block occasioned by the hand, the foot, or the eye ; for otherwise it will thrust you on into hell, and hell's eternal fire. For every one, who is about to be salted in any way, and who is by that salting to be snatched from the eternal fire, shall be salted, if not by salt, the milder remedy, but by fire, the more severe cure, yet still in this life [shall be so salted, not in the life to come] : and eveiy sacrifice shall be salted with salt, which is a most lenient and excellent kind of salting. Therefore submit to [admit within you] and have this salt, so that, every stumbling- block [occasion of offence] having been laid aside, peace may flourish among you. You are certainly about [you are sure] to have to experience the salt and the fire : see that ye require to undergo [defungamini, perform^ as lenient a salting as pos sible. — aXiffdqairai, shall be salted) The future : by which there is intimated the commandment as to the sacrifices of the Old Test, [which was couched in the future, Lev. ii. 13], as also their typical bearing in reference to the sacrifices of the New Test. — •/.a) traaa duaia aX/ a/.ia&r/gsTai) This is extant in Lev. ii. 13, XKI Trav dSjpov 6-jaia.c, V/A&V aXi aXiffdr^irai. Hence the sentiment in the former clause of the verse is inferred, vac, yap wpi dX/<r0., which is more universal, inasmuch as the being salted with salt is now in fine added as if in the way of exception [qualification] to Qufflac, with the limitation standing in apposition [i.e. shall be salted with salt, in apposition to and qualifying the more universal, shall be salted with fire~\.
50. KaXov, good) Salt. For all other foods are seasoned by it. — lay di TO a'Xaj, but if the salt) In this passage the disciples themselves are called " the salt," inasmuch as being imbued [endued] with the salt themselves, and salting the world. — avaXov, saltless [insipid]) so as to have no pungency. Pride [referring to ver. 33 34, the dispute about who should be greatest] most especially makes men saltless [savourless]. — auro, itself [the very salt]) having lost its primary quality. — ?%««"£, have ye) To have ' fire,' is not within human ability : therefore it is not said, have fire. But he who is imbued with the fire is desired to have salt. — Jx lauro/j, in yourselves) In antithesis to, among one another, tv aXXj;Xo/j. The former duty is in regard to ourselves ; the second, towards others. — ciXac) The singular, or else the plural from «Xj. The salt is that of self-mortification,