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Mat_5:13. Τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς ] A figure of the power which counteracts corruption, and preserves in a sound condition—the effect which salt has upon water (2Ki_2:20), meat, and such like. Thus the ministry of the disciples was destined by the communication of the divine truth to oppose the spiritual corruption and powerlessness of men, and to be the means of bringing about their moral soundness and power of life. An allusion to the use of salt in sacrifices (Mar_9:49) is not hinted at here (in answer to Tholuck). Comp. rather Col_4:6; Theodoret, Heracleon (in Cramer, Cat. p. 33): ἅλας τ . γῆς ἐστιν τὸ ψυχικὸν ἄρτυμα . Without this salt humanity would have fallen a prey to spiritual φθορά . Fritzsche, overlooking the positive efficacy of salt, derives the figure only from its indispensable nature. Observe, moreover, how the expression τῆς γῆς , as a designation of the mass of the inhabitants of the earth, who are to be worked upon by the salt, is as appropriately selected for this figure as τοῦ κόσμου for the following one. And Jesus thus even now throws down the thought of universal destination into the souls of the disciples as a spark to be preserved.
μωρανθῇ ] will have become savourless, Mar_9:50 : ἄναλον γένηται ; Dioscorides in Wetstein: ῥίζαι γευσαμένῳ μωραί .
ἐν τίνι ἁλισθήσεται ;] by what means will it again receive its salting power? Theophylact: διορθωθήσεται . Laying figures aside: If you, through failing to preserve the powers bestowed upon you, and by allowing them to perish, become in despondency and torpidity unfaithful to your destiny and unfitted for your calling, how will you raise yourselves again to the power and efficiency appropriate to your vocation, which you have lost.[397] Your uselessness for your calling will then be an irreparabile damnum! “Non enim datur sal salis,” Jansen. Grotius well says, “ipsi emendare alios debebant, non autern exspectare, ut ab aliis ipsi emendarentur.” Augustine, de serm. in mont. Mat_1:16. Luther differently: Wherewith shall one salt? Erasmus, Paraphr.: “quid tandem erit reliquum, quo multitudinis insulsa vita condiatur?” Putting figure aside: Who, then, will supply your place? However appropriate in itself this meaning might be, nevertheless εἰς οὐδὲν ἰσχύει stands opposed to it.[398] See also Mar_9:50.
ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρ .] ab hominibus “obviis quibusque,” Bengel.
[397] Whether the salt can really become quite insipid and without power, and thus lose its essential property, is not at all the question. Jesus puts the case. We need not therefore either appeal, with Paulus, to the salt which has been exposed to the weather and become tasteless, which Maundrell (Reise nach Pal. p. 162; Rosenmüller, Morgenland, in loc.) found in the district of Aleppo, or make out of the common cooking salt, saltpetre (Altmann, Vriemoet), or asphalt (v. d. Hardt, Schoettgen), or sea-salt (Ebrard).
[398] This εἰς οὐδὲν ἰσχύει , etc., clearly sets forth its utter uselessness for the purpose for which it was designed, not the exclusion from the community, or the being rejected by Christ (Luther, Chemnitz, and others), to which the idea, “it is fit for nothing but,” is not appropriate. It would be different if Christ had said βληθήσεται ἕξω , etc. Theophylact understands exclusion from the dignity of teacher; Chrysostom, Erasmus, and others, the most supreme contempt.—Observe, moreover, that the expression ἰσχύει (has power for nothing except, etc.), and so on, contains an acumen in its relation to the following passive βληθῆναι , etc.