22The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be luminous. [6:23] But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. If then the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! [6:24] No one is able to slave for two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You are not able to slave for God and for wealth.
MAT 6:22-24
The Lamp of the Body
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body would resonate deeply with Jewish and Greco-Roman audiences. The eye was understood as the window to the soul, reflecting one’s inner state. A 'clear' eye symbolized generosity and singleness of purpose, while an 'evil' eye, often associated with envy or stinginess, indicated moral corruption. This imagery aligns with Jewish teachings on generosity and the dangers of greed, as well as Stoic ideals of inner clarity and virtue. The warning against serving two masters reflects the rigid hierarchy of the Roman patronage system, where loyalty to one patron was absolute. Wealth was personified as a rival master, competing for devotion that belonged solely to God. This teaching challenges the listener’s allegiance in a society where wealth and status were paramount.
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How other translations render this
MAT 6:22
- KJV
- The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
- BSB
- The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
- Koinōnos
- The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be luminous.
MAT 6:23
- KJV
- But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
- BSB
- But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
- Koinōnos
- But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. If then the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
MAT 6:24
- KJV
- No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- BSB
- No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
- Koinōnos
- No one is able to slave for two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You are not able to slave for God and for wealth.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 6:22
- clear:The word translated 'clear' here means single or undivided, implying a singular focus or intention. It stands in contrast to something that is double or complex.
MAT 6:23
- evil:The term translated 'evil' often described something that was not merely bad, but actively harmful, burdensome, or causing distress, sometimes even in a physical sense.
MAT 6:24
- to serve;:The word translated 'to serve' literally means to be a slave or to act as a slave. It implies complete submission and devotion to a master, not merely performing a task.
- money.:The word translated 'money' refers specifically to wealth or riches, often personified as a master or object of devotion, rather than just currency.