Matthew 5:14

μωρανθῇ. The Vulgate renders the verb evanuerit. Better Beza and Erasmus, infatuatus fuerit. If the salt become insipid, so as to lack its proper preserving virtue can this happen? Weiss and others reply: It does not matter for the point of the comparison. Perhaps not, but it does matter for the felicity of the metaphor, which is much more strikingly apt if degeneracy can happen in the natural as well as in the spiritual sphere. Long ago Maundrell maintained that it could, and modern travellers confirm his statement. Furrer says: “As it was observed by Maundrell 200 years ago so it has often been observed in our time that salt loses somewhat of its sharpness in the storehouses of Syria and Palestine. Gathered in a state of impurity, it undergoes with other substances a chemical process, by which it becomes really another sort of stuff, while retaining its old appearance” (Ztscht. für M. und R., 1890). A similar statement is made by Thomson (Land and Book, p. 381). There is no room for doubt as to whether the case supposed can happen in the spiritual sphere. The “salt of the earth” can become not only partially but wholly, hopelessly insipid, losing the qualities which constitute its conservative power as set forth in the Beatitudes and in other parts of Christ's teaching (e.g., Matthew 18). Erasmus gives a realistic description of the causes of degeneracy in these words: “Si vestri mores fuerint amore laudis, cupiditate pecuniarum, studio voluptatum, libidine vindicandi, metu infamiae damnorum aut mortis infatuati,” etc. (Paraph. in Evan. Matt.). ἐν τίνι ἁλις : not, with what shall the so necessary salting process be done? but, with what shall the insipid salt be salted? The meaning is that the lost property is irrecoverable. A stern statement, reminding us of Hebrews 6:6, but true to the fact in the spiritual sphere. Nothing so hopeless as apostate discipleship with a bright past behind it to which it has become dead begun in the spirit, ending in the flesh. εἰς οὐδὲν, useless for salting, good for nothing else any more (ἔτι). εἰ μὴ βληθὲν, etc. This is a kind of humorous afterthought: except indeed, cast out as refuse, to be trodden under foot of man, i.e., to make footpaths of. The reading βληθὲν is much to be preferred to βληθῆναι, as giving prominence to καταπατεῖσθαι as the main verb, pointing to a kind of use to which insipid salt can after all be put. But what a downcome: from being saviours of society to supplying materials for footpaths!

Matthew 5:14. τὸ φῶς τ. κ., the light, the sun of the moral world conceived of as full of the darkness of ignorance and sin. The disciple function is now viewed as illuminating. And as under the figure of salt the danger warned against was that of becoming insipid, so here the danger to be avoided is that of obscuring the light. The light will shine, that is its nature, if pains be not taken to hide it. οὐ δύναται πόλις, etc. As a city situate on the top of a hill cannot be hid, neither can a light fail to be seen unless it be expressly prevented from shining. No pains need to be taken to secure that the light shall shine. For that it is enough to be a light. But Christ knew that there would be strong temptation for the men that had it in them to be lights to hide their light. It would draw the world's attention to them, and so expose them to the ill will of such as hate the light. Therefore He goes on to caution disciples against the policy of obscuration.