Matthew 6:5

Matthew 6:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
• New International Version (NIV)“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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Context of Matthew 6:5

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! 4Nobody 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.’ ‘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. 7When you pray, do not say the same words many times. People who do not believe in God do that. They use many words that mean nothing. They think that when they pray like that, their gods will hear them.

Matthew 6:5 word by word

Καὶ ὅταν προσεύχησθε, οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί, ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν ἑστῶτες προσεύχεσθαι ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• thou prayestπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
• thou shaltεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
• the hypocritesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the hypocritesὑποκριτήςhupokritēs · hypocriteG5273
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• they loveφιλέωphileō · to loveG5368
• standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the synagoguesσυναγωγήsunagōgē · synagogueG4864
• the cornersγωνίαgōnia · cornerG1137
• of the streetsπλατεῖαplateia · wide street/roadG4113
• thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• they may be seenφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
• of menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
• I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• They haveἀπέχωapechō · to have in fullG568
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408

Cross-references for Matthew 6:5

• Matthew 7:7Jesus said, ‘Go on asking God for what you need. Then God will give it to you. Go on looking for what you need. Then you will find it. Go on knocking at the door, and God will open it for you.
• Matthew 9:38So pray to God to send out workers. The field and the crops belong to him.’
• Matthew 21:22So when you pray to ask God for something, believe in him. Then God will give you whatever you ask for.’
• Psalms 5:2My King and my God, listen to my voice. I am asking you to help me. I am praying to you!
• Psalms 55:17I will weep and cry to him, morning, noon and night. He will listen to what I say.
• Proverbs 15:8When wicked people offer sacrifices to the Lord, he hates it. But he is pleased when good people pray to him.
• Isaiah 55:6Come to serve the Lord now, while he lets you find him. Call out to him for help, while he is near you.
• Jeremiah 29:12At that time, when you call out to me for help, I will hear your prayers.
• Daniel 6:10Daniel heard that the king had written this new law. Then he went home. He went upstairs to his room where the windows opened in the direction of Jerusalem. He bent down on his knees and he prayed to God, and he thanked God. He did that three times every day, in the same way that he had always done before.
• Daniel 9:4I prayed to the Lord my God. I agreed that we were guilty and I prayed this prayer: ‘Our Lord, you are a great God and we give you honour. In your covenant, you have promised to love your people. You continue to be faithful to those people who love you and obey your commands.
• Luke 18:1Then Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to teach them that they must go on praying always. They must not get tired.
• John 16:24Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask God, and you will receive what you ask for. Then you will be completely happy.
• Ephesians 6:18As you stand strongly like that, always pray for God's help. Pray about everything as God's Spirit helps you to pray. For this purpose, watch carefully all the time. Also, continue to pray for all God's people everywhere.
• Colossians 4:2Continue to pray seriously. Stay awake, like people who watch carefully. And remember to thank God.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17Pray at all times.
• James 5:15If they pray in that way and they trust that God will answer them, the sick person will become well again. The Lord will cause him to become well. And God will forgive him if he has done any wrong things.

Commentaries on Matthew 6:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And when thou prayest - . , prayer, is compounded of with, and a vow, because to pray right, a man binds himself to God, as by a vow, to live to his glory, if he will grant him his grace, etc. signifies to pour out prayers or vows, from well, and , I pour out; probably alluding to the offerings or libations which were poured out before, or on the altar. A proper idea of prayer is, a pouring out of the soul unto God, as a free-will offering, solemnly and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And when thou prayest … - Hypocrites manifested the same spirit about prayer as almsgiving; it was done in public places. The word “synagogues,” here, clearly means, not the place of worship of that name, but places where many were accustomed to assemble - near the markets or courts, where they could be seen of many. Our Lord evidently could not mean to condemn prayers in the synagogues. It might be said that he condemned ostentatious prayer there, while…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-8Verses 5-8 It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to so poor a thing as the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5When you pray: Jews prayed regularly at 9 am and 3 pm (see Acts 3:1). They often gathered for public prayer. Hypocrites purposely chose public places at these times so everyone would notice them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. And when thou prayest, thou shalt--or, preferably, "when ye pray ye shall." not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets--(See on Mt 6:2). that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have, &c.--The standing posture in prayer was the ancient practice, alike in the Jewish and in the early Christian Church. But of course this conspicuous posture opened the way for the…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 6:5

• Hypocrisy
• Motive
• Pharisees
• Prayer
• Religion

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Appear
• Closet
• Consider
• Corner
• Corrupt
• Countenance
• Despise
• Fast
• 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