Matthew 6

Introduction

Matthew 6 continues the Sermon on the Mount, shifting from the interpretation of the Law (chapter 5) to the practice of personal piety. Where chapter 5 addressed how kingdom citizens relate to the commandments and to other people, chapter 6 addresses how they relate to God in their devotional life. Jesus takes three foundational practices of Jewish piety -- giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting -- and warns against performing them for public admiration. The repeated refrain "your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" establishes the chapter's governing principle: authentic righteousness is oriented toward God as its audience, not toward human approval.

The second half of the chapter (vv. 19-34) turns from religious practices to the question of material anxiety. Through a series of vivid images -- treasures and moths, eyes and lamps, birds and lilies -- Jesus exposes the root issue behind worry: divided loyalty. The climactic command to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33) ties the chapter together. Whether in prayer or in daily provision, the disciple's fundamental orientation must be toward the Father rather than toward the approval or security the world offers.

Giving to the Needy (vv. 1-4)

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.

¹ "Take care not to practice your righteousness before people in order to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

² So whenever you give charitably, do not blow a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the lanes, so that they may be glorified by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give charitably, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your charitable giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Notes

The chapter opens with a general principle in verse 1 before applying it to three specific practices. The word δικαιοσύνην ("righteousness") functions here as an umbrella term for religious duty or pious practice, which is the sense it carries in Jewish usage. Some manuscripts (the Byzantine and Textus Receptus traditions) read ἐλεημοσύνην ("charitable giving") instead, which would make verse 1 specifically about almsgiving rather than a general heading. Most modern critical texts follow the reading "righteousness," understanding it as the broader principle that governs the three examples that follow.

The verb θεαθῆναι ("to be seen," "to be noticed") is related to the word "theater" -- it connotes putting on a performance, making a spectacle of oneself. Jesus is not forbidding public acts of righteousness (He has just commanded letting one's light shine in Matthew 5:16) but exposing the motive behind them: acting "in order to be seen."

The word ὑποκριταί ("hypocrites") originally referred to actors on a Greek stage -- those who wore masks and played roles. Jesus repurposes it for people who perform religiosity for an audience. The verb ἀπέχουσιν ("they have received in full") is a technical commercial term found in ancient receipts; it means "paid in full." Their reward -- human admiration -- has already been received. There is nothing more coming from God.

The command "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" is hyperbolic: one's giving should be so free from self-conscious display that even one's own awareness is, as it were, kept in the dark. The emphasis is on inner motivation, not a literal prohibition against being aware of one's own generosity.

Teaching on Prayer (vv. 5-8)

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.

⁵ And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets, so that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But you, whenever you pray, go into your inner room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

⁷ And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Notes

Standing was a normal posture for Jewish prayer and is not itself condemned. The problem is the deliberate choice of conspicuous locations -- the synagogues and the street corners -- motivated by the desire φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ("to appear to people"). The verb φιλοῦσιν ("they love") reveals the heart issue: they have an affection for the display itself.

The ταμεῖόν ("inner room") was a storage room or pantry -- the most private space in a typical Palestinian house, the one room with a door that could be shut. Jesus is not instituting private prayer as the only valid form (He Himself prayed publicly) but contrasting the motive of secret devotion with the motive of public performance.

The rare verb βατταλογήσητε ("babble" or "heap up empty phrases") appears only here in the New Testament and is likely onomatopoeic -- imitating the sound of meaningless repetition. The related noun πολυλογία ("wordiness" or "many words") clarifies the issue: it is not lengthy prayer that Jesus condemns (He Himself spent whole nights in prayer, Luke 6:12) but the pagan assumption that the sheer volume of words manipulates the deity into listening. Prayer to the Father is relational, not mechanical.

The Lord's Prayer (vv. 9-13)

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."

⁹ "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father, the one in the heavens, let your name be made holy. ¹⁰ Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth. ¹¹ Give us today our bread for the coming day. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into testing, but rescue us from the evil one.'"

Notes

The prayer begins with Πάτερ ἡμῶν ("Our Father") -- a corporate address that assumes a community of disciples praying together. While Jesus elsewhere uses the intimate Aramaic אַבָּא ("Father," see Mark 14:36), the address here combines intimacy with reverence: He is "our Father" but also "the one in the heavens."

The verb ἁγιασθήτω ("let it be made holy" or "hallowed be") is a third-person imperative -- a petition directed to God asking that He act to cause His name to be treated as holy. It is not primarily a request that we hallow God's name, but that God Himself would vindicate and manifest the holiness of His name in the world (compare Ezekiel 36:23).

The three "Your" petitions (name, kingdom, will) precede the three "us" petitions (bread, forgiveness, deliverance), establishing the priority of God's purposes over human needs. The phrase "as in heaven, so also on earth" may modify all three preceding petitions, not only "Your will be done."

The word ἐπιούσιον ("daily") is a debated word in the New Testament. It appears nowhere else in surviving Greek literature outside of texts dependent on this prayer. Possible meanings include: (1) "necessary for existence" (from the root meaning "being"), (2) "for the coming day" (from a word for "the following day"), or (3) "supersubstantial" -- a meaning favored by Jerome and the Latin tradition, connecting it to the Eucharist. The most natural reading in context is "the bread we need for today" or "bread for tomorrow," reinforcing Jesus' teaching against anxiety about the future (vv. 25-34).

Matthew uses ὀφειλήματα ("debts") where Luke's parallel (Luke 11:4) uses ἁμαρτίας ("sins"). In Aramaic, the word for "debt" was commonly used metaphorically for sin -- an obligation owed to God that one has failed to pay. The statement "as we also have forgiven" uses the aorist tense (ἀφήκαμεν), implying an already-completed action: we ask for forgiveness in the context of having already extended it to others.

The word πειρασμόν can mean either "temptation" (enticement to sin) or "testing" (a trial that proves character). The petition asks God not to bring us into a situation of overwhelming trial -- not that God tempts anyone to sin (see James 1:13) but that He would spare His people from the kind of severe testing that could overwhelm them. The πονηροῦ ("evil one" or "evil") is grammatically ambiguous -- it could be neuter ("evil" in general) or masculine ("the evil one," Satan). Given Jesus' frequent references to Satan in Matthew, the personal reading is more likely.

Interpretations

The doxology "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen" is included in the Byzantine text tradition and the KJV but absent from the earliest manuscripts (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) and from Luke's version of the prayer. Most scholars regard it as an early liturgical addition modeled on 1 Chronicles 29:11-13, incorporated as the prayer entered corporate worship. Protestant worship traditions generally include the doxology; Roman Catholic liturgical practice historically omitted it from the prayer itself but added a similar phrase after an intervening priestly prayer. Its theological content is uncontroversial -- the question is purely textual.

The petition "lead us not into temptation" has generated ongoing theological discussion. If God does not tempt anyone (James 1:13), what does it mean to ask Him not to lead us into temptation? Some interpreters (Luther, Calvin) understand this as a request for preservation -- that God would not allow circumstances to overwhelm us. Others see it as a request for guidance -- "do not let us enter into" a situation where we would face testing beyond our capacity (compare 1 Corinthians 10:13). The 2019 revision of the Roman Catholic Italian translation rendered it "do not abandon us to temptation," which sparked renewed debate about whether the traditional wording adequately conveys the Greek.

Forgiveness as a Condition (vv. 14-15)

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.

¹⁴ For if you forgive people their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Notes

These verses expand on the forgiveness petition of the Lord's Prayer (v. 12). The word παραπτώματα ("trespasses" or "transgressions") literally means "falling beside" -- a misstep or deviation from the right path. It is distinct from ὀφειλήματα ("debts") used in verse 12, though both refer to sin.

The conditional structure is severe: human forgiveness of others is presented as a condition for receiving divine forgiveness. This does not mean that human forgiveness earns divine forgiveness, but rather that the person who has genuinely experienced God's forgiveness will inevitably extend it to others. The one who refuses to forgive reveals that they have not truly grasped the forgiveness they claim to have received. Jesus will develop this principle at length in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35).

Interpretations

The relationship between divine and human forgiveness in these verses raises theological questions. Reformed theologians typically argue that Jesus is describing the evidence of genuine saving faith rather than establishing a merit-based condition -- those who truly know God's grace will forgive others, and refusal to forgive exposes a heart that has never truly received grace. Arminian interpreters may read these verses more straightforwardly as a genuine condition: forgiveness received can be forfeited by an unforgiving heart. Both traditions agree that Jesus is not teaching that human forgiveness precedes or earns divine forgiveness, but they differ on whether the divine forgiveness in view is justification (a one-time judicial act) or the ongoing relational forgiveness between a believer and God.

Teaching on Fasting (vv. 16-18)

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.

¹⁶ And whenever you fast, do not become gloomy like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unrecognizable so that they may appear to people to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you may not appear to people to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the hidden place. And your Father, who sees in the hidden place, will reward you.

Notes

The third example of piety follows the same pattern as giving and prayer: hypocritical display versus secret devotion. Jesus says "when you fast" -- not "if you fast" -- assuming that His disciples will practice fasting as a regular spiritual discipline.

The word σκυθρωποί ("somber" or "gloomy") literally describes a downcast or sullen face. The verb ἀφανίζουσιν ("they disfigure" or "they make unrecognizable") contains an ironic wordplay in Greek: they "make invisible" their faces in order to φανῶσιν ("become visible") to people. They hide their appearance precisely to be seen. This wordplay is impossible to reproduce in English.

The instruction to "anoint your head and wash your face" prescribes the normal daily grooming of a healthy person. The point is not to institute a new fasting ritual but to ensure that fasting remains between the individual and God, without any outward signal designed to attract sympathy or admiration.

The word κρυφαίῳ ("hidden place" or "secret") used in verse 18 is a slightly different form from κρυπτῷ used in the giving and prayer sections (vv. 4, 6), though the meaning is the same. God's domain is "the secret" -- He sees what no human audience can observe.

Treasures in Heaven (vv. 19-21)

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.

¹⁹ "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and corrosion destroy, and where thieves dig through and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor corrosion destroys, and where thieves do not dig through or steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Notes

The verb θησαυρίζετε ("store up") is cognate with the noun θησαυρούς ("treasures"), creating an emphatic repetition: "do not treasure up for yourselves treasures." The wordplay underscores the absurdity of hoarding earthly wealth.

The word βρῶσις, traditionally translated "rust," more literally means "eating" or "corrosion." It may refer to vermin, insects, or any process of deterioration rather than iron rust specifically. In a first-century Palestinian context, wealth often took the form of fine garments (vulnerable to moths) and stored grain (vulnerable to rodents), making these threats concrete.

The verb διορύσσουσιν ("break in") literally means "dig through," reflecting the mudbrick walls of typical Palestinian houses, which could literally be tunneled through by a determined thief.

Verse 21 establishes the principle: the heart follows the treasure, not the other way around. Where one invests one's resources reveals -- and shapes -- one's deepest loyalties. The singular "your treasure... your heart" in the Greek personalizes the teaching.

The Eye as the Lamp of the Body (vv. 22-23)

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!

²² "The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Notes

This saying is best understood in its context between the teaching on treasures (vv. 19-21) and the teaching on two masters (v. 24). The "eye" functions as a metaphor for one's inner disposition toward wealth and possessions.

The word ἁπλοῦς ("sound" or "good") has a double meaning that is central to this passage. In a physical sense, it means "healthy" or "functioning properly." But in an ethical and financial sense, it means "generous" or "single-minded" -- in the Septuagint and other Jewish literature, a "single eye" describes a person who gives generously without ulterior motives (see Proverbs 22:9, where the Hebrew literally reads "good of eye").

Conversely, πονηρός ("evil" or "bad") can mean physically "diseased" but also, in Jewish idiom, "stingy" or "grudging." An "evil eye" was a common Semitic expression for miserliness (see Proverbs 23:6, Proverbs 28:22). Jesus is saying that a generous disposition fills one's whole life with light, while a grasping, covetous outlook plunges one into moral darkness.

The final exclamation -- "if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" -- is a paradox. If the very faculty designed to perceive light (the eye/inner disposition) has itself become darkened, then there is no remaining capacity to recognize one's own condition. Self-deception about money is a thorough form of spiritual blindness.

Serving Two Masters (v. 24)

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.

²⁴ "No one is able to serve two masters, for 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 God and wealth.

Notes

The verb δουλεύειν ("to serve") specifically means "to serve as a slave." A slave in the ancient world was the total property of one master. Unlike a hired worker who might take on multiple employers, a slave's entire life belonged to one owner. The impossibility Jesus describes is structural, not merely difficult -- total allegiance cannot be divided.

The word μαμωνᾷ ("wealth" or "money") is an Aramaic loanword (מָמוֹן) that had entered Greek usage. It refers to material wealth or possessions broadly, not merely coined money. By placing "God" and "Mammon" as parallel objects of the same verb ("serve"), Jesus personifies wealth as a rival deity -- a master that demands the same total devotion that God requires. There is no middle ground between serving God and serving wealth.

The verbs are arranged in two parallel pairs: "hate/love" and "be devoted to/despise." The verb ἀνθέξεται ("be devoted to" or "cling to") is strong -- it means to hold firmly to something, to attach oneself. The opposing verb καταφρονήσει ("despise") means to look down on, to regard as unimportant. Jesus does not present a spectrum of devotion but two mutually exclusive postures.

Do Not Worry (vv. 25-34)

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.

²⁵ "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious about your life -- what you will eat or what you will drink -- or about your body -- what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look carefully at the birds of the sky: they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor do they gather into storehouses, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious is able to add a single measure to his lifespan?

²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Learn from the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not toil, nor do they spin. ²⁹ But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which exists today and tomorrow is thrown into an oven, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?

³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you as well.

³⁴ Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Notes

The opening "for this reason" (διὰ τοῦτο) connects this section directly to the teaching on two masters (v. 24). Because one cannot serve both God and Mammon, anxiety about material provision is fundamentally a loyalty issue: the worrier is acting as though Mammon, not God, is the provider.

The verb μεριμνᾶτε ("worry" or "be anxious") appears six times in this passage (vv. 25, 27, 28, 31, 34 [twice]). It describes a dividing or fragmenting of the mind -- a preoccupation that pulls one's attention away from trust in God. Jesus is not forbidding responsible planning (see Proverbs 6:6-8) but the kind of consuming anxiety that displaces faith.

The word ψυχή in verse 25, translated "life," encompasses the whole living self -- not merely the soul in contrast to the body, but the entire person as a living being. Jesus' argument moves from greater to lesser: God has already given you the greater gift (life itself, the body itself); will He not also provide the lesser things needed to sustain them (food, clothing)?

The verb ἐμβλέψατε ("look carefully") in verse 26 is not casual glancing but intentional observation -- "fix your gaze on." The πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ("birds of the sky") do not practice agriculture, yet God feeds them. The argument from lesser to greater (a qal wa-homer in rabbinic reasoning) is explicit: "Are you not worth much more than they?"

The word πῆχυν in verse 27 literally means "cubit" (about 18 inches), and ἡλικίαν can mean either "height" (stature) or "lifespan" (age). If the meaning is height, adding a cubit would be an absurdly large increment (about a foot and a half). If the meaning is lifespan, adding even a small amount is impossible through worry. Most interpreters prefer "lifespan," since the context is about sustaining life rather than physical stature, and "a single cubit" would then be an understatement: you cannot add even a tiny increment.

The verb καταμάθετε ("learn from" or "consider") in verse 28 is a stronger form of "learn" -- it means "learn thoroughly" or "observe closely." The κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ ("lilies of the field") probably refer not to cultivated lilies but to the wild anemones and other flowers that carpet the Galilean hillsides in spring. The reference to Solomon's glory (1 Kings 10:4-7) -- the peak of Israelite royal splendor -- heightens the contrast: human splendor cannot rival what God gives to wildflowers that live only a day.

The compound ὀλιγόπιστοι ("you of little faith") is a distinctive Matthean term (see also Matthew 8:26, Matthew 14:31, Matthew 16:8). It does not describe the absence of faith but its insufficient measure -- these are people who believe but whose belief is not commensurate with the greatness of the God they claim to trust.

The climactic verse 33 uses ζητεῖτε ("seek") as a present imperative -- keep seeking, make it your continual pursuit. "His kingdom and his righteousness" summarizes the entire Sermon on the Mount: God's reign and the ethical life that corresponds to it. The promise is that material needs will be προστεθήσεται ("added," "provided as well") -- given on top of the kingdom, as a secondary provision to those whose primary pursuit is God himself.

Verse 34 concludes with a proverb-like saying. The word κακία ("trouble" or "evil") here means the hardship or difficulty inherent in daily life, not moral evil. Each day carries its own sufficient burden; to borrow tomorrow's troubles is to carry a weight that God has not assigned for today.

Interpretations

Jesus' command not to worry has been interpreted differently across Christian traditions. Some interpreters in the Anabaptist and radical discipleship traditions (Hauerwas, Yoder) take these teachings as literal economic directives: disciples should not accumulate wealth, should not participate in systems of financial anxiety, and should practice radical dependence on God's provision through community sharing. Mainstream Protestant interpretation (Calvin, Luther) tends to read the passage as addressing the inner disposition of the heart rather than prescribing specific economic practices -- one may save, invest, and plan responsibly so long as the heart remains anchored in trust rather than anxiety. The distinction between "worry" and "responsible planning" is central to this debate. A mediating position notes that Jesus' audience consisted largely of subsistence-level peasants for whom "what shall we eat?" was a daily, literal question -- the teaching addresses genuine survival anxiety, not abstract financial planning, and grounds the answer in the character of God as a generous Father.