Salt and Light

The words

Matthew 5:13–16 (opens a new tab)

1. Bushel

   A dry-measure container; about 2 gallons (8 liters), in NET’s note.

   In Jesus’s example, a light goes on a stand instead of under a bushel; the NET uses basket for the dry-measure container described in its note.

   Matthew 5:15 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 5:13-16 (opens a new tab) · Thayer’s G3426: dry measure (opens a new tab)

2. Candlestick

   A lampstand, in this example.

   Matthew’s KJV puts the light on a candlestick so it illuminates everyone in the house; the NET uses lamp and lampstand for the objects in this example.

   Did you know?

   The Met lists the pictured Egyptian lamp as copper alloy, measuring about 2 inches (5.1 cm) high and 5½ inches (14 cm) long.

   Matthew 5:15 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 5:13-16 (opens a new tab) · Met: Egyptian copper-alloy lamp (opens a new tab)

3. Cast Out

   Jesus’s salt image ends with salt being cast out and trodden underfoot after losing its savor; Matthew then moves to the images of light and a visible city.

   Matthew 5:13–14 (opens a new tab)

4. Foot

   In Matthew’s account of the salt saying, foot occurs in “trodden under foot of men,” describing what happens to the salt after it is cast out.

   Matthew 5:13 (opens a new tab)

5. Glorify

   Give honor or praise.

   Jesus ends the light saying with people seeing good works and glorifying the Father in heaven; the NET renders glorify here as “give honor.”

   Matthew 5:16 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 5:13-16 (opens a new tab)

6. Good Works

   Matthew places good works in Jesus’s explanation of shining light: people are to see the deeds and glorify the Father in heaven, following the example of a household lamp.

   Matthew 5:15–16 (opens a new tab)

7. Hill

   Matthew follows “Ye are the light of the world” with Jesus’s image of a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden; the city is not named.

   Matthew 5:14 (opens a new tab)

8. Light

   Jesus calls his hearers “the light of the world,” then describes a visible city and a household light before telling them to let their light shine before others.

   Matthew 5:14–16 (opens a new tab)

9. Salt

   Matthew records Jesus calling his hearers “the salt of the earth,” followed by a question about salt losing its savor and a description of it being discarded.

   Matthew 5:13 (opens a new tab)

10. Savour

    Salt’s flavor.

    Matthew’s KJV asks what happens if salt loses its “savour”; the NET uses flavor, while both versions follow the loss with a question about restoring saltiness.

    Matthew 5:13 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 5:13-16 (opens a new tab)

11. Shine

    Matthew records Jesus saying, “Let your light so shine before men,” then linking that visibility to people seeing good works and glorifying the Father in heaven.

    Matthew 5:16 (opens a new tab)

12. Thenceforth

    From then on.

    In Matthew’s KJV, thenceforth follows the question about salt losing its savor; Jesus’s saying then describes the salt as good for nothing except being discarded and trampled.

    Matthew 5:13 (opens a new tab)

13. Trodden

    Trampled; walked on.

    Matthew’s KJV ends the salt image with “trodden under foot of men”; the NET says trampled on by people, keeping the focus on the discarded salt.

    Matthew 5:13 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 5:13-16 (opens a new tab)

14. Wherewith

    With what.

    Matthew’s KJV uses wherewith in Jesus’s question about restoring salt that has lost its savor; the question comes before the description of the salt being cast out.

    Matthew 5:13 (opens a new tab)

15. World

    Matthew pairs Jesus’s address “Ye are the light of the world” with a city that cannot be hidden, then narrows the next example to light within a house.

    Matthew 5:14–15 (opens a new tab)