God’s Word Translation
Matthew 5:14
14“You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill.
Matthew 5:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
- New International Version (NIV)“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Context of Matthew 5:14
12Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways. 13“You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. “You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. 15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. 16In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:14 word by word
Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yeσύsu · youG4771
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the lightὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
- of the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- A cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- that is setκεῖμαιkeimai · to lay/be appointedG2749
- onἐπάνωepanō · aboveG1883
- an hillὄροςoros · mountainG3735
- ·οὐou · noG3756
- cannotδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- be hidκρύπτωkruptō · to hideG2928
Cross-references for Matthew 5:14
- Proverbs 4:18But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday.
- John 5:35John was a lamp that gave off brilliant light. For a time you enjoyed the pleasure of his light.
- John 12:36While you have the light, believe in the light so that you will become people whose lives show the light.” After Jesus had said this, he was concealed as he left.
- Romans 2:19You are confident that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in the dark,
- 2 Corinthians 6:14Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness?
- Ephesians 5:8Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light.
- Philippians 2:15Then you will be blameless and innocent. You will be God’s children without any faults among people who are crooked and corrupt. You will shine like stars among them in the world
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5You belong to the day and the light not to the night and the dark.
- Revelation 1:20The hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.
- Revelation 2:1“To the messenger of the church in Ephesus, write: The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says:
- Genesis 11:4Then they said, “Let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves so that we won’t become scattered all over the face of the earth.”
- Revelation 21:14The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them.
Commentaries on Matthew 5:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Ye are the light of the world - That is, the instruments which God chooses to make use of to illuminate the minds of men; as he uses the sun (to which probably he pointed) to enlighten the world. Light of the world, עולם נר ner olam, was a title applied to the most eminent rabbins. Christ transfers the title from these, and gives it to his own disciples, who, by the doctrines that he taught them, were to be the means of diffusing the light of life…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The light of the world - The light of the world often denotes the sun, John 11:9. The sun renders objects visible, shows their form, their nature, their beauties, their deformities. The term light is often applied to religious teachers. See Matthew 4:16; Luke 2:32; John 1:4; John 8:12; Isaiah 49:6. It is pre-eminently applied to Jesus in these places, because he is, in the moral world, what the sun is in the natural world. The apostles, Christian…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. 14Light of the world … city on a hill: How the disciples live will inspire others to live the same way and honor God (see Isaiah 2:2–5; 42:6; 49:6; 51:4; 56:6–8; 60:1–3; Philippians 2:15).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 5:14
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries