Mark 9:44 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mark 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mark 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "where", "worm", "dieth", "fire", and "quenched". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "where" and "worm", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 43's "And if thy hand offend thee cut..." into verse 45's "And if thy foot offend thee cut...", so "where" and "worm" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "where" and "worm" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.