fire as a sacrifice is purified by salt. (GNT)
Everyone will be purified with/by the fire of suffering. If you follow one of these models for translation, you may want to include a footnote giving the literal Greek text. For example:
Literally: “For everyone will be salted with fire.”
Explain this expression in a footnote. For example:
The expression “salted with fire” probably refers figuratively to Jewish sacrifices which were always salted (see Leviticus 2:13). Most of these sacrifices were burned with fire. Fire here is an image of the suffering or hardships that all disciples would experience. These hardships would make them more holy and cause them to rely more on God.

everyone: The word everyone refers to all of Jesus’ followers. You may want to make this clear by saying:

all my followers

all of you^(plur)

will be salted: This is a passive clause. If it is more natural in your language to use an active verb here, you may be able to say:

Just as people salt every sacrifice, so God will cause everyone to pass though fires of suffering.

Everyone will be like a sacrifice on which a person puts salt and then burns.

God will purify everyone with fire as a person purifies a sacrifice with salt.

God will purify everyone with/by the fire of suffering.

with fire: The phrase with fire is emphasized in the Greek. If you have a natural way to emphasize this phrase, you may want to do so. For example:

it is with/by fire that everyone will be salted

fire: Notice that fire in this verse does not have the same meaning as “fire” in 9:48b. This verse means that all followers of Jesus will experience suffering of some kind because they belong to him. This verse does not mean that everyone will experience the fire of hell. Your translation should make the different meaning clear either in text or in a footnote. See the notes and examples above.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πᾶς Γάρ πυρί ἁλισθήσεται)

Here, the word For introduces an explanation related to what Jesus has just said about using extreme means to make sure that one does not sin. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a related explanation, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: [Further,] or [As a matter of fact,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πᾶς & ἁλισθήσεται

everyone & ˓will_be_being˒_salted

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, it is clear from the context that it was God. Alternate translation: [God will salt everyone]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πᾶς Γάρ πυρί ἁλισθήσεται)

Here Jesus speaks as if people were food or sacrifices that will be salted with fire. In Jesus’ culture, people would put salt on their food and on sacrifices that they offered to God. The salt preserved the food and made it taste better. When someone is salted with fire, it most likely refers to that person experiencing difficult or painful situations that eventually help and sanctify that person. However, Jesus does not explain the metaphor, and Christians disagree on what it means. If possible, preserve the metaphor or express the idea in simile form. If necessary, you could state more explicitly that Jesus is referring to some form of suffering and its effects on people. Alternate translation: [will experience something like being salted with fire] or [will suffer as if they were being burned, and that will help them as if they were being salted]

Note 4 topic: translate-textvariants

πυρὶ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πᾶς Γάρ πυρί ἁλισθήσεται)

Many ancient manuscripts read with fire. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts include the words “and every sacrifice will be salted with salt” after with fire. If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear MARK 9:49

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 9:42–50: Jesus gave various warnings

Paragraph 9:49–50

9:49

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)