Matthew 5:16 - Exposition

Matthew only. Let your light so shine ; even so let your light shine (Revised Version); οὕτως λαμψὰτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν . The Revised Version (cf. Rheims) does away with the misinterpretation suggested by the Authorized Version, "so that," for οὕτως refers solely to the method of shining spoken of in verse 15, "like a burning lamp upon its stand" (Meyer). Our Lord has here no thought of effort in shining, such as may improve the brightness of the light given, or of illuminating others, but of not concealing what light the disciples have. (For a similar οὕτως , cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24 .) Yet remember, "A lamp for one is a lamp for a hundred" and "Adam was the lamp of the world" (Talm. Jeremiah, 'Sabb.,' 2.4—a play on Proverbs 20:27 ). Your light. Either genitive of apposition, the light which you are (Achelis), of. verse 14; or genitive of possession, the light of which you are the trusted possessors (Meyer, Weiss). The latter is preferable, as the disciples have, in verse 15, been compared to the lamp, i.e. the light-bearer. Before men ( ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ). More than ἐνώπιον , "in presence of," for the position of the lamp "in front of" the people is what our Lord is here emphasizing (cf. John 12:37 ). That they may see your good works ( ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ) . Your. Three times in this verse. Our Lord lays stress on personal possession of light, personal action, personal relationship and origin. Good works ; i.e. of your lives generally (Weiss-Meyer), not ministerially (Mever). " Noble works , works which by their generous and attractive character win the natural admiration of men" (Bishop Westcott, on Hebrews 10:24 ). And glorify . This is actually done in Matthew 9:8 ; Matthew 15:31 . St. Peter's language ( 1 Peter 2:12 ) is probably due to a reminiscence of our Lord's words. Your Father which is in heaven . The Fatherhood of God is here predicated in a special sense of the disciples, in the same way as the Fatherhood of God is, in the Old Testament, always connected with his covenant relation to his people as a nation (cf. Isaiah 63:16 ; Isaiah 64:8 ; Jeremiah 3:4 ; Deuteronomy 32:6 ). Our Lord here is not thinking of the original relation of God to being and especially to humanity, in virtue of man's creation in the Divine image ( ὁπατήρ ), but of the relation into which the disciples have entered through the revelation of God in Christ; cf. further Bishop Westcott, on John 4:21 (Add. Note) and on 1 John 1:2 (Add. Note); also Weiss, 'Life,' 2:348. The phrase, which occurs here for the first time in St. Matthew (but cf. verse 9, note), henceforth occurs frequently, becoming of great importance for this Gospel (cf. verses 45, 48; Matthew 6:1 , Matthew 6:9 , etc.).