Matthew 6:1

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
• 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

“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. 2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Matthew 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 16:6“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
• Mark 8:15“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
• Luke 11:35See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.
• Luke 12:1Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
• Hebrews 2:1We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
• Deuteronomy 24:13Return their cloak by sunset so that your neighbor may sleep in it. Then they will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God.
• Psalms 112:9They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.
• Daniel 4:27Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:9As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”
• Matthew 6:5“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.
• Matthew 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
• Matthew 23:5“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
• 2 Kings 10:16Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
• Ezekiel 33:31My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.
• Zechariah 7:5“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?
• Zechariah 13:4“On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair 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

• Alms
• Commandments
• Giving
• Hypocrisy
• Liberality
• Motive
• Ostentation
• Religion
• Watchfulness
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Alms
• Appear
• Closet
• Consider
• 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