Lamp under a bushel
Encyclopedia
The Parable of the lamp under a bushel, (also known as the lamp under a bowl), is one of the parables of Jesus
. It appears in three of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament
. The differences found in Matthew
5:14-15, Mark
4:21-25 and Luke
8:16-18, are minor. An abbreviated version of the parable also appears in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas
(Saying 33). In Matthew the parable is a continuation of the discourse on Salt and Light
.
is a continuation of the discourse on Salt and Light
. The key idea of the parable is that "Light is to be revealed, not concealed." The light here has been interpreted as referring to Jesus, or to his message, or to the believer's response to that message.
"to hide one's light under a bushel", the use of the word "bushel", an obsolete word for bowl, appearing in William Tyndale
's translation of the New Testament: "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it lighteth all them which are in the house."
Parables of Jesus
The parables of Jesus can be found in all the Canonical gospels as well as in some of the non-canonical gospels but are located mainly within the three synoptic gospels. They represent a key part of the teachings of Jesus, forming approximately one third of his recorded teachings...
. It appears in three of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. The differences found in Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
5:14-15, Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
4:21-25 and Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
8:16-18, are minor. An abbreviated version of the parable also appears in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Thomas
The Gospel According to Thomas, commonly shortened to the Gospel of Thomas, is a well preserved early Christian, non-canonical sayings-gospel discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945, in one of a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library...
(Saying 33). In Matthew the parable is a continuation of the discourse on Salt and Light
Salt and Light
Salt and light are metaphors used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, one of the main teachings of Jesus on morality and discipleship. These metaphors in Matthew 5:13-16 immediately follow the Beatitudes and refer to expectations from the disciples....
.
Narrative
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says:Interpretation
In Matthew this parableParable
A parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons, or a normative principle. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human...
is a continuation of the discourse on Salt and Light
Salt and Light
Salt and light are metaphors used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, one of the main teachings of Jesus on morality and discipleship. These metaphors in Matthew 5:13-16 immediately follow the Beatitudes and refer to expectations from the disciples....
. The key idea of the parable is that "Light is to be revealed, not concealed." The light here has been interpreted as referring to Jesus, or to his message, or to the believer's response to that message.
Proverb
The parable is the source of the English proverbProverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
"to hide one's light under a bushel", the use of the word "bushel", an obsolete word for bowl, appearing in William Tyndale
William Tyndale
William Tyndale was an English scholar and translator who became a leading figure in Protestant reformism towards the end of his life. He was influenced by the work of Desiderius Erasmus, who made the Greek New Testament available in Europe, and by Martin Luther...
's translation of the New Testament: "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it lighteth all them which are in the house."