destroying its victim, as it is the nature of ordinary fire to do, but rather. pre- serving him for eternal torment, like salt. Thus viewed, ver. 49a is a mere comment on the words ov σβέννυται. The saying should rather be taken in connection with the whole course of thought in vv. 43-48, in which case it will bear this sense: ‘“‘ every one must be salted somehow, either with the un- quenchable fire of gehenna, or with the fire of severe self-discipline. Wise is he who chooses the latter alternative.” If we ignore the connection with ver. 48, and restrict was to the disciple-circle, this alternative rendering will be avoided, and the idea will be: every man who is to come to any good, will, must, be salted with fire. In that case, however, it is difficult to account for the unusual combination of salt and fire, whose functions are so opposed. gb is of quite subordinate importance, merely at best a parabolic aid to thought. Grotius and others divide the sacrifices into two classes answering to the two forms of salting: burnt offerings typilying those consumed in hell, peace offerings those preserved by self-discipline.—Ver. 50 sets forth the other great truth: salting in the form of self-discipline indispen- sable.—xahév ‘7d Gras, an excellent thing is salt; a most seasonable truth just then. What follows seems less so, as it stands in Mk.’s text. As spoken by Jesus, if we may assume that it was spoken on this occasion, it might come in quite naturally. The three thoughts in this verse: salt good, care must be taken that it lose not its virtue, have salt in yourselves, may be merely themes packed together in a single sentence, on which Jesus discoursed at length.— ἄναλον, ἅπ. λεγ. in N. T., used in later Greek; µωρανθῇ in Mt. and Lk.— ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ada, have salt in your- selves. Inthe two former clauses dis- ciples are thought of, as in Mt. v. 13, as themselves salt for the world. Here they are viewed as the subject of the salting process. They must be salted in order to be salt to the world, their
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