19 Lay G2343 not G3361 up G2343 for yourselves G5213 treasures G2344 upon G1909 earth, G1093 where G3699 moth G4597 and G2532 rust G1035 doth corrupt, G853 and G2532 where G3699 thieves G2812 break through G1358 and G2532 steal: G2813
Let your conversation G5158 be without covetousness; G866 and be content G714 with such things as ye have: G3918 for G1063 he G846 hath said, G2046 I will never G3364 leave G447 thee, G4571 nor G3761 G3364 forsake G1459 thee. G4571
Go to G33 now, G3568 ye rich men, G4145 weep G2799 and howl G3649 for G1909 your G5216 miseries G5004 that shall come upon G1904 you. Your G5216 riches G4149 are corrupted, G4595 and G2532 your G5216 garments G2440 are G1096 motheaten. G4598 Your G5216 gold G5557 and G2532 silver G696 is cankered; G2728 and G2532 the rust G2447 of them G846 shall be G2071 a witness G3142 against G1519 you, G5213 and G2532 shall eat G5315 your G5216 flesh G4561 as it were G5613 fire. G4442 Ye have heaped treasure together G2343 for G1722 the last G2078 days. G2250
Love G25 not G3361 the world, G2889 neither G3366 the things that are in G1722 the world. G2889 If G1437 any man G5100 love G25 the world, G2889 the love G26 of the Father G3962 is G2076 not G3756 in G1722 him. G846 For G3754 all G3956 that is in G1722 the world, G2889 the lust G1939 of the flesh, G4561 and G2532 the lust G1939 of the eyes, G3788 and G2532 the pride G212 of life, G979 is G2076 not G3756 of G1537 the Father, G3962 but G235 is G2076 of G1537 the world. G2889
And G1161 having G2192 food G1305 and G2532 raiment G4629 let us be G714 therewith G5125 content. G714 But G1161 they that will G1014 be rich G4147 fall G1706 into G1519 temptation G3986 and G2532 a snare, G3803 and G2532 into many G4183 foolish G453 and G2532 hurtful G983 lusts, G1939 which G3748 drown G1036 men G444 in G1519 destruction G3639 and G2532 perdition. G684 For G1063 the love of money G5365 is G2076 the root G4491 of all G3956 evil: G2556 which G3739 while some G5100 coveted after, G3713 they have erred G635 from G575 the faith, G4102 and G2532 pierced G4044 themselves G1438 through G4044 with many G4183 sorrows. G3601
So G3779 is he that layeth up treasure G2343 for himself, G1438 and G2532 is G4147 not G3361 rich G4147 toward G1519 God. G2316
Charge G3853 them that are rich G4145 in G1722 this G3568 world, G165 that they be G5309 not G3361 highminded, G5309 nor G3366 trust G1679 in G1909 uncertain G83 riches, G4149 but G235 in G1722 the living G2198 God, G2316 who G3588 giveth G3930 us G2254 richly G4146 all things G3956 to G1519 enjoy; G619
He that loveth H157 silver H3701 shall not be satisfied H7646 with silver; H3701 nor he that loveth H157 abundance H1995 with increase: H8393 this is also vanity. H1892 When goods H2896 increase, H7235 they are increased H7231 that eat H398 them: and what good H3788 is there to the owners H1167 thereof, saving H518 the beholding H7207 H7212 of them with their eyes? H5869 The sleep H8142 of a labouring man H5647 is sweet, H4966 whether he eat H398 little H4592 or much: H7235 but the abundance H7647 of the rich H6223 will not suffer H3240 him to sleep. H3462 There is H3426 a sore H2470 evil H7451 which I have seen H7200 under the sun, H8121 namely, riches H6239 kept H8104 for the owners H1167 thereof to their hurt. H7451 But those riches H6239 perish H6 by evil H7451 travail: H6045 and he begetteth H3205 a son, H1121 and there is nothing H3972 in his hand. H3027
Now G1161 when Jesus G2424 heard G191 these things, G5023 he said G2036 unto him, G846 Yet G2089 lackest G3007 thou G4671 one G1520 thing: sell G4453 all G3956 that G3745 thou hast, G2192 and G2532 distribute G1239 unto the poor, G4434 and G2532 thou shalt have G2192 treasure G2344 in G1722 heaven: G3772 and G2532 come, G1204 follow G190 me. G3427
And G1161 when Jesus G2424 saw G1492 that he G846 was G1096 very sorrowful, G4036 he said, G2036 How G4459 hardly G1423 shall they G1525 that have G2192 riches G5536 enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God! G2316
Sell G4453 that ye G5216 have, G5224 and G2532 give G1325 alms; G1654 provide G4160 yourselves G1438 bags G905 which wax G3822 not G3361 old, G3822 a treasure G2344 in G1722 the heavens G3772 that faileth not, G413 where G3699 no G3756 thief G2812 approacheth, G1448 neither G3761 moth G4597 corrupteth. G1311
Jesus G2424 said G5346 unto him, G846 If G1487 thou wilt G2309 be G1511 perfect, G5046 go G5217 and sell G4453 that thou G4675 hast, G5224 and G2532 give G1325 to the poor, G4434 and G2532 thou shalt have G2192 treasure G2344 in G1722 heaven: G3772 and G2532 come G1204 and follow G190 me. G3427
Neither their silver H3701 nor their gold H2091 shall be able H3201 to deliver H5337 them in the day H3117 of the LORD'S H3068 wrath; H5678 but the whole land H776 shall be devoured H398 by the fire H784 of his jealousy: H7068 for he shall make H6213 even a speedy H926 riddance H3617 of all them that dwell H3427 in the land. H776
For God giveth H5414 to a man H120 that is good H2896 in his sight H6440 wisdom, H2451 and knowledge, H1847 and joy: H8057 but to the sinner H2398 he giveth H5414 travail, H6045 to gather H622 and to heap up, H3664 that he may give H5414 to him that is good H2896 before H6440 God. H430 This also is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307
Riches H1952 profit H3276 not in the day H3117 of wrath: H5678 but righteousness H6666 delivereth H5337 from death. H4194
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Matthew 6
Commentary on Matthew 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
Christ having, in the former chapter, armed his disciples against the corrupt doctrines and opinions of the scribes and Pharisees, especially in their expositions of the law (that was called their leaven, ch. 16:12), comes in this chapter to warn them against their corrupt practices, against the two sins which, though in their doctrine they did not justify, yet in their conversation they were notoriously guilty of, and so as even to recommend them to their admirers: these were hypocrisy and worldly-mindedness, sins which, of all others, the professors of religion need most to guard against, as sins that most easily beset those who have escaped the grosser pollutions that are in the world through lust, and which are therefore highly dangerous. We are here cautioned,
Mat 6:1-4
As we must do better than the scribes and Pharisees in avoiding heart-sins, heart-adultery, and heart-murder, so likewise in maintaining and keeping up heart-religion, doing what we do from an inward, vital principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be applauded of men; that is, we must watch against hypocrisy, which was the leaven of the Pharisees, as well as against their doctrine, Lu. 12:1. Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, are three great Christian duties-the three foundations of the law, say the Arabians: by them we do homage and service to God with our three principal interests; by prayer with our souls, by fasting with our bodies, by alms-giving with our estates. Thus we must not only depart from evil, but do good, and do it well, and so dwell for evermore.
Now in these verses we area cautioned against hypocrisy in giving alms. Take heed of it. Our being bid to take heed of it intimates that it is sin.
Two things are here supposed,
Now the doom that Christ passes upon this is very observable; Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. At first view this seems a promise- If they have their reward they have enough, but two words in it make it a threatening.
Mat 6:5-8
In prayer we have more immediately to do with God than in giving alms, and therefore are yet more concerned to be sincere, which is what we are here directed to. When thou prayest (v. 5). It is taken for granted that all the disciples of Christ pray. As soon as ever Paul was converted, behold he prayeth. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. For this shall every one that is godly pray. If prayerless, then graceless. "Now, when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, nor do as they do,' v. 2. Note, Those who would not do as the hypocrites do in their ways and actions must not be as the hypocrites are in their frame and temper. He names nobody, but it appears by ch. 23:13, that by the hypocrites here he means especially the scribes and Pharisees.
Now there were two great faults they were guilty of in prayer, against each of which we are here cautioned-vain-glory (v. 5, 6); and vain repetitions, v. 7, 8.
Observe,
Mat 6:9-15
When Christ had condemned what was amiss, he directs to do better; for his are reproofs of instruction. Because we know not what to pray for as we ought, he here helps our infirmities, by putting words into our mouths; after this manner therefore pray ye, v. 9. So many were the corruptions that had crept into this duty of prayer among the Jews, that Christ saw it needful to give a new directory for prayer, to show his disciples what must ordinarily be the matter and method of their prayer, which he gives in words that may very well be used as a form; as the summary or contents of the several particulars of our prayers. Not that we are tied up to the use of this form only, or of this always, as if this were necessary to the consecrating of our other prayers; we are here bid to pray after this manner, with these words, or to this effect. That in Luke differs from this; we do not find it used by the apostles; we are not here taught to pray in the name of Christ, as we are afterward; we are here taught to pray that the kingdom might come which did come when the Spirit was poured out: yet, without doubt, it is very good to use it as a form, and it is a pledge of the communion of saints, it having been used by the church in all ages, at least (says Dr. Whitby) from the third century. It is our Lord's prayer, it is of his composing, of his appointing; it is very compendious, yet very comprehensive, in compassion to our infirmities in praying. The matter is choice and necessary, the method instructive, and the expression very concise. It has much in a little, and it is requisite that we acquaint ourselves with the sense and meaning of it, for it is used acceptably no further than it is used with understanding and without vain repetition.
The Lord's prayer (as indeed every prayer) is a letter sent from earth to heaven. Here is the inscription of the letter, the person to whom it is directed, our Father; the where, in heaven; the contents of it in several errands of request; the close, for thine is the kingdom; the seal, Amen; and if you will, the date too, this day.
Plainly thus: there are three parts of the prayer.
Every word here has a lesson in it:
Most of the petitions in the Lord's prayer had been commonly used by the Jews in their devotions, or words to the same effect: but that clause in the fifth petition, As we forgive our debtors, was perfectly new, and therefore our Saviour here shows for what reason he added it, not with any personal reflection upon the peevishness, litigiousness, and ill nature of the men of that generation, though there was cause enough for it, but only from the necessity and importance of the thing itself. God, in forgiving us, has a peculiar respect to our forgiving those that have injured us; and therefore, when we pray for pardon, we must mention our making conscience of that duty, not only to remind ourselves of it, but to bind ourselves to it. See that parable, ch. 18:23-35. Selfish nature is loth to comply with this, and therefore it is here inculcated, v. 14, 15.
Mat 6:16-18
We are here cautioned against hypocrisy in fasting, as before in almsgiving, and in prayer.
Now,
Mat 6:19-24
Worldly-mindedness is as common and as fatal a symptom of hypocrisy as any other, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a visible and passable profession of religion, than by this; and therefore Christ, having warned us against coveting the praise of men, proceeds next to warn us against coveting the wealth of the world; in this also we must take heed, lest we be as the hypocrites are, and do as they do: the fundamental error that they are guilty of is, that they choose the world for their reward; we must therefore take heed of hypocrisy and worldly-mindedness, in the choice we make of our treasure, our end, and our masters.
This direction about laying up our treasure, may very fitly be applied to the foregoing caution, of not doing what we do in religion to be seen of men. Our treasure is our alms, prayers, and fastings, and the reward of them; if we have done these only to gain the applause of men, we have laid up this treasure on earth, have lodged it in the hands of men, and must never expect to hear any further of it. Now it is folly to do this, for the praise of men we covet so much is liable to corruption: it will soon be rusted, and moth-eaten, and tarnished; a little folly, like a dead fly, will spoil it all, Eccl. 10:1. Slander and calumny are thieves that break through and steal it away, and so we lose all the treasure of our performances; we have run in vain, and laboured in vain, because we misplaced our intentions in doing of them. Hypocritical services lay up nothing in heaven (Isa. 58:3); the gain of them is gone, when the soul is called for, Job 27:8. But if we have prayed and fasted and given alms in truth and uprightness, with an eye to God and to his acceptance, and have approved ourselves to him therein, we have laid up that treasure in heaven; a book of remembrance is written there (Mal. 3:16), and being there recorded, they shall be there rewarded, and we shall meet them again with comfort on the other side death and the grave. Hypocrites are written in the earth (Jer. 17:13), but God's faithful ones have their names written in heaven, Lu. 10:20. Acceptance with God is treasure in heaven, which can neither be corrupted nor stolen. His well done shall stand for ever; and if we have thus laid up our treasure with him, with him our hearts will be; and where can they be better?
Mat 6:25-34
There is scarcely any one sin against which our Lord Jesus more largely and earnestly warns his disciples, or against which he arms them with more variety of arguments, than the sin of disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of life, which are a bad sign that both the treasure and the heart are on the earth; and therefore he thus largely insists upon it. Here is,
But the thought here forbidden is,