Psalms 37:5-6

37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! ¹ 

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. ² 

37:6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,

and publicly defend your just cause. ³ 

Matthew 6:3-6

6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ⁴ 

Private Prayer

6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues ⁵  and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, ⁶  close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ⁷ 

Luke 11:33

Internal Light

11:33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place ⁸  or under a basket, ⁹  but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.

¹ tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.

² tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.

³ tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”

⁴ 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).

⁵ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

⁶ 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).

⁷ tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.

⁸ tn Or perhaps “in a cellar” (L&N 28.78). The point is that the light of Jesus’ teaching has been put in public view.

⁹ tc The phrase “or under a basket” is lacking in some important and early mss (Ì^45,75 L Γ Ξ 070 ˹ 700* 1241 2542 pc sy^s sa). It is hard to decide in this case, since the inclusion of “or under a basket” is widely attested by some early and decent witnesses, as well as the overwhelming majority of mss (א A B C D W Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï latt). The parallel passage in Luke 8:16 does not include “under a basket.” If the phrase “under a basket” were added as a harmonization with Mark 4:21 and Matt 5:15, it is perhaps surprising that scribes did not add the phrase at Luke 8:16 as well. It seems somewhat more likely that a scribe copying Luke would be inclined to harmonize 11:33 with 8:16 by omitting the phrase here. Thus, the words “or under a basket” seem to have the marks of authenticity.