6 But G1161 thou, G4771 when G3752 thou prayest, G4336 enter G1525 into G1519 thy G4675 closet, G5009 and G2532 when thou hast shut G2808 thy G4675 door, G2374 pray G4336 to thy G4675 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 secret; G2927 and G2532 thy G4675 Father G3962 which G3588 seeth G991 in G1722 secret G2927 shall reward G591 thee G4671 openly. G1722 G5318
He went in H935 therefore, and shut H5462 the door H1817 upon them twain, H8147 and prayed H6419 unto the LORD. H3068
The eyes H5869 of the LORD H3068 are upon the righteous, H6662 and his ears H241 are open unto their cry. H7775
Then G5119 cometh G2064 Jesus G2424 with G3326 them G846 unto G1519 a place G5564 called G3004 Gethsemane, G1068 and G2532 saith G3004 unto the disciples, G3101 Sit ye G2523 here, G847 while G2193 G3757 I go G565 and pray G4336 yonder. G1563 And G2532 he took with him G3880 Peter G4074 and G2532 the two G1417 sons G5207 of Zebedee, G2199 and began G756 to be sorrowful G3076 and G2532 very heavy. G85 Then G5119 saith he G3004 unto them, G846 My G3450 soul G5590 is G2076 exceeding sorrowful, G4036 even unto G2193 death: G2288 tarry ye G3306 here, G5602 and G2532 watch G1127 with G3326 me. G1700 And G2532 he went G4281 a little G3397 further, G4281 and fell G4098 on G1909 his G846 face, G4383 and G2532 prayed, G4336 saying, G3004 O my G3450 Father, G3962 if G1487 it be G2076 possible, G1415 let G3928 this G5124 cup G4221 pass G3928 from G575 me: G1700 nevertheless G4133 not G3756 as G5613 I G1473 will, G2309 but G235 as G5613 thou G4771 wilt.
But G1161 Peter G4074 put G1544 them all G3956 forth, G1854 and kneeled down, G5087 G1119 and prayed; G4336 and G2532 turning G1994 him to G4314 the body G4983 said, G2036 Tabitha, G5000 arise. G450 And G1161 she opened G455 her G846 eyes: G3788 and G2532 when she saw G1492 Peter, G4074 she sat up. G339
For this G5127 cause G5484 I bow G2578 my G3450 knees G1119 unto G4314 the Father G3962 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547
G1161 On the morrow, G1887 as they G1565 went on their journey, G3596 and G2532 drew nigh G1448 unto the city, G4172 Peter G4074 went up G305 upon G1909 the housetop G1430 to pray G4336 about G4012 the sixth G1623 hour: G5610
And Jacob H3290 was left H3498 alone; and there wrestled H79 a man H376 with him until the breaking H5927 of the day. H7837 And when he saw H7200 that he prevailed H3201 not against him, he touched H5060 the hollow of his thigh; H3409 and the hollow H3709 of Jacob's H3290 thigh H3409 was out of joint, H3363 as he wrestled H79 with him. And he said, H559 Let me go, H7971 for the day H7837 breaketh. H5927 And he said, H559 I will not let thee go, H7971 except H518 thou bless H1288 me. And he said H559 unto him, What is thy name? H8034 And he said, H559 Jacob. H3290 And he said, H559 Thy name H8034 shall be called H559 no more Jacob, H3290 but Israel: H3478 for as a prince hast thou power H8280 with God H430 and with men, H582 and hast prevailed. H3201 And Jacob H3290 asked H7592 him, and said, H559 Tell H5046 me, I pray thee, thy name. H8034 And he said, H559 Wherefore is it H2088 that thou dost ask H7592 after my name? H8034 And he blessed H1288 him there.
That G3704 thine G4675 alms G1654 may be G5600 in G1722 secret: G2927 and G2532 thy G4675 Father G3962 which G3588 seeth G991 in G1722 secret G2927 himself G846 shall reward G591 thee G4671 openly. G1722 G5318
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto her, G846 Touch G680 me G3450 not; G3361 for G1063 I am G305 not yet G3768 ascended G305 to G4314 my G3450 Father: G3962 but G1161 go G4198 to G4314 my G3450 brethren, G80 and G2532 say G2036 unto them, G846 I ascend G305 unto G4314 my G3450 Father, G3962 and G2532 your G5216 Father; G3962 and G2532 to my G3450 God, G2316 and G2532 your G5216 God. G2316
And G2532 Cornelius G2883 said, G5346 Four G5067 days G2250 ago G575 I was G2252 fasting G3522 until G3360 this G5026 hour; G5610 and G2532 at the ninth G1766 hour G5610 I prayed G4336 in G1722 my G3450 house, G3624 and, G2532 behold, G2400 a man G435 stood G2476 before G1799 me G3450 in G1722 bright G2986 clothing, G2066
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,