Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 9].
light in every direction. The complement of this logion is that
in Mt 12:30: "He that is not with me is against me." Both are
needed. Some people imagine that they are really for Christ who
refuse to take a stand in the open with him and for him.
9:41 {Because ye are Christ's} (\hoti Christou este\). Predicate
genitive, belong to Christ. See Ro 8:9; 1Co 1:12; 2Co 10:7.
That is the bond of universal brotherhood of the redeemed. It
breaks over the lines of nation, race, class, sex, everything. No
service is too small, even a cup of cold water, if done for
Christ's sake. See on ¯Mt 18:6f. for discussion on
stumbling-blocks for these little ones that believe on Jesus (Mr
9:42), a loving term of all believers, not just children.
9:43 {Into hell, into the unquenchable fire} (\eis t•n geennan,
eis to p–r to asbeston\). Not Hades, but Gehenna. \Asbeston\ is
alpha privative and \sbestos\ from \sbennumi\ to quench. It
occurs often in Homer. Our word asbestos is this very word. Mt
18:8 has "into the eternal fire." The Valley of Hinnom had been
desecrated by the sacrifice of children to Moloch so that as an
accursed place it was used for the city garbage where worms
gnawed and fires burned. It is thus a vivid picture of eternal
punishment.
9:44 The oldest and best manuscripts do not give these two
verses. They came in from the Western and Syrian (Byzantine)
classes. They are a mere repetition of verse 48. Hence we lose
the numbering 44 and 46 in our verses which are not genuine.
9:46 See on ¯44
9:47 {With one eye} (\monophthalmon\). Literally one-eyed. See
also Mt 18:9. Vernacular _Koin•_ and condemned by the
Atticists. See Mt 18:8f. Mark has here "kingdom of God" where
Mt 18:9 has "life."
9:48 {Their worm} (\ho sk•l•x aut•n\). "The worm, i.e. that preys
upon the inhabitants of this dread realm" (Gould). Two bold
figures of Gehenna combined (the gnawing worm, the burning
flame). No figures of Gehenna can equal the dread reality which
is here described. See Isa 66:24.
9:50 {Have salt in yourselves} (\echete en heautois hala\). Jesus
had once called them the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13) and had
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