Matthew 6:4

6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ¹ 

Matthew 6:6

6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, ²  close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ³ 

Matthew 6:8-9

6:8 Do ⁴  not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: ⁵ 

Our Father ⁶  in heaven, may your name be honored, ⁷ 

Matthew 6:14

6:14 “For if you forgive others ⁸  their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matthew 6:18

6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:26

6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: ⁹  They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds ¹⁰  them. Aren’t you more valuable ¹¹  than they are?

Matthew 6:32

6:32 For the unconverted ¹²  pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

¹ tc L W Θ 0250 Ï it read ἐν τῷ φανερῷ (en tw fanerw, “openly”) at the end of this verse, giving a counterweight to what is done in secret. But this reading is suspect because of the obvious literary balance, because of detouring the point of the passage (the focus of vv. 1-4 is not on two kinds of public rewards but on human vs. divine approbation), and because of superior external testimony that lacks this reading (א B D Z Ë^1,13 33 al).

² sn The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).

³ tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.

⁴ tn Grk “So do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

⁵ sn Pray this way. What follows, although traditionally known as the Lord’s prayer, is really the disciples’ prayer. It represents how they are to approach God, by acknowledging his uniqueness and their need for his provision and protection.

⁶ sn God is addressed in terms of intimacy (Father). The original Semitic term here was probably Abba. The term is a little unusual in a personal prayer, especially as it lacks qualification. It is not the exact equivalent of “daddy” (as is sometimes popularly suggested), but it does suggest a close, familial relationship.

⁷ tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”

⁸ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”

⁹ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

¹⁰ tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”

¹¹ tn Grk “of more value.”

¹² tn Or “unbelievers”; Grk “Gentiles.”