ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 6
Giving to the Needy
6 “Beware of r practicing your righteousness before other people in order s to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 t “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 u be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have v received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. w And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Lord's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love x to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. y Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, z go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. a And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as b the Gentiles do, for c they think that they will be heard d for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, e for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 f Pray then like this:
g “Our Father in heaven,
h hallowed be i your name. [1]
10 j Your kingdom come,
k your will be done, [2]
l on earth as it is in heaven.
11 m Give us n this day our daily bread, [3]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And o lead us not into temptation,
but p deliver us from q evil. [4]
14 r For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 s but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting
16 “And t when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. u Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, v anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. w And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 x “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where y moth and rust [5] destroy and where thieves z break in and steal, 20 x but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 a “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 a but if b your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 c “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and d money. [6]
Do Not Be Anxious
25 e “Therefore I tell you, f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 g Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. h Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his i span of life? [7] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, j even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, k O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For l the Gentiles seek after all these things, and m your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But n seek first o the kingdom of God and his righteousness, p and all these things will be added to you.
34 q “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Translation Notes
- [1] 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence
- [2] 6:10 Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done
- [3] 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow
- [4] 6:13 Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen
- [5] 6:19 Or worm; also verse 20
- [6] 6:24 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions
- [7] 6:27 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
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Matt. 5:1–7:29 The Authoritative Message of the Messiah: Kingdom Life for His Disciples. This is the first of five major discourses in Matthew (chs. 5–7; 10; 13; 18–20; 24–25). Speaking to his disciples (5:1), Jesus expounds the reality of discipleship lived in the presence and power of the kingdom of God but within the everyday world. Some interpreters have thought the purpose of this sermon was to describe a moral standard so impossibly high that it is relevant only for a future millennial kingdom. Others have thought its primary purpose was to portray the absoluteness of God's moral perfection and thereby to drive people to despair of their own righteousness, so they will trust in the imputed righteousness of Christ. Both views fail to recognize that these teachings, rightly understood, form a challenging but practical ethic that Jesus expects his followers to live by in this present age. The sermon, commonly called the “Sermon on the Mount,” is probably a summary of a longer message, but the structure is a unified whole. It has similarities to the “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke 6:17–49, but there are also significant differences. The three main theories about their relationship are: (1) they record the same sermon but Matthew and Luke give summaries that report different sections and emphases; (2) they record two different sermons, given on different occasions but repeating much of the same content, as itinerant preachers often do; and (3) either Matthew or Luke, or both, have collected sayings that Jesus gave on different occasions and put them together in a sermon format. View (3) seems to make Matthew's presentation of this as a single historical event untruthful (cf. Matt. 5:1–2 with 7:28–29; 8:1; and Luke 6:17, 20 with Luke 7:1), and evangelical commentators have not generally adopted it. Views (1) and (2) are both possible, and it is difficult to decide between them.
Matt. 6:1–7:12 The Development of Kingdom Life in the Real World. Jesus sets forth principles for spirituality in religious life (6:1–18), everyday life (6:19–34), and community relationships (7:1–12).
Matt. 6:1–18 Jesus gives examples of how a person's faith can be expressed in a hypocritical way, when giving to the needy (vv. 2–4), praying (vv. 5–15), and fasting (vv. 16–18).
Matt. 6:1 before other people. Public acts of obedience are valuable and honorable, but if they are done merely for the sake of public recognition, there will be no reward from God (cf. vv. 2, 5, 16).
Matt. 6:2–4 Hypocrites originally referred to Greek actors who wore different masks to play various roles. Jesus criticizes the religious leaders, most notably the Pharisees, for a particular form of hypocrisy: doing right things for the wrong reasons. To give to the needy was one of the pillars of piety, but the religious leaders gave to the needy in order to be praised by others. The tragic irony was that they had received their reward of public and professional acclaim, but that was all the reward they would ever receive, and such fleeting human adulation precludes satisfaction of the deep longing of people's hearts to stand approved by their Father who sees in secret.
Matt. 6:5–15 Prayer was a pillar of Jewish piety. Public prayer, said aloud in the morning, afternoon, and evening, was common.
Matt. 6:5–6 stand and pray in the synagogues. At the set time of prayer, pious Jews would stop what they were doing and pray, some discreetly, but others with pretentious display. Jesus did not condemn all public prayer, as indicated by his own prayers in public (e.g., 14:19; 15:36). One's internal motivation is the central concern. shut the door. Though public prayer has value, prayer completely away from public view allows a person (or group) to focus more exclusively on God.
Matt. 6:7–8 heap up empty phrases. Pagans repeated the names of their gods or the same words over and over without thinking (cf. 1 Kings 18:26; Acts 19:34). Jesus is prohibiting mindless, mechanical repetition, not the earnest repetition that flows from the imploring heart (Mark 14:39; 2 Cor. 12:8; cf. Psalm 136; Isa. 6:3).
Matt. 6:9–13 Jesus gives his disciples an example to follow when praying. The prayer has a beginning invocation and six petitions that give proper priorities. The first three petitions focus on the preeminence of God while the final three focus on personal needs in a community context.
Matt. 6:9 Father (Gk. patēr, “father”) would have been “Abba” in Aramaic, the everyday language spoken by Jesus (cf. Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). It was the word used by Jewish children for their earthly fathers. However, since the term in both Aramaic and Greek was also used by adults to address their fathers, the claim that “Abba” meant “Daddy” is misleading and runs the risk of irreverence. Nevertheless, the idea of praying to God as “Our Father” conveys the authority, warmth, and intimacy of a loving father's care, while in heaven reminds believers of God's sovereign rule over all things. The theme of “heavenly Father” is found throughout the OT (Deut. 14:1; 32:6; Ps. 103:13; Jer. 3:4; 31:9; Hos. 11:1). Jesus' disciples are invited into the intimacy of God the Son with his Father. The concern of this first petition (see note on Matt. 6:9–13) is that God's name would be hallowed—that God would be treated with the highest honor and set apart as holy.
Matt. 6:10 Christians are called to pray and work for the continual advance of God's kingdom on earth (the second petition; see note on vv. 9–13). The presence of God's kingdom in this age refers to the reign of Christ in the hearts and lives of believers, and to the reigning presence of Christ in his body, the church—so that they increasingly reflect his love, obey his laws, honor him, do good for all people, and proclaim the good news of the kingdom. The third petition speaks of God's will. This means God's “revealed will” (see note on Eph. 5:17), which involves conduct that is pleasing to him as revealed in Scripture. Just as God's will is perfectly experienced in heaven, Jesus prays that it will be experienced on earth. The will of God will be expressed in its fullness only when God's kingdom comes in its final form, when Christ returns in power and great glory (see Matt. 24:30; cf. Rom. 8:18–25; Rev. 20:1–10), but it will increasingly be seen in this age as well (Matt. 13:31–33).
Matt. 6:11 The fourth petition (see note on vv. 9–13) focuses on the disciples' daily bread, a necessity of life which by implication includes all of the believer's daily physical needs.
Matt. 6:12 Forgive us our debts (the fifth petition) does not mean that believers need to ask daily for justification, since believers are justified forever from the moment of initial saving faith (Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:1; 10:10). Rather, this is a prayer for the restoration of personal fellowship with God when fellowship has been hindered by sin (cf. Eph. 4:30). Those who have received such forgiveness are so moved with gratitude toward God that they also eagerly forgive those who are debtors to them. On sin as a “debt” owed to God, see note on Col. 2:14.
Matt. 6:13 This final (sixth) petition addresses the disciples' battle with sin and evil. Lead us not into temptation. The word translated “temptation” (Gk. peirasmos) can indicate either temptation or testing (see notes on 4:1; James 1:13). The meaning here most likely carries the sense, “Allow us to be spared from difficult circumstances that would tempt us to sin” (cf. Matt. 26:41). Although God never directly tempts believers (James 1:13), he does sometimes lead them into situations that “test” them (cf. Matt. 4:1; also Job 1; 1 Pet. 1:6; 4:12). In fact, trials and hardships will inevitably come to believers' lives, and believers should “count it all joy” (James 1:2) when trials come, for they are strengthened by them (James 1:3–4). Nonetheless, believers should never pray to be brought into such situations but should pray to be delivered from them, for hardship and temptation make obedience more difficult and will sometimes result in sin. Believers should pray to be delivered from temptation (cf. Matt. 26:41; Luke 22:40, 46; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 3:10) and led in “paths of righteousness” (Ps. 23:3). deliver us from evil. The phrase translated “evil” (Gk. tou ponērou) can mean either “evil” or “the evil one,” namely, Satan. The best protection from sin and temptation is to turn to God and to depend on his direction. “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen” (esv footnote) is evidently a later scribal addition, since the most reliable and oldest Greek manuscripts all lack these words, which is the reason why these words are omitted from most modern translations. However, there is nothing theologically incorrect about the wording (cf. 1 Chron. 29:11–13), nor is it inappropriate to include these words in public prayers.
Matt. 6:14–15 forgive others. Jesus reemphasizes the importance of forgiving others, indicating that there is a direct relationship between having been forgiven by God and the forgiveness that his disciples of necessity must extend to others. As in v. 12, forgive your trespasses here refers to restoration of personal relationship with God, not to initial justification (cf. note on v. 12).
Matt. 6:16–18 Various kinds of fasts were commonly practiced in OT times, though the law required only one fast a year, on the Day of Atonement (though fasting is probably implied by the command to “afflict yourselves”; Lev. 16:29–34; 23:26–32). In addition to abstaining from food, people were to humble themselves by praying, mourning, and wearing sackcloth. As with giving (Matt. 6:2–4) and praying (vv. 5–15), fasting is to be a matter of the heart between the Christian and God. when you fast. Jesus assumes that his disciples will fast. Disfigure indicates leaving one's face unwashed and sprinkled with ashes, with the intention of publicizing the physical hardships of fasting. their reward. See note on vv. 2–4. Anointing and washing (v. 17) signify preparations to enjoy life (cf. Eccles. 9:7–8).
Matt. 6:19–34 The righteousness of the kingdom of heaven works out in the details of one's personal life. Jesus calls his followers to choose their master, either God or wealth (vv. 19–24), and to choose their outlook on life, either faith or worry (vv. 25–34).
Matt. 6:19 moth . . . rust . . . thieves. See note on Luke 12:33–34.
Matt. 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven implies that people often have a choice between activities that lead to greater earthly reward in the present (cf. vv. 2, 5, 16) and those that store up greater future reward in heaven. Elsewhere in the Gospels the consequences of making the wrong choice are shown to be eternally disastrous (see Mark 8:36; Luke 12:20–21).
Matt. 6:21 Throughout Scripture, the heart refers to the center of one's being, involving one's emotions, reason, and will.
Matt. 6:22–23 The eye (similar to the “heart” in Jewish literature) is a lamp that reveals the quality of a person's inner life. A healthy eye (clear vision) suggests loyal devotion to God, while a bad eye (impaired vision) connotes moral corruption.
Matt. 6:24 Serve (Gk. douleuō) indicates the work of a slave, not an employee. Since a slave is the sole property of one master, he must give the master exclusive service. A disciple's loyalties cannot be divided—that is, one is either a slave to God or to money.
Matt. 6:25 Therefore . . . do not be anxious. If one makes the right choices (see vv. 19–24), there is (“therefore”) no reason that one should be anxious. Jesus gives two a fortiori (“how much more”) examples—“look at the birds” (v. 26), “consider the lilies” (v. 28)—to show that, since God cares even for the birds and the lilies, how much more will he care for his own. To be anxious, then, demonstrates a lack of trust in God, who promises that he will graciously care for “all these things” (v. 33; cf. Rom. 8:32). See also Phil. 4:5–6.
Matt. 6:26 Human beings are of more value than animals (cf. 10:31; 12:12) because only humans, out of all God's creatures, are created “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:27), because God gave the human race dominion over all the earth and all its creatures (Gen. 1:28), and because God loved human beings so much “that he gave his only Son” to die for our sins (John 3:16).
Matt. 6:30 Grass was a natural source of fuel for fire and a common biblical metaphor for human frailty (e.g., Ps. 37:2; 102:4). Little faith implies a deficiency rather than an absence of faith (cf. Matt. 8:26).
