God’s Word Translation
Matthew 6:18
18Then your fasting won’t be obvious. Instead, it will be obvious to your Father who is with you in private. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
Matthew 6:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
- New International Version (NIV)so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Context of Matthew 6:18
16“When you fast, stop looking sad like hypocrites. They put on sad faces to make it obvious that they’re fasting. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. 17When you fast, wash your face and comb your hair. Then your fasting won’t be obvious. Instead, it will be obvious to your Father who is with you in private. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you. 19“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. 20Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust don’t destroy and thieves don’t break in and steal.
Read all of Matthew 6Matthew 6:18 word by word
ὅπως μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων ἀλλὰ τῷ πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ. καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ ἀποδώσει σοιRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
- thou appearφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
- notμήmē · notG3361
- unto menὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- unto menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- to fastνηστεύωnēsteuō · to fastG3522
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- untoπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- secretκρυπτόςkruptos · hiddenG2927
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- which seethβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
- shall rewardἀποδίδωμιapodidōmi · to payG591
- openlyφανερόςphaneros · clearG5318
Cross-references for Matthew 6:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:9Whether we live in the body or move out of it, our goal is to be pleasing to him.
- 2 Corinthians 10:18It isn’t the person who makes his own recommendation who receives approval, but the person whom the Lord recommends.
- Colossians 3:22Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master.
- 1 Peter 2:13Place yourselves under the authority of human governments to please the Lord. Obey the emperor. He holds the highest position of authority.
- Matthew 6:4Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
- Romans 2:6He will pay all people back for what they have done.
- 1 Peter 1:7The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again.
Commentaries on Matthew 6:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Thy father which seeth in secret - Let us not be afraid that our hearts can be concealed from God; but let us fear lest he perceive them to be more desirous of the praise of men than they are of that glory which comes from Him. Openly - . These words are omitted by nine MSS. in uncial letters; and by more than one hundred others, by most of the versions, and by several of the primitive fathers. As it is supported by no adequate authority, Bengel…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. 1818. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly--The "openly" seems evidently a later addition to the text of this verse from Mt 6:4, 7, though of course the idea is implied.Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 6:18
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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