English Standard Version
Matthew 6:1
1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
Context of Matthew 6:1
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Read all of Matthew 6Matthew 6:1 word by word
Προσέχετε δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς· εἰ δὲ μή γε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν τῷ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Take heed thatπροσέχωprosechō · to watch outG4337
- ye doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- notμήmē · notG3361
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- almsἐλεημοσύνηeleēmosunē · charityG1654
- beforeἔμπροσθενemprosthen · beforeG1715
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- be seenθεάομαιtheaomai · to look atG2300
- of themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ·εἰei · if: elseG1487
- otherwiseδέde · thenG1161
- ye haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- ·οὐou · noG3756
- noεἰ δὲ μή(γε)ei de mē(ge) · but if not; otherwiseG1490
- rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
- ofπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
- Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
Cross-references for Matthew 6:1
- Matthew 16:6Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
- Mark 8:15And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
- Luke 11:35Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.
- Luke 12:1In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- Hebrews 2:1Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
- Deuteronomy 24:13You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the Lord your God.
- Psalms 112:9He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.
- Daniel 4:27Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."
- 2 Corinthians 9:9As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
- Matthew 6:5"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.
- Matthew 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
- 2 Kings 10:16And he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord." So he had him ride in his chariot.
- Ezekiel 33:31And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.
- Zechariah 7:5"Say to all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
- Zechariah 13:4"On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive,
Commentaries on Matthew 6:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1That ye do not your alms - , perform not your acts of righteousness - such as alms-giving, fasting, and prayer, mentioned immediately after. Instead of , righteousness, or acts of righteousness, the reading in the text, that which has been commonly received is , alms. But the first reading has been inserted in several editions, and is supported by the Codd. Vatican and Bezae, some others, and several versions, all the Itala except one, and the Vulgate…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Take heed that ye do not your alms - The word “alms” here denotes liberality to the poor and needy. In the margin, as in the best editions of the Greek it is “righteousness;” either referring to almsgiving as eminently a righteous act, or more probably including all that is specified in this and the following verses - almsgiving, prayer, fasting, Galatians 2:10; James 1:27; Luke 19:8. Before men - Our Lord does not require us never to give alms before…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Against hypocrisy in almsgiving. (1-4) Against hypocrisy in prayer. (5-8) How to pray. (9-15) Respecting fasting. (16-18) Evil of being worldly-minded. (19-24) Trust in God commended. (25-34) Verses 1-4 Our Lord next warned against hypocrisy and outward show in religious duties. What we do, must be done from an inward principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be praised of men. In these verses we are cautioned against hypocrisy in giving…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1This verse begins the teaching in Matthew 6:2–18. Jesus explains that righteousness (living in line with God’s will) should not be done for public recognition. It should be offered as service to God. Righteous acts are actions that follow God’s way of living. Examples include: giving gifts to those in need (6:2–4), praying (6:5–15), and fasting (6:16–18). Jesus encourages keeping these actions private to avoid seeking personal praise instead of honoring…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-18Sermon on the Mount--continued. General Caution against Ostentation in Religious Duties (Mt 6:1). 1. Take heed that ye do not your alms--But the true reading seems clearly to be "your righteousness." The external authority for both readings is pretty nearly equal; but internal evidence is decidedly in favor of "righteousness." The subject of the second verse being "almsgiving" that word--so like the other in Greek--might easily be substituted for it by…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 6:1
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries