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Matthew 5:16Sermon on the Mount
Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
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Interpretation

Jesus teaches a light that is embodied in relationships and commitments. Matthew 5:16: trace "even" and "let". Choose light in promises we keep—anchor courage in promise.

Context

Matthew speaks here as gospel narrative writing, naming light. Placed in ch. 5, the nearby lines set its tone. The nearby sentences supply the texture.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Matthew to Matthew the disciple, once a tax collector. Matthew is frequently described this way: Initially anonymous; tradition later assigns Matthew; engages Mark alongside a sayings tradition.. Date: AD 80–90. Matthew seems aimed at Jewish‑Christian community.. It sits within the Sermon on the Mount (gospel narrative). Readers often compare Matthew’s arrangement and sources with Mark and Q.

More details
Traditional:Matthew the tax collector
Modern scholarship:Anonymous; attributed to Matthew; uses Mark + Q source.
Date:AD 80–90
Audience:Jewish‑Christian community.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
Preserved in early papyri fragments and all major codices without significant variation. The metaphor of light and good works appears identically across all manuscripts. The phrase 'Father in heaven' is consistent, though some Old Latin manuscripts have 'Father.' The Diatessaron and early church fathers confirm this text from the 2nd century. The word 'shine' (lampso) and its connection to visible works shows no textual variation.