Matthew 6:1-16

Pure-hearted Giving

6:1 “Be ¹  careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. ²  Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, ³  do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues ⁴  and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, ⁵  they have their reward. 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. ⁶ 

Private Prayer

6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues ⁷  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, ⁸  close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ⁹  6:7 When ¹⁰  you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do ¹¹  not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: ¹² 

Our Father ¹³  in heaven, may your name be honored, ¹⁴ 

6:10 may your kingdom come, ¹⁵ 

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

6:11 Give us today our daily bread, ¹⁶ 

6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves ¹⁷  have forgiven our debtors.

6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, ¹⁸  but deliver us from the evil one. ¹⁹ 

6:14 “For if you forgive others ²⁰  their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Proper Fasting

6:16 “When ²¹  you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive ²²  so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, ²³  they have their reward.

Matthew 6:2

6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, ²⁴  do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues ²⁵  and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, ²⁶  they have their reward.

Matthew 10:16

Persecution of Disciples

10:16 “I ²⁷  am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, ²⁸  so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Luke 16:15

16:15 But ²⁹  Jesus ³⁰  said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, ³¹  but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized ³²  among men is utterly detestable ³³  in God’s sight.

Luke 20:47--21:1

20:47 They ³⁴  devour ³⁵  widows’ property, ³⁶  and as a show make long prayers. They will receive a more severe punishment.”

The Widow’s Offering

21:1 Jesus ³⁷  looked up ³⁸  and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box. ³⁹ 

John 5:44

5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise ⁴⁰  from one another and don’t seek the praise ⁴¹  that comes from the only God? ⁴² 

John 7:18

7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ⁴³  desires ⁴⁴  to receive honor ⁴⁵  for himself; the one who desires ⁴⁶  the honor ⁴⁷  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ⁴⁸  and there is no unrighteousness in him.

John 12:43

12:43 For they loved praise ⁴⁹  from men more than praise ⁵⁰  from God.

Philippians 1:15

1:15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

Philippians 2:3

2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ⁵¹  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Philippians 2:2

2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, ⁵²  by having the same love, being united in spirit, ⁵³  and having one purpose.

Philippians 2:4

2:4 Each of you should be concerned ⁵⁴  not only ⁵⁵  about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. ⁵⁶ 

[6:1]  ¹ tc ‡ Several mss (א L Z Θ Ë¹ 33 892 1241 1424 al) have δέ (de, “but, now”) at the beginning of this verse; the reading without δέ is supported by B D W 0250 ˹³ Ï lat. A decision is difficult, but apparently the conjunction was added by later scribes to indicate a transition in the thought-flow of the Sermon on the Mount. NA²⁷ has δέ in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.

[6:1]  ² tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”

[6:2]  ³ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).

[6:2]  ⁴ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[6:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[6:4]  ⁶ 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).

[6:5]  ⁷ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[6:6]  ⁸ 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).

[6:6]  ⁹ tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.

[6:7]  ¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:8]  ¹¹ tn Grk “So do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[6:9]  ¹² 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.

[6:9]  ¹³ 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.

[6:9]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”

[6:10]  ¹⁵ sn Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God’s promised rule.

[6:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Give us bread today for the coming day,” or “Give us today the bread we need for today.” The term ἐπιούσιος (epiousio") does not occur outside of early Christian literature (other occurrences are in Luke 11:3 and Didache 8:2), so its meaning is difficult to determine. Various suggestions include “daily,” “the coming day,” and “for existence.” See BDAG 376-77 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.

[6:12]  ¹⁷ tn Or “as even we.” The phrase ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes ἡμεῖς emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.

[6:13]  ¹⁸ tn Or “into a time of testing.”

[6:13]  ¹⁹ tc Most mss (L W Θ 0233 ˹³ 33 Ï sy sa Didache) read (though some with slight variation) ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν (“for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen”) here. The reading without this sentence, though, is attested by generally better witnesses (א B D Z 0170 ˹ pc lat mae Or). The phrase was probably composed for the liturgy of the early church and most likely was based on 1 Chr 29:11-13; a scribe probably added the phrase at this point in the text for use in public scripture reading (see TCGNT 13-14). Both external and internal evidence argue for the shorter reading.

[6:14]  ²⁰ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”

[6:16]  ²¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:16]  ²² tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”

[6:16]  ²³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[6:2]  ²⁴ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).

[6:2]  ²⁵ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[6:2]  ²⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[10:16]  ²⁷ tn Grk “Behold I.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[10:16]  ²⁸ sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.

[16:15]  ²⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:15]  ³⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ³¹ tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.

[16:15]  ³² tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.

[16:15]  ³³ tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).

[20:47]  ³⁴ tn Grk “who,” continuing the sentence begun in v. 46.

[20:47]  ³⁵ sn How they were able to devour widows’ houses is debated. Did they seek too much for contributions, or take too high a commission for their work, or take homes after debts failed to be paid? There is too little said here to be sure.

[20:47]  ³⁶ tn Grk “houses,” “households”; however, the term can have the force of “property” or “possessions” as well (O. Michel, TDNT 5:131; BDAG 695 s.v. οἶκια 1.a).

[21:1]  ³⁷ tn Grk “He”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:1]  ³⁸ tn Grk “looking up, he saw.” The participle ἀναβλέψας (anableya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:1]  ³⁹ tn On the term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion), often translated “treasury,” see BDAG 186 s.v., which states, “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[5:44]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ⁴¹ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ⁴² tc Several early and important witnesses (Ì^66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some important mss, has the name ({א A D L Θ Ψ 33 Ï}). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (Jo mono") used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In uncial script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.

[7:18]  ⁴³ tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[12:43]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:43]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the glory.”

[2:3]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”

[2:2]  ⁵² tn Or “and feel the same way,” “and think the same thoughts.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated “and be of the same mind” to reflect its epexegetical force to the imperative “complete my joy.”

[2:2]  ⁵³ tn The Greek word here is σύμψυχοι (sumyucoi, literally “fellow souled”).

[2:4]  ⁵⁴ tn On the meaning “be concerned about” for σκοπέω (skopew), see L&N 27.36.

[2:4]  ⁵⁵ tn The word “only” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the ἀλλὰ καί (alla kai) in the second clause (“but…as well”). The bulk of the Western text dropped the καί, motivated most likely by ascetic concerns.

[2:4]  ⁵⁶ tc The bulk of the Western text (D*^,c F G K it) dropped καί (kai) here, most likely due to ascetic concerns. Strong external attestation for its inclusion from excellent witnesses as well as the majority (Ì⁴⁶ א A B C D² 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï) also marks it as original.