Bushel
The Biblical Bushel
The word "bushel" in English Bible translations represents the Greek word modios, a dry measuring container roughly equivalent to a peck (about 8-9 liters or 2 gallons). In the New Testament, the term appears not as a unit of measurement but as a household item used in Jesus's teaching about light. The modios was a common grain-measuring vessel found in virtually every home in first-century Palestine, making it an immediately recognizable image for Jesus's audience.
Jesus's Teaching on Light
Jesus uses the bushel in one of His most memorable illustrations, recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declares: "No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house" (Matthew 5:15). Mark 4:21 and Luke 11:33 contain parallel versions of the same teaching. The image is deliberately absurd: lighting an oil lamp only to cover it with an overturned grain container would be pointless and even dangerous, as it would suffocate the flame.
The Context of Light and Salt
The bushel illustration follows immediately after Jesus tells His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14). Combined with the preceding teaching about being the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), Jesus establishes that His followers are meant to have a visible, transforming influence on the world around them. The bushel represents anything that would conceal or suppress the light that believers are called to shine.
What the Bushel Represents
Throughout Christian interpretation, the bushel has been understood as representing various forms of concealment: fear of persecution, worldly concerns, self-absorption, compromise with surrounding culture, or simple neglect of one's calling. Just as a lamp exists to give light, believers exist to reflect God's truth and goodness in a dark world. To hide that light under a bushel is to contradict the very purpose for which they were called. Jesus concludes the passage by saying, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Practical Application
The bushel teaching challenges believers to consider whether their faith is visible and active or hidden and private. Jesus does not call for showy displays of religiosity, which He condemns elsewhere (Matthew 6:1-6), but for genuine good works that naturally illuminate the character of God. The light is not self-generated but received from God, and its purpose is not to draw attention to the believer but to bring glory to the Father. The bushel teaching thus balances boldness with humility.
The Lamp and the House
The setting of the teaching is important: Jesus speaks of a lamp that gives light "to all in the house" (Matthew 5:15). The primary sphere of influence begins at home, in the everyday relationships and interactions that make up daily life. The light shines most powerfully not through grand public gestures but through consistent, faithful living in ordinary circumstances. From the household, the light extends outward to the community and the world, like a city on a hill visible from every direction.
Biblical Context
The bushel appears in Matthew 5:15, Mark 4:21, and Luke 11:33 as part of Jesus's teaching on the purpose of light. In Matthew, it belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, following the declarations that believers are salt and light. In Mark, it appears in the context of parables about the kingdom. In Luke, it follows teaching about seeking signs. All three passages use the bushel as an illustration of the absurdity of hiding God-given light.
Theological Significance
The bushel teaching establishes that Christian faith is inherently public and active. Believers are not called to preserve their faith privately but to let it shine for God's glory. The passage teaches that the purpose of spiritual light is to benefit others and point them to God. It also warns against allowing anything to suppress the influence of the gospel in the world.
Historical Background
The modios was a standard Roman dry measure used throughout the Empire for grain. In first-century Palestinian homes, oil lamps were placed on simple stands or shelves to maximize their light in small, often windowless rooms. The image of covering a lamp with a modios would have been humorous and obviously impractical to Jesus's original audience, as it would both waste oil and risk fire. The imagery draws on the everyday domestic life familiar to all His listeners.