Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 5:14

"Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid." — Matthew 5:14 (ASV)

Though the Jews saw themselves as the light of the world (Romans 2:19), the true light is the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6), fulfilled in Jesus himself (Matthew 4:16; cf. Jn 8:12). Derivatively his disciples constitute the new light (cf. Ephesians 5:8–9). In the OT as in the NT, light most frequently symbolizes purity as opposed to filth, truth as opposed to error, knowledge as opposed to ignorance, and divine revelation and presence as opposed to reprobation and abandonment by God.

The reference to the “city on a hill” is at one level fairly obvious. Often built of white limestone, ancient towns gleamed in the sun and could not easily be hidden. At night the inhabitants’ oil lamps would shed some glow over the surrounding area. As such cities could not be hidden, so also it is unthinkable to light a lamp and hide it under a peck-measure. A lamp is put on a lampstand to illuminate all. The “city on a hill” saying may also refer to OT prophecies about the time when Jerusalem or the mountain of the Lord’s house would be lifted up before the world and the nations would stream to it (e.g., Isaiah 2:2–5). Jesus’ disciples constitute the true locus of the people of God and the means of witness to the world.