Matthew6

Jesus instructs his followers on righteous living, emphasizing that acts of piety such as giving alms, praying, and fasting should be done in secret, not for human display, to receive reward from God. He provides the Lord's Prayer as a model for sincere communion and warns against accumulating earthly treasures. The chapter concludes with an exhortation to trust God for daily needs, rather than worrying, by seeking His kingdom first.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Warnings Against Hypocrisy

1
“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ​
2
So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. ​
3
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4
so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ​

Righteousness in Prayer

5
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
6
But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ​
7
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. ​
8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

The Model Prayer (The Lord's Prayer)

9
So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. ​
10
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11
Give us this day our daily bread. ​
12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ​
13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ ​
14
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ​
15
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.

Righteousness in Fasting

16
When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. ​
17
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18
so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

19
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ​
20
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ​
21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. ​
23
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. ​

Trusting God and Avoiding Anxiety

25
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ​
26
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ​
27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.
29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
30
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ​
31
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32
For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. ​
34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Study Notes for Matthew 6

Verse 1

This verse introduces the overarching theme of the chapter: righteous deeds (alms, prayer, fasting) must be motivated by devotion to God, not by the desire for human approval. Seeking human praise is its own, immediate reward, precluding God's eternal reward.

Verse 2

Hypocrites (Gk. *hypokrites*) literally means 'stage actors.' Jesus uses this term for those whose religious performance is external and insincere. Sounding a trumpet is likely a metaphorical reference to drawing public attention to one's charity.

Verse 4

God, who sees the innermost intentions and actions done in secret, will openly reward the genuine devotion of His followers. This contrasts with the temporary, superficial reward of human praise.

Verse 6

The 'closet' or inner room emphasizes the importance of privacy and sincerity in communion with God. Jesus teaches that true intimacy requires moving beyond public performance.

Verse 7

Vain repetitions (Gk. *battalogeō*) refers to meaningless babbling or reliance on the quantity of words, a practice associated with pagan attempts to manipulate or coerce their deities. True prayer is based on relationship, not repetition.

Verse 9

Jesus presents this as the *manner* of prayer, providing a pattern that prioritizes God's glory and kingdom before petitioning for personal needs.

Verse 11

Daily bread (Gk. *epiousios*) is a unique word often interpreted as 'necessary for existence' or 'for the coming day.' It emphasizes dependence on God for immediate, ongoing provision.

Verse 12

Debts is synonymous with sins or trespasses, reflecting the Jewish prayer tradition. The structure links our spiritual need for forgiveness directly to our willingness to extend forgiveness to others.

Verse 13

The concluding doxology ('For thine is the kingdom...') is absent from the oldest manuscripts but reflects early liturgical usage, likely adopted from common Jewish benedictions.

Verse 14

Jesus emphasizes the conditional nature of forgiveness, immediately expanding upon verse 12. A refusal to forgive others indicates a heart that has not truly grasped the depth of God's grace.

Verse 16

Fasting was a traditional spiritual discipline, often done publicly. Jesus condemns the practice of exaggerating signs of distress (disfiguring the face) to broadcast one’s piety.

Verse 19

Jesus transitions from external practices to internal priorities. Material possessions are inherently insecure, symbolized by moth (destroying clothing) and rust (destroying metals).

Verse 20

Treasures in heaven refer to eternal rewards and spiritual investments made through righteous living and generosity, which are permanent and untouchable by earthly decay or theft.

Verse 22

The eye is used metaphorically as the lamp or window of the body, representing one’s inner disposition or focus. A 'single' (Gk. *haplous*) eye is healthy, clear, and undivided in its devotion.

Verse 24

Mammon is an Aramaic term personifying wealth or material possessions. Jesus asserts that wealth, if pursued as a primary goal, inevitably becomes a rival master to God, demanding total allegiance.

Verse 25

The KJV phrase 'take no thought' is better translated as 'do not be anxious' or 'do not worry.' Jesus is addressing destructive, consuming anxiety about basic physical needs, not responsible planning.

Verse 26

Jesus uses creation (the birds) as evidence of God's meticulous, active providence. If God sustains creatures of lesser value, He will certainly provide for His human children.

Verse 30

O ye of little faith (Gk. *oligopistos*) is a characteristic term used by Matthew to gently rebuke the disciples when they express doubt regarding God's power or provision.

Verse 33

This verse provides the central command and solution to anxiety: prioritize seeking God's active reign (*kingdom*) and living according to His moral standard (*righteousness*). When priorities are right, material needs will be supplied.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options