Devine Scripture

Matthew 5:13

What does Matthew 5:13 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 5:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 5:13 means

Jesus declares His followers to be "the salt of the earth," signifying their vital role in preserving and enhancing society. Just as salt preserves food from corruption and adds flavor, disciples are to act as a moral preservative, preventing spiritual and ethical decay, and adding spiritual savory to a tasteless world. However, Jesus warns that if this "salt" (the disciples' influence or distinctive character) loses its "savor" (its preserving and flavorful quality), it becomes utterly useless and is discarded, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining their distinctiveness and spiritual potency.

Matthew 5:13 in context

Matthew 5 — The Beatitudes

Jesus opens his Sermon on the Mount with eight pronouncements that turn the world's value system upside down. Blessing belongs not to the proud and self-sufficient but to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. In a few sentences he sketches the character of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven, and then calls them salt of the earth and light of the world.

  • Kingdom ethics
  • Inner righteousness
  • True blessedness
  • Light and salt

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

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

King James Version · 1611

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.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

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.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

You are the salt of the earth; but if its taste goes from the salt, how will you make it salt again? it is then good for nothing but to be put out and crushed under foot by men.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

`Ye are the salt of the land, but if the salt may lose savour, in what shall it be salted? for nothing is it good henceforth, except to be cast without, and to be trodden down by men.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing anymore but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have become insipid, wherewith shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot by men.

Context

Following the Beatitudes, which describe the inner character of Kingdom citizens, this verse transitions to their outward influence. It defines their essential role in the world—to preserve and flavor—and serves as a critical warning about losing their spiritual effectiveness, directly preceding the related metaphor of light.

v.12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

v.13This passage

v.14Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Mark 9:49

    For every one shall be salted with fire.

  • Colossians 4:6

    Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.

  • Leviticus 2:13

    And every oblation of thy meal-offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meal-offering: with all thine oblations thou shalt offer salt.

  • Hebrews 6:4

    For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

  • Luke 14:34

    Salt therefore is good: but if even the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

  • 2 Peter 2:20

    For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first.

Sermon ideas from Matthew 5:13

Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.

  • What Matthew 5:13 teaches us about kingdom ethics

  • What Matthew 5:13 teaches us about inner righteousness

  • What Matthew 5:13 teaches us about true blessedness

  • What Matthew 5:13 teaches us about light and salt

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