What Does “Munyu” (Salt) Mean

Colossians 4:6 (NKJV) says:
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

The Swahili word “munyu” translates to “salt” in English. Although this specific word “munyu” appears only once in the Swahili Bible, its biblical significance spans much deeper. The concept of salt in Scripture is rich with symbolic meaning—ranging from purity, preservation, covenant, and value, to judgment and speech.

1. The Historical Use of Salt in the Bible

Salt was more than a flavor enhancer in the ancient world. It was a preservative, especially critical in the days before refrigeration. It was also a symbol of covenant loyalty, purity, and durability. That’s why in biblical times, salt was even used in offerings.

Leviticus 2:13 (NKJV):
“And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.”

This reference speaks of the “salt of the covenant”, symbolizing permanence and loyalty in God’s relationship with His people. Salt, then, is not just a cooking ingredient—it is a theological metaphor for enduring truth and divine covenant.

2. Salted Speech: What Does It Mean?

When Paul writes that our words should be “seasoned with salt”, he is encouraging believers to speak with grace but also with truth, wisdom, and lasting spiritual value. Salted words are:

• Gracious: Not harsh, condemning, or careless. They reflect the unearned kindness and mercy of God.
• Wise and Thoughtful: Able to build up others, not tear them down (Ephesians 4:29).
• Preservative: They preserve truth in a decaying moral world. They don’t fade or lose meaning with trends.
• Evangelistic: They point to eternal hope, not temporary worldly gain.

Jesus Himself used this imagery when He taught His disciples.

Matthew 5:13 (NKJV):
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Here, salt represents the disciple’s role in preserving the truth and influencing the world. Our words, then, must reflect our spiritual identity and mission.

3. Salted Words Are Enduring Words

Unlike fleeting, worldly speech, salted speech carries eternal weight.

Matthew 24:35 (NKJV):
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Jesus’ words are the ultimate model of salted speech—they are full of truth, unchanging, and life-giving. As believers, when we speak about salvation, hope, righteousness, and the Kingdom of God, we are echoing this eternal message.

4. Words Without Salt: The Contrast

In contrast, speech that lacks salt is focused on temporal, earthly matters, often driven by pride, greed, or anxiety about the future. James issues a strong reminder against this kind of thinking:

James 4:13–14 (NKJV):
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city… and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor…”

Such words may seem logical in the moment but have no lasting value. They are like unsalted food—bland, perishable, and ultimately forgettable.

5. Final Encouragement

Let us strive, by God’s grace, to ensure our words are seasoned with salt—full of grace, truth, and life. This kind of speech not only honors God but also strengthens others, pointing them to eternal hope.

Prayer:
Lord, help us to speak words that are gracious, truthful, and lasting—seasoned with the salt of Your Word and empowered by Your Spirit.

Shalom

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