Christian Standard Bible
Matthew 5:13
13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
Matthew 5:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
- New International Version (NIV)“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Context of Matthew 5:13
11“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:13 word by word
Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἁλισθήσεται; εἰς οὐδὲν ἰσχύει ἔτι εἰ μὴ βληθὲν ἔξω καταπατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yeσύsu · youG4771
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the saltὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the saltἅλαςhalas · saltG217
- of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- butδέde · thenG1161
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- have lost his savourμωραίνωmōrainō · be foolishG3471
- ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- wherewithτίςtis · which?G5101
- shall it be saltedἁλίζωhalizō · to saltG233
- it isἰσχύωischuō · be strongG2480
- thenceforthἔτιeti · stillG2089
- forεἰςeis · towardG1519
- nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- ·εἰei · if: notG1487
- butμήmē · notG3361
- to be castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
- outἔξωexō · out/outside(r)G1854
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to be trodden under footκαταπατέωkatapateō · to trampleG2662
- ofὑπόhupo · by/under: underG5259
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
Cross-references for Matthew 5:13
- Leviticus 2:13You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God. You are to present salt with each of your offerings.
- Colossians 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
- Mark 9:49For everyone will be salted with fire.
- Luke 14:34“Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?
- Hebrews 6:4For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,
- 2 Peter 2:20For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first.
Commentaries on Matthew 5:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Ye are the salt of the earth - Our Lord shows here what the preachers of the Gospel, and what all who profess to follow him, should be; the salt of the earth, to preserve the world from putrefaction and destruction. See the note on Leviticus 2:13. But if the salt have lost his savor - That this is possible in the land of Judea, we have proof from Mr. Maundrell, who, describing the Valley of Salt, speaks thus: "Along, on one side of the valley, toward…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Ye are the salt of the earth - Salt renders food pleasant and palatable, and preserves from putrefaction. So Christians, by their lives and instructions, are to keep the world from entire moral corruption. By bringing down the blessing of God in answer to their prayers, and by their influence and example, they save the world from universal vice and crime. Salt have lost its savour - That is, if it has become tasteless, or has lost its preserving…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth. Mankind, lying in ignorance and wickedness, were as a vast heap, ready to putrify; but Christ sent forth his disciples, by their lives and doctrines to season it with knowledge and grace. If they are not such as they should be, they are as salt that has lost its savour. If a man can take up the profession of Christ, and yet remain graceless, no other doctrine, no other means, can make him profitable. Our light…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13People used salt for a number of reasons: to clean and prevent decay (Ezekiel 16:4), in making agreements (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; see study note on 2 Chronicles 13:5), and to flavor food (Job 6:6; Mark 9:50). Salt that loses its savor becomes useless or tasteless (see Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1613-16. We have here the practical application of the foregoing principles to those disciples who sat listening to them, and to their successors in all time. Our Lord, though He began by pronouncing certain characters to be blessed--without express reference to any of His hearers--does not close the beatitudes without intimating that such characters were in existence, and that already they were before Him. Accordingly, from characters He comes to persons…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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