Mark 9:50 Meaning and Explanation
“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Salt is good, but worthless if it loses its savor; Jesus tells the disciples to have salt in themselves and be at peace with one another.
What Does Mark 9:50 Mean?
The chapter ends where its conflict began, with the disciples' rivalry on the road (vv. 33-34). Salt is good, but salt that has lost its savor can season nothing. Have salt in yourselves, Jesus says, the costly, preserving distinctness of true discipleship, and have peace one with another.
Savor and peace belong together. A disciple seasoned by sacrifice and self-denial has nothing left to prove, and so can stop contending for the highest place. Where saltiness fails, quarrels begin; where it is kept, fellowship is preserved. The Lord's closing word to the arguing Twelve, and to His church, is both flavor and concord: be truly His, and be at peace.
Mark 9:50 in the Original Language
eireneuo (εἰρηνεύω), 'have peace' -- to live at peace, to keep peace with others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 9:50
What does Mark 9:50 mean?
Salt is good, but worthless if it loses its savor; Jesus tells the disciples to have salt in themselves and be at peace with one another.