MAT 6:22 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) “Your eyes are your body’s lamps, so if your eyes are healthy, then your entire body will be bright.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be illuminated.

UST Your eyes are like a lamp since they enable you to see. If your eyes are working properly, then your whole body will benefit.

6:22 Literally If your eye is sound; see Proverbs 22:9

6:22 Literally If your eye is sound; see Proverbs 22:9.

BLB The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

AICNT “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is clear,[fn] your whole body will be full of light;

6:22, clear: Or healthy. The Greek word for clear is defined by BDAG as: being motivated by singleness of purpose so as to be open and aboveboard, without guile, sincere, straightforward, i.e. without a hidden agenda. (BDAG, ἁπλοῦς)

OEB The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be lit up;

WEBBE “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

LSV The lamp of the body is the eye, if, therefore, your eye may be perfect, all your body will be enlightened,

FBV The eye is like a lamp that lights the body. So if your eye is healthy,[fn] then your whole body will have light.

6:22 Or “good, innocent.”

TCNT “The lamp of the body is the eye. If then yoʋr eye is clear, yoʋr whole body will be full of light.

T4T “Your eyes are like a lamp [MET] for your body, because they enable you to see things. So if your eyes are healthy, you are able to see everything well [MET]. Similarly, if you are generous with your money and other possessions, you will be able to know much of what God wants you to know [MET].

LEB “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sincere, your whole body will be full of light.

BBE The light of the body is the eye; if then your eye is true, all your body will be full of light.

Moff The eye is the lamp of the body:
⇔ so, if your Eye is generous,
⇔ the whole of your body will be illumined,

Wymth "The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eyesight is good, your whole body will be well lighted;

ASV The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

DRA The light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.

YLT 'The lamp of the body is the eye, if, therefore, thine eye may be perfect, all thy body shall be enlightened,

Drby The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body will be light:

RV The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
(The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine/your eye be single, thy/your whole body shall be full of light. )

SLT The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be light.

Wbstr The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body will be full of light.

KJB-1769 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
( The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine/your eye be single, thy/your whole body shall be full of light. )

KJB-1611 The light of the body is the eye: If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shalbe full of light.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps The lyght of the body, is the eye. Wherfore, yf thyne eye be single, all thy body shalbe full of lyght.
(The light of the body, is the eye. Wherefore, if thine/your eye be single, all thy/your body shall be full of light.)

Gnva The light of the body is the eye: if then thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be light.
(The light of the body is the eye: if then thine/your eye be single, thy/your whole body shall be light. )

Cvdl The eye is the light of the body. Yf thyne eye then be syngle, all thy body shalbe ful of light:
(The eye is the light of the body. If thine/your eye then be syngle, all thy/your body shall be full of light:)

TNT The light of the body is thyne eye. Wher fore if thyne eye besyngle all thy body shalbe full of light.
(The light of the body is thine/your eye. Where fore if thine/your eye besyngle all thy/your body shall be full of light. )

Wycl The lanterne of thi bodi is thin iye; if thin iye be symple, al thi bodi shal be liytful;
(The lantern of thy/your body is thin iye; if thin eye be simple, all thy/your body shall be lightful;)

Luth Das Auge ist des Leibes Licht. Wenn dein Auge einfältig ist, so wird dein ganzer Leib licht sein.
(The eye is the body light(n). When your(s) eye einfältig is, so becomes your(s) whole body light be.)

ClVg Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit.[fn]
(Lucerna body yours(sg) it_is the_eye your(sg). When/But_if the_eye your(sg) has_been simplex, whole body your(sg) lucidum will_be. )

6.22 Lucerna. Prosequitur munditiam cordis. Sicut oculus membra ad operandum dirigit, sic intentio et lux fidei omnes virtutes. Lucerna est lumen in testa, sic charitas in fide. Cum fides cessabit, sola charitas lux erit. De exteriori, docet officium interioris hominis, intentione mentis et luce fidei omnes virtutes illustrantur, ut reddant lucidum corpus. Item ad munditiam cordis per se hoc capitulum est, vel gratia priorum operum quæ palam apparent. Si fuerit oculus, etc. Si pura intentione, quæ potes bona agis, opera sunt lucis, etiamsi non ita hominibus videatur. Si perversa intentio est, pravum est quidquid agitur, etsi videatur rectum. Oculus unus et simplex est, scilicet charitas, quæ modo lucet in fide sicut in testa.

6.22 Lucerna. Prosequitur cleanliness of_the_heart. Like the_eye members to to_work directs, so intention and light of_faith everyone by_virtues. Lucerna it_is the_light in/into/on testa, so charity in/into/on with_faith. Since faith will_cease, alone charity light will_be. From/About exteriori, teaches office interioris of_man, intention of_the_mind and light of_faith everyone by_virtues illustrantur, as reddant lucidum body. Item to cleanliness of_the_heart through himself this takesulum it_is, or grace of_the_former works which openly apparent. When/But_if has_been the_eye, etc. When/But_if pura intention, which you_can good(s) you_are_doing, works are light, even_if/although not/no so/thus to_humans it_seems. When/But_if perverted intention it_is, wicked it_is whatever is_being_done, even_though it_seems rightness/accuracy. The_eye one and simplex it_is, namely charity, which just/only shines in/into/on with_faith like in/into/on testa.

UGNT ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός. ἐὰν οὖν ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν ἔσται.
(ho luⱪnos tou sōmatos estin ho ofthalmos. ean oun aʸ ho ofthalmos sou haplous, holon to sōma sou fōteinon estai.)

SBL-GNT Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός. ἐὰν οὖν ⸂ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς⸃, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν ἔσται·
(Ho luⱪnos tou sōmatos estin ho ofthalmos. ean oun ⸂aʸ ho ofthalmos sou haplous⸃, holon to sōma sou fōteinon estai;)

RP-GNT Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός· ἐὰν οὖν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν ἔσται·
(Ho luⱪnos tou sōmatos estin ho ofthalmos; ean oun ho ofthalmos sou haplous aʸ, holon to sōma sou fōteinon estai;)

TC-GNT Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός· ἐὰν οὖν [fn]ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου [fn]φωτεινὸν ἔσται·
(Ho luⱪnos tou sōmatos estin ho ofthalmos; ean oun ho ofthalmos sou haplous aʸ, holon to sōma sou fōteinon estai; )

6:22 ο οφθαλμος σου απλους η ¦ η ο οφθαλμος σου απλους CT

6:22 φωτεινον ¦ φωτινον WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–7:29: Jesus preached a sermon on a mountain

For many years, English versions and Christians have commonly referred to Matthew 5–7 as “The Sermon on the Mount.” In some translations, it may be helpful to include a heading for chapters 5–7 that is on a level above the section heading for 5:1–12.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Sermon on the Mountain

The sermon that Jesus preached on a mountain

Jesus taught people on the side of a mountain/hill

Paragraph 6:22–23

This paragraph is a complex metaphor. It uses the figures of speech of a lamp, light, darkness, the eye, and the body. Jesus used this complex metaphor to teach people that they should focus their attention on what God wanted them to do. If their spiritual eyesight was good, they would understand the danger of being distracted by earthly wealth (6:19). They would clearly see that they needed to serve God with undivided loyalty (6:24).

These verses occur with almost identical wording in Luke 11:34–35, but the context is different. Jesus used the same complex metaphor in different contexts to teach slightly different truths. However, the metaphor itself is the same, so you should translate both passages in a similar way.

Jesus used the singular form for “you” and “your” here, but what he was saying applies to anyone and everyone. In some languages, it may be more natural to use other pronouns here. For example:

^22aThe eye is the lamp of a person’s body. ^22bWhen a person’s eyes are good, ^22chis whole body also is full of light. ^23aBut when his eyes are bad, ^23bhis body also is full of darkness.

^22aThe eyes are the lamp of our^(incl) body. ^22bWhen our eyes are good, ^22cour whole body also is full of light. ^23aBut when our eyes are bad, ^23bour body also is full of darkness.

6:22a

The eye is the lamp of the body.

¶ “The eye is the lamp of/for the body.
¶ “The eyes are like a lamp that lights/illuminates a person.
¶ “Your eyes are like your lamp.

The eye is the lamp of the body: This clause is the first part of the metaphor. It compares a person’s eye with a lamp. They are similar in that both a lamp and an eye enable a person to see. A person’s physical eyes enable him to see where he is going. His spiritual eyes enable him to understand the truth of Jesus’ message.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
The eye is the lamp of the body.
The lamp of the body is the eye.
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
The eyes are like a lamp for the body (GNT)
Change the metaphor to a simile and make explicit the similarity between the eye and the lamp. For example:
The eye is like a lamp that illuminates/lights the body.
Your eyes are like a lamp. They let light enter your mind.
You may want to add a footnote to explain what the Jews understood about the eye, the mind, and the body. A sample footnote is:Davies and Allison (page 635) challenge the view that light enters the body through the eye. They claim that according to Jewish thought, the eye produced its own light. However, a strong majority of commentaries on both Matthew and Luke understand that the Jews considered the eye to be the organ or means by which light entered the body. This view is supported by the Old Testament view of the eye as the entrance to the mind or heart. See Michael V. Fox. Proverbs 1–9. The Anchor Bible. Volume 18a. New York: Doubleday, 2000, page 220.
In the time of Jesus, people considered the eye to be a source of light. They thought that the eye was the part of the body that shined light into a person’s mind or heart.

eye: This word is singular, but it refers to a person’s eyes in general. In some languages, it may be more natural to use the plural “eyes.” For example:

eyes (NIV)

lamp: A lamp was a small clay container that people put oil in. It had a wick that they lit at night to provide light for their house. See how you translated this word in 5:15.

of the body: The phrase the body is a figure of speech. It represents the person as a whole.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

The eye is a person’s lamp

Your eyes are your lamp

6:22b

If your eyes are good,

So, if your eye is healthy/good,
So, if you can see well/clearly,
If your eyes are strong/bright,

In Greek, this clause begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “so” (ESV) or “therefore” (RSV). This word introduces the next step in Jesus’ reasoning. It indicates that the following statements are based on the comparison of the eye to a lamp. This word does not occur in the parallel passage in Luke 11:34b.

Many English versions leave this relationship implied. For example, the BSB and NIV say:

If your eyes are good (NIV)

Express this relationship in a natural way in your language.

If your eyes are good: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as eyes are good means that the person has good eyesight. He can see clearly. Figuratively, it means that the person has good spiritual eyesight. He can see/understand the truth about God and is able to focus his thoughts clearly on the truth. He has a good attitude toward Jesus and is willing to receive Jesus’ message. In the context of not storing up earthly wealth, it probably also implies that the person has a generous attitude toward others.Many scholars point out that the Greek word (haplous) that is used here can mean “single” (KJV) in the sense of single-minded, having a single, undivided focus (France (2007), Osborne, Lenski, Davies and Allison, Tasker, and others). In contrast to a “bad” eye, it can also mean “good” or “healthy” (most versions). Related forms of this word are translated as “generous” in contexts that speak of giving to the poor (see Romans 12:8; 2 Corinthians 8:2, 9:11, 9:13; James 1:5).

Here are some ways to translate this clause:

If your eyes are good (NCV)

If you have clear/strong eyesight

If you can see clearly/well

In some languages, it may be necessary to make the figurative meaning of healthy eyes explicit. For example:

A person who is willing to receive my teaching is like someone with good/healthy eyes. If your thinking is like that,

In some languages, it will be good to explain the figurative meaning of healthy eyes in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:

A healthy eye represents a good attitude or clear thinking. A person who thinks clearly about God and money will not be greedy. He will be generous with others.

6:22c

your whole body will be full of light.

your entire body will be as if filled with light.
there will be light in/for your entire body.
your whole body/mind will be completely illuminated/lighted like a room where a bright lamp is shining/burning.

your whole body will be full of light: This clause means that light enters the inside of the body from the eye and lights up the entire person. Here, the meaning of this figure of speech is that the person will fully understand the truth and will be filled with goodness.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

the inside of your body will be lit

there will be light in the whole body

it is as if your entire mind/being will be illuminated

In some languages, it may be necessary to make the figurative meaning of light explicit. For example:

you will completely understand the truth. It will be as if your whole body is illuminated.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός

the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματος ἐστίν ὁ ὀφθαλμός ἐάν Οὖν ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σοῦ ἁπλοῦς ὅλον τό σῶμα σοῦ φωτεινόν ἔσται)

Here Jesus describes the eye as if it were a lamp. Since Jesus develops this image in the following sentences, you should preserve the figure of speech or use simile form. The sentence could mean: (1) that the eye enables a person to see, just as a lamp enables a person to see. Alternate translation: [The eye is like a lamp for the body] or [Just as a lamp shines on things, so your eye sees those things] (2) that the eye receives light, which is like light from a lamp. Alternate translation: [The eye lets light from a lamp into the body] or [When a lamp sends out light, the eye receives that light into the body]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός

The words body and eye represent bodies and eyes in general, not one particular body and eye. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [The lamps of people’s bodies are their eyes]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / youcrowd

σου & σου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματος ἐστίν ὁ ὀφθαλμός ἐάν Οὖν ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σοῦ ἁπλοῦς ὅλον τό σῶμα σοῦ φωτεινόν ἔσται)

Even though Jesus is speaking to many disciples, he is addressing an individual situation, so your is singular throughout this verse. But if the singular form would not be natural in your language for someone who is speaking to a group of people, you could use the plural form of your in your translation.

Note 4 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου

may_be the eye (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματος ἐστίν ὁ ὀφθαλμός ἐάν Οὖν ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σοῦ ἁπλοῦς ὅλον τό σῶμα σοῦ φωτεινόν ἔσται)

In this verse, the word eye is singular in form, but it refers to both of the person’s eyes as a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this plainly. Alternate translation: [your eyes are]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἁπλοῦς

healthy

Here, the word healthy could mean that the eye is: (1) functioning properly. Alternate translation: [sound] or [working well] (2) focused on one thing. Alternate translation: [focused] or [attentive to one thing]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν ἔσται

whole (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματος ἐστίν ὁ ὀφθαλμός ἐάν Οὖν ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σοῦ ἁπλοῦς ὅλον τό σῶμα σοῦ φωτεινόν ἔσται)

Here Jesus speaks as if the whole body were illuminated. Since this statement develops the idea of the lamp, you should preserve the figure of speech or use simile form. The clause could mean: (1) that the whole body experiences the benefits of the eye working properly. Alternate translation: [your whole body receives the benefits, as if the eye shone on the whole body] (2) that a healthy eye shows that the whole body is healthy. Alternate translation: [that shows that your whole body is healthy, as if it were illuminated by your eye]

Note 7 topic: translate-tense

ἔσται

will_be

Here Jesus uses the future tense to indicate that the body being illuminated is the logical result of the eye being healthy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use whatever tense would be natural in a general statement like this one. Alternate translation: [is]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

φωτεινὸν

Here, the phrase illuminated could mean that the body: (1) experiences light. Alternate translation: [full of light] (2) shines with light. Alternate translation: [shining with light]

Parallel MAT 6:22

Section 5:1–7:29: Jesus preached a sermon on a mountain

Paragraph 6:22–23

6:22a

6:22b

6:22c