Lexical Summary modios: Basket, Bushel Original Word: μόδιος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bushel. Of Latin origin; a modius, i.e. Certain measure for things dry (the quantity or the utensil) -- bushel. HELPS Word-studies 3426 módios – a container for dry goods holding up to eight liters (roughly two gallons); a dry measure (the chief grain unit) equivalent to one peck (8.81L). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Latin origin Definition modius, a dry measure of one peck NASB Translation basket (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3426: μόδιοςμόδιος, μοδιου, ὁ, the Latinmodius, a dry measure holding 16 sextarii (or one sixth of the Attic medimnus; commentary Nepos, Attic 2 (i. e. about a peck, A. V. bushel; cf. BB. DD. under the phrase, Weights and Measures)): Matthew 5:15; Mark 4:21; Luke 11:33. Topical Lexicon Definition and Background μόδιος was the ordinary household grain-measure of the first-century Mediterranean world, roughly equivalent to eight or nine liters—large enough to store the daily provision of flour yet small enough to be moved easily about the home. Its familiarity made it an ideal object lesson for Jesus, who consistently drew from common life to communicate eternal truth. Scriptural Occurrences Matthew 5:15; Mark 4:21; Luke 11:33. Matthew 5:15: “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” In each instance the μόδιος is paired with a λύχνος (“lamp”) and a λυχνία (“lampstand”), forming a three-part image: the light, the vessel that could obscure it, and the fixture designed to display it. Cultural and Historical Setting A Palestinian family typically owned one μόδιος for measuring grain and another for storage. When not in use it might rest inverted on the earthen floor, doubling as a temporary cover. Placing a lit clay lamp beneath it would smother the flame or at least stifle its brilliance—an action so counterintuitive that Jesus could count on His audience to feel the absurdity. Symbolic Significance in Jesus’ Teaching The lamp represents divine illumination—revelation, witness, and righteous deeds (compare Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 4:18). The μόδιος stands for anything that conceals that light: fear, compromise, self-preservation, or societal pressure. The lampstand pictures the God-given platforms through which believers are meant to shine. By juxtaposing these items, Jesus presses home the folly of receiving revelation yet withholding it from the world. Theological Themes 1. Revelation Is Meant for Proclamation. God’s disclosure of Himself is never an end in itself (Romans 16:25-26). Practical Ministry Application • Personal Witness: Christians must resist the temptation to retreat into privatized faith. Related Biblical Motifs • The shining of Moses’ face (Exodus 34:29-35) prefigures unveiled radiance. Historical Reception and Commentary Early Christian writers such as Chrysostom linked the μόδιος to persecution, urging believers to remain outspoken even under threat. Reformers like Martin Luther saw in the image a charge to translate Scripture and preach openly, refusing to let ecclesiastical structures become a μόδιος over the Word. Mission movements have repeatedly appealed to this motif as a mandate for global evangelization. Summary Strong’s Greek 3426, though denoting an everyday measuring basket, functions in Scripture as a vivid warning against spiritual concealment. The disciple who has received the light of Christ is obliged—both by gratitude and by divine command—to set that light on the lampstand of public, obedient witness so that “they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Forms and Transliterations μοδιον μόδιον modion módionLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 5:15 N-AMSGRK: ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον ἀλλ' ἐπὶ NAS: it under a basket, but on the lampstand, KJV: it under a bushel, but on INT: under a basket but upon Mark 4:21 N-AMS Luke 11:33 N-AMS |
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