Matius 5:15

5:15 People ¹  do not light a lamp and put it under a basket ²  but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Matius 13:34

The Purpose of Parables

13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable.

Matius 21:13

21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ ³  but you are turning it into a den ⁴  of robbers!” ⁵ 

[5:15]  ¹ tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

[5:15]  ² tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).

[21:13]  ³ sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.

[21:13]  ⁴ tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).

[21:13]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.