KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
You're the salt of the earth — but if salt loses its flavor, what's going to make it salty again? Once it's bland, it's basically useless. People just throw it out and walk all over it.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
You're meant to add flavor to the world, but don't lose what makes you you.
📜 Historical Context — Why was this verse written?
The Gospel of Matthew was likely written by a Jewish Christian to a community of Jewish Christians, possibly in Syria, around 70-90 CE. It aimed to present Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and provide ethical guidance for a community navigating its identity within the broader Jewish world after the Temple's destruction.
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