Matthew 6:4

Matthew 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
• New International Version (NIV)so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Context of Matthew 6:4

2When you give something to a poor person, do not tell anyone about it. The hypocrites do this in their meeting places. They also do it in the busy streets of the town. They do this so that other people will praise them. I tell you this. They have already received their gift. God will not give them anything more. 3So when you give something to a poor person, keep it a secret from other people. Do not tell anyone. Your left hand will not even know what your right hand does! Nobody else will know about the good thing that you have done. But God sees the things that you do secretly. In return, he will give you good things.’ 5‘Also, you must not pray in the way that the hypocrites pray. They like to stand and pray in their meeting places. They like to do it on the corners of the busy streets. Then many people will see them and they will praise them. I tell you this. They have already received their gift from people. God will not give them anything more. 6But this is how you should pray. Go to a place in your house where you can be alone. You can shut the door and you can pray to God your Father. He is in that secret place. He sees what you do there. He will give you good things in return.

Matthew 6:4 word by word

ὅπως ᾖ σου ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ. καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει σοιRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• thineσύsu · youG4771
• almsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• almsἐλεημοσύνηeleēmosunē · charityG1654
• may beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• secretκρυπτόςkruptos · hiddenG2927
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• which seethβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• himselfαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• shall rewardἀποδίδωμιapodidōmi · to payG591
• openlyφανερόςphaneros · clearG5318

Cross-references for Matthew 6:4

• Matthew 6:6But this is how you should pray. Go to a place in your house where you can be alone. You can shut the door and you can pray to God your Father. He is in that secret place. He sees what you do there. He will give you good things in return.
• Psalms 17:3You look deep into my mind. You check my thoughts at night. When you test me, you find nothing that is wrong. I have decided that I will never tell any lies.
• Psalms 44:21But if we had done that, you would have discovered it. You know even our most secret thoughts.
• Psalms 139:1Lord, you look deep inside me, and you know all about me.
• Jeremiah 17:10But I, the Lord, look inside a person's mind. I see what he thinks and what he feels. I see how everyone lives, and I see the things that they do. I give to each one what he deserves.
• Jeremiah 23:24Do you think you can hide in a place where I cannot see you? You should know that I am everywhere, in the heavens above and on the earth.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Hebrews 4:13There is nothing in the whole world that can hide from God. He sees everything clearly and he knows everything. We will have to explain to him everything that we have done during our lives.
• Revelation 2:23I will send a terrible illness to kill those who obey her. Then all the people in the churches will know that I look deep inside them. I know what you really want. I know what you really think. I will give each of you what is right for you, as a result of what you have done.
• Matthew 10:42People may think that my disciples are unimportant. But God will bless anyone who gives even a drink of cold water to one of them. I tell you, that person will never lose God's help.’
• Matthew 25:34The king will say to those people who are on his right side, “Come here. My Father has been good to you. He has prepared a place for you in his kingdom. That kingdom has been ready for you since the time that God made the world.
• 1 Samuel 2:30Because of what you have done, the Lord, Israel's God, says this to you: “I promised your family and your ancestors that they would serve me as priests for ever.” But now the Lord says, “That will never happen! I will give honour to people who respect me. But I will curse people who insult me.
• Luke 8:17God hides some things now. But there will be a time when people will see them. God keeps some things secret now. But there will be a time when people will understand those things clearly.
• Luke 14:14Then God will make you happy. Those people cannot pay you for the meal you have given to them. Instead, God will pay you, on the day when he makes good people become alive again.’
• 1 Corinthians 4:5So you should not decide about things before the time is right. Wait until the Lord comes again. He will show everything clearly. He will show the bad things that people have done secretly. He will show the secret purpose of people's thoughts. Then God will praise each person in a way that is right for them.
• Jude 1:24God is able to keep you safe so that you continue to trust him. One day you will stand in front of him and you will be very happy. God will bring you to that place and you will be completely good. You will be able to stand near to God, who shines with beautiful light.

Commentaries on Matthew 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Which seeth in secret - We should ever remember that the eye of the Lord is upon us, and that he sees not only the act, but also every motive that led to it. Shall reward thee openly - Will give thee the fullest proofs of his acceptance of thy work of faith, and labor of love, by increasing that substance which, for his sake, thou sharest with the poor; and will manifest his approbation in thy own heart, by the witness of his Spirit.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Your Father … will reward you: This is true both now and at the final judgment, which is at the end of history (see Matthew 25:31–46).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. That thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly--The word "Himself" appears to be an unauthorized addition to the text, which the sense no doubt suggested. (See 1Ti 5:25; Ro 2:16; 1Co 4:5). Prayer (Mt 6:5, 6).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 6:4

• Alms
• Commandments
• Giving
• God
• God Continued...
• Liberality
• Motive
• Pharisees
• Religion
• Secret
• Works

In the dictionaries

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

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