Matthew 6:17

Matthew 6:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
• New International Version (NIV)But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Context of Matthew 6:17

15But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive you.’ 16Jesus then said, ‘You may decide to fast for some time. But do not look sad so that people know you are doing a special thing. Hypocrites want people to see how good they are. They make their faces dirty. Then other people can see that they are fasting. I tell you this: people have praised them and that is the only gift that they will get. But when you fast for some time, you should wash your face. Make your hair look nice. 18Then other people will not know that you are doing a special thing. But God, your Father, will know. You do not see him but he sees what you do secretly. He will give you good things in return. 19Do not want to have many valuable things here in the world. Insects or water can destroy those kinds of things. Or people may come into your house and they can rob you of those things.

Matthew 6:17 word by word

σὺ δὲ νηστεύων ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαιRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• when thou fastestνηστεύωnēsteuō · to fastG3522
• anointἀλείφωaleiphō · to anointG218
• headὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• washνίπτωniptō · to washG3538
• faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383

Cross-references for Matthew 6:17

• Ruth 3:3So wash yourself carefully. Put some perfume on yourself. Put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor. Do not let Boaz know that you are there. Wait quietly until he has finished his food and drink.
• 2 Samuel 14:2So he sent a message to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He said to her, ‘Pretend that you are upset because of someone's death. Dress in funeral clothes. Do not use any perfume on your body. You must seem like a woman who has been sad for a long time.
• Ecclesiastes 9:8Always dress yourself well in good clothes. Use as much sweet oil as you need on your head.
• Daniel 10:2At that time I, Daniel, was very sad for three weeks.

Commentaries on Matthew 6:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Anoint thine head and wash thy face - These were forbidden in the Jewish canon on days of fasting and humiliation; and hypocrites availed themselves of this ordinance, that they might appear to fast. Our Lord, therefore, cautions us against this: as if he had said, Affect nothing - dress in thy ordinary manner, and let the whole of thy deportment prove that thou desirest to recommend my soul to God, and not thy face to men. That factitious mourning, which…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But thou when thou fastest, anoint … - That is, appear as you do daily. Do not assume any new appearance, or change your visage or dress. The Jews and all neighboring nations were much in the habit of washing and anointing their bodies. This washing was performed at every meal; and where it could be effected, the head, or other parts of the body, was daily anointed with sweet or olive oil. In a warm climate, exposed to the great heat of the sun, this…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-18Verses 16-18 Religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, but it is not so much a duty itself, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Fasting is the humbling of the soul, Psa 35:13; that is the inside of the duty; let that, therefore, be thy principal care, and as to the outside of it, covet not to let it be seen. God sees in secret, and will reward openly.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face--as the Jews did, except when mourning (Da 10:3); so that the meaning is, "Appear as usual"--appear so as to attract no notice.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 6:17

• Ablution
• Commandments
• Fasting
• Motive
• Pharisees
• Religion

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Appear
• Closet
• Consider
• Corrupt
• Countenance
• Despise
• Fast
• Forgive
• Glory

Commentaries on Matthew 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings