God & Savior

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
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Study notes

Let your light shine so that others see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Explanation

Jesus continues the picture of light (5:14-15). The aim of good deeds is not to draw attention to ourselves but to lead others to give glory to God.

Original language
  • λαμψάτω (lampsatō): to shine
    Greek · Verb, aorist, active, imperative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G2989 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Let shine.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Matthew 5:16, word 2

  • φῶς (phōs): light
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · Strong's G5457 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Light.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Matthew 5:16, word 4

  • καλὰ (kala): good
    Greek · Adjective, accusative, plural, neuter · Strong's G2570G · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Good, beautiful.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Matthew 5:16, word 13

  • ἔργα (erga): work
    Greek · Noun, accusative, plural, neuter · Strong's G2041 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Works, deeds.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Matthew 5:16, word 14

  • δοξάσωσιν (doxasōsin): to glorify
    Greek · Verb, aorist, active, subjunctive, 3rd person plural · Strong's G1392 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    They may glorify.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Matthew 5:16, word 16

  • πατέρα (patera): father
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · Strong's G3962 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Father.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Matthew 5:16, word 18

Cross-references
  • Matthew 5:14 · Surrounding passage

    You are the light of the world.

  • 1 Peter 2:12 · Same theme

    They may see your good deeds and glorify God.

  • Ephesians 2:10 · Same theme

    Created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Greek)

οὕτως λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα καὶ δοξάσωσιν τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

  1. οὕτωςhoutōs“Thus”
    Adverb · from οὕτω, οὕτως · “thus(-ly)” · Strong's G3779
  2. λαμψάτωlampsatō“should shine”
    Verb, aorist, active, imperative, 3rd person singular · from λάμπω · “to shine” · Strong's G2989
  3. τὸto“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  4. φῶςphōs“light”
    Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · “light” · Strong's G5457
  5. ὑμῶνhumōn“of you”
    Personal pronoun, 2nd person, genitive, plural · from σύ · “you” · Strong's G4771
  6. ἔμπροσθενemprosthen“before”
    Preposition · “before” · Strong's G1715
  7. τῶνtōn“<the>”
    Article, genitive, plural, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  8. ἀνθρώπωνanthrōpōn“men”
    Noun, genitive, plural, masculine · from ἄνθρωπος · “a human” · Strong's G0444
  9. ὅπωςhopōs“so that”
    Conjunction · “that” · Strong's G3704
  10. ἴδωσινidōsin“they may see”
    Verb, 2nd aorist, active, subjunctive, 3rd person plural · from εἴδω · “to perceive” · Strong's G1492H
  11. ὑμῶνhumōn“your”
    Personal pronoun, 2nd person, genitive, plural · from σύ · “you” · Strong's G4771
  12. τὰta“<the>”
    Article, accusative, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  13. καλὰkala“good”
    Adjective, accusative, plural, neuter · from καλός · “good” · Strong's G2570G
  14. ἔργαerga“works”
    Noun, accusative, plural, neuter · from ἔργον · “work” · Strong's G2041
  15. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  16. δοξάσωσινdoxasōsin“they may glorify”
    Verb, aorist, active, subjunctive, 3rd person plural · from δοξάζω · “to glorify” · Strong's G1392
  17. τὸνton“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  18. πατέραpatera“Father”
    Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · from πατήρ · “father” · Strong's G3962
  19. ὑμῶνhumōn“of you”
    Personal pronoun, 2nd person, genitive, plural · from σύ · “you” · Strong's G4771
  20. τὸνton“who [is]”
    Article, accusative, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  21. ἐνen“in”
    Preposition · “in/on/among” · Strong's G1722
  22. τοῖςtois“the”
    Article, dative, plural, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  23. οὐρανοῖς.ouranois“heavens.”
    Noun, dative, plural, masculine · from οὐρανός · “heaven” · Strong's G3772
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)