Matthew 5:13 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 5:13

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.

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.

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Commentary

4 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew (420)

(Verse 13) You are the salt of the earth. The apostles are called salt because through them the entire human race is season 25 Quod si sal evannerit, in quo salietur? Si doctor erraverit, a quo alio doctore emendabitur? It is worthless beyond nothingness, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. An example is taken from agriculture. For salt, indeed, as a condiment for foods, and for drying meats, it is necessary, but it has no other use.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Ye - Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all ye who are thus holy, are the salt of the earth - Are to season others.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Ye 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 properties.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Modern Voices1 voice

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1906–1945

The Cost of Discipleship (1937)

The call of Jesus Christ means either that we are the salt of the earth, or else we are annihilated; either we follow the call or we are crushed beneath it. There is no question of a second chance.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

26 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Ὑμεῖς	Humeis	You yourselves	G4771 →
ἐστε	este	are	G1510 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
ἅλας	halas	salt	G217 →
τῆς	tēs	of the	G3588 →
γῆς·	gēs	earth;	G1093 →
ἐὰν	ean	if	G1437 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
ἅλας	halas	salt	G217 →
μωρανθῇ,	mōranthēa	shall become tasteless,	G3471 →
ἐν	en	with	G1722 →
τίνι	tini	what	G5101 →
ἁλισθήσεται;	halisthēsetai	will it be salted?	G233 →
εἰς	eis	For	G1519 →
οὐδὲν	ouden	no [thing]	G3762 →
ἰσχύει	ischuei	it is useful	G2480 →
ἔτι	eti	any longer	G2089 →
εἰ	ei	only	G1487 →
μὴ	mē	except for	G3361 →
βληθὲν	blēthen	being cast	G906 →
ἔξω	exō	out	G1854 →
καταπατεῖσθαι	katapateisthai	is to be trampled upon	G2662 →
ὑπὸ	hupo	by	G5259 →
τῶν	tōn	<the>	G3588 →
ἀνθρώπων.¶	anthrōpōn	men.	G444 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
  Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- 1 Peter 3:15
  But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and…
- Ecclesiastes 10:12
  The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
- Mark 9:50
  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
- Proverbs 15:4
  A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
Through
Leviticus 2:13
And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to…
leads to
- Ezekiel 43:24
  You must present them before the LORD; the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD.
- Colossians 4:6
  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Mark 9:49–50
  For everyone will be salted with fire.