Mark 8:36 - Exposition

What doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ( ζημιωθῆναι ); literally, forfeit his life ( ψυχή ) . The word ψυχή in the Greek, originally meaning simply "breath," as the sign of life, is of very comprehensive import, embracing not merely "the breath of life," but also the "soul," or immortal part of man, as distinguished from his mortal body, also the mind or understanding, as the organ of thought. "Life" seems here to be the best English synonym, as being, like the Greek ψυχή , the more comprehensive term.