Meaning:
People who are described as 'the salt of the earth' are those who are
considered to be of great worth and reliability.
Background:
The phrase 'the salt of the earth' derives from the Bible, Matthew 5:13 (King
James Version):
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be
cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
The phrase 'The salt of the earth' - meaning and origin. The positivity
towards salt in this phrase conflicts with many other uses of the word salt,
which has also been used express negative concepts; for example, in the
Middle Ages, salt was spread on land to poison it, as a punishment to
landowners who had transgressed against society in some way.
It seems that the 'excellent' meaning in 'the salt of the earth' was coined
in reference to the value of salt. This is reflected in other old phrases
too, for example, the aristocratic and powerful of the earth were 'above the
salt' and valued workers were 'worth their salt'.
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- www.phrases.org.uk
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Many years ago, I heard from the Canadian pastor Mark Hughes: "You are the light
of the world; you are the salt of the earth" in one of his online sermons. The
Bible passage seems to suggest those who are 'the salt of the earth' show strong
Christian values. They are not doormats and their goodness has an edge.