Matthew 6 (KJV)

Matthew 6:1–4

Giving in secret

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Jesus warns against doing religious deeds to be seen by others. When giving to the poor, his hearers should do it so quietly that their left hand does not know what the right is doing; their Father, who sees in secret, will reward them.

What does this mean?

'Alms' (KJV) are gifts to the poor; WEB has 'charitable giving' and 'merciful deeds'. 'Hypocrite' was the Greek word for a stage actor, someone playing a part for an audience. 'Sound a trumpet' is probably a figure of speech for drawing attention to oneself.

Historical context

Giving to the poor, prayer and fasting were three central practices of Jewish piety, and almsgiving was regarded as a basic religious duty.

Why does it matter?

This opens a three-part section on giving, prayer and fasting, each following the same pattern: not like the hypocrites, but in secret, and the Father will reward. The Lord's Prayer sits at its centre.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 6:5–8

Prayer in secret

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Jesus tells his hearers not to pray in public places to impress others, nor to pile up words as if God needed persuading, but to pray privately to a Father who already knows what they need.

What does this mean?

'Closet' (KJV) or 'inner room' (WEB) was a storeroom, often the only room in a village house with a door. 'Vain repetitions' (KJV) translates a rare Greek word probably meaning babbling. 'Heathen' (KJV) and 'Gentiles' (WEB) both mean non-Jews.

Historical context

Devout Jews prayed at set times of day, and praying where one happened to be was normal; the criticism targets the motive, not public prayer as such. Some pagan prayers piled up divine names and titles to make sure the right god was addressed.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 6:9–13

The Lord's Prayer

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Jesus gives his followers a pattern for prayer. It addresses God as Father, asks that his name be honoured, his kingdom come and his will be done, then asks for daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptation and evil.

What does this mean?

'Hallowed' (KJV) means treated as holy. 'Daily' translates a rare Greek word that may mean 'for today' or 'for the coming day'. 'Debts' is a Jewish image for sins. 'Temptation' can also mean testing or trial, and 'evil' may mean 'the evil one' (WEB).

Historical context

Addressing God as Father had roots in Jewish scripture and prayer, though Jesus' frequent use of it stands out. The closing words of praise ('For thine is the kingdom...') appear in the KJV and WEB but not in the earliest manuscripts; most scholars think they were added from early church worship.

Why does it matter?

The prayer has been used by Christians of nearly every tradition since the first century; an early Christian manual, the Didache, already tells believers to say it three times a day.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in two Gospels

Luke 11:1–4

The Lord's Prayer

How Luke tells it

Luke sets the prayer after a disciple's request, not in the Sermon on the Mount. It is shorter than Matthew's: in the oldest manuscripts it begins simply "Father" and lacks "thy will be done" and "deliver us from evil," which the KJV and WEB include. Luke asks for bread "day by day" and forgiveness of "sins."

Read Luke’s account in Luke 11

Continue reading in Luke →

How Matthew tells it

Matthew sets the prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, as a contrast to showy or wordy prayer; in Luke it answers a disciple's request after Jesus has been praying. Matthew asks forgiveness of 'debts', Luke of 'sins'; Matthew has 'this day', Luke 'day by day'. Only Matthew's text, in the KJV and WEB, ends with words of praise.

Matthew 6:14–18

Forgiveness and fasting

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Jesus adds that God's forgiveness is bound up with his hearers' willingness to forgive others. He then turns to fasting: instead of looking miserable to be noticed, they should wash and groom themselves as usual, so that only God sees.

What does this mean?

'Trespasses' means wrongs or offences. 'Anoint thine head' (KJV) refers to putting oil on the hair, a normal part of grooming, not a religious rite. 'Disfigure their faces' probably means leaving them unwashed or smeared with ashes.

Historical context

Fasting, going without food for a day or part of a day, was required on the Day of Atonement (from evening to evening) and practised in times of mourning or repentance; some devout Jews fasted twice a week (compare Luke 18:12).

Why does it matter?

Forgiveness is the one petition of the Lord's Prayer that Jesus comments on, and it returns as a major theme in the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21–35).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 6:19–24

Treasure, the eye and two masters

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Jesus urges his hearers to store up treasure in heaven rather than on earth, where it decays or is stolen, because the heart follows the treasure. He adds a saying about the eye as the body's lamp, and warns that no one can serve both God and money.

What does this mean?

'Mammon' (KJV and WEB) is an Aramaic word for wealth or property. In Jewish idiom a 'single' (KJV) or 'sound' (WEB) eye suggested generosity, while an 'evil eye' meant stinginess or envy (compare 20:15), linking the saying to money. 'Corrupt' (KJV) means destroy.

Historical context

Wealth was often held as fine clothing, which moths could ruin, or as coins buried in the ground; thieves could dig through the mud-brick walls of houses. A slave owned jointly by two masters was a recognised situation, with conflicting demands.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 6:25–34

Do not worry

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Jesus tells his hearers not to be anxious about food, drink or clothes. God feeds the birds and clothes the wild flowers more splendidly than King Solomon, so they should seek God's kingdom first, trust that their needs will be met, and take one day at a time.

What does this mean?

'Take no thought' (KJV) is older English for 'don't be anxious' (WEB). A 'cubit' was a forearm's length; the Greek can mean adding to one's height (KJV 'stature') or to one's lifespan (WEB). 'Raiment' means clothing. 'Little faith' is Matthew's recurring phrase for the disciples' wavering trust (8:26; 14:31; 16:8).

Historical context

Dried grass and plants were burned as fuel in clay ovens. Many of Jesus' hearers were farmers, labourers and artisans living close to subsistence, for whom food and clothing were real daily worries. Solomon was remembered as the richest and most splendid of Israel's kings.

Why does it matter?

'Seek first the kingdom' sums up the Sermon's priorities and links back to the 'righteousness' of 5:6 and 5:20.

Editorial notes, not scripture.