Mark 9:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

NIV: where ''the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

NASB: where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT EXTINGUISHED.

CSB: where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

NLT: ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’

KJV: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

NKJV: where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’

This text, which in some translations is also found in Mark 9:44 and 46, is a quote from Isaiah 66:24. The passage describes a future time when God will gather His people to Jerusalem and they will worship God for eternity (Isaiah 66:18–23). Those who are not His will face everlasting destruction and torment, metaphorically described as the worm and the fire.

"Worm" is from the Greek root word scolex and refers to a maggot that eats dead flesh. The fact that it does not die suggests a different meaning, although scholars are not sure what. Both this verse and Isaiah 66:24 say "their worm," meaning it may be something the unbeliever brought with them, perhaps their shame and regret.

Annihilationism is the belief that after God's final judgment, unbelievers will cease to exist. This is one of the verses that demonstrates this belief is unbiblical. The worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. It may bring comfort to think our non-Christian loved ones will be spared eternal torment, but God made our souls to be eternal.

At the same time, this verse points out God's tremendous grace. Isaiah 66:24 describes the deserved fate of God's enemies. It would be better to die or be maimed than to suffer this fate (Mark 9:43–47), but in reality, none of those preventative measures could ever make us righteous enough to deserve heaven. It is only through the sacrifice of Christ and the grace of God that we can be saved (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9).

Mark 9:42–48 shows that even if we follow the letter of the law, or maim ourselves in the attempt, we cannot be good enough to get to heaven on our own. In Matthew, directly after Jesus' hard words against sinning and tempting others to sin, Jesus talks about God's forgiveness and love for us (Matthew 18:12–14) and our responsibility to forgive others (Matthew 18:15–35). The various parallels in Matthew and Luke, as well as phrasing intended to transition subjects along suggest this passage is a synopsis of several different teachings. Still, Matthew 18:7–9 gives a reasonable parallel.

Mark chapter 9 contains an account of Jesus' transfiguration, where three of the disciples witness Him in a glorified form. In this passage, Jesus also heals a demon-possessed boy. His teachings in this section include a prediction of His death and resurrection, and corrections to the disciples' errors on questions of pride and temptation.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.