Matthew 5:16 is the sixteenth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount, the previous verse had Jesus tell the disciples not to hide their light, in this verse he continues the analogy.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

Let your light so shine before men, that

they may see your good works, and

glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

Even so, let your light shine before men;

that they may see your good works, and

glorify your



Father who is in heaven.

Hill notes that Father in heaven is a favourite expression of the author of Matthew's occurring twenty times in his gospel. Some see it as a version of the common Old Testament phrase God of Israel, but with Israel replaced with heaven to show the wider application of the new message. Schweizer notes that the light is intended to shine towards people in general, also emphasizing the universal mission.

References

• Hill, David. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981
• Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975