A common misinterpretation views the imagery literally as physical worms and flames eternally consuming bodies in hell, overlooking its metaphorical roots in Isaiah depicting unending shame and divine judgment rather than a biological or material reality; others erroneously apply it to support annihilationism by claiming the destruction is final rather than ongoing, or to purgatory as temporary purification, ignoring the context of permanent separation from God in Gehenna.
Mark 9:48
King James Version (1769)
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
This verse describes the eternal nature of punishment in hell, symbolized by an undying worm and unquenchable fire, drawing from Isaiah 66:24 to emphasize unending torment for the wicked, underscoring Jesus' warning about the severe consequences of rejecting God and the urgency of repentance to avoid such fate.