Matthew 6

Translator Notes

1. The SBLGNT reads dikaiosynēn ('righteousness') rather than eleēmosynēn ('alms, charitable giving') found in later manuscripts. 'Righteousness' serves as the umbrella term for the three practices that follow: giving, prayer, and fasting. The Greek pros to theathēnai ('in order to be seen, for the purpose of being noticed') uses the verb from which we get 'theater' — performing religion for an audience. The Father 'in heaven' (en tois ouranois) is contrasted with the earthly audience throughout this section.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek hypokritai ('hypocrites') originally meant 'actors' — those who perform behind a mask on stage. Jesus repurposes the theatrical metaphor: religious performers are actors playing to a human audience rather than living before God. Whether the 'trumpet sounding' is literal (some form of public announcement) or figurative (drawing attention to one's generosity) is debated. The verb apechousin ('they have received in full') is a commercial term meaning 'paid in full, receipt given' — human praise is the only payment they will ever receive.

Translator Notes

1. The idiom is vivid hyperbole: even your own body should not be aware of your generosity. The right hand (dexia) was the hand of action and blessing; the left hand (aristera) was considered secondary. The point is not literal concealment (impossible from oneself) but a disposition so thoroughly free from self-display that giving becomes second nature — unconscious, reflexive, unperformed.

Translator Notes

1. The SBLGNT does not include en tō phanerō ('openly') after 'will reward you,' which appears in later manuscripts. The contrast is between the 'secret' (en tō kryptō) place where genuine piety occurs and the public stage where performative religion operates. The Father 'who sees in secret' (ho blepōn en tō kryptō) is the only audience that matters — God perceives what no human observer can.

Translator Notes

1. Standing (hestōtes) was the normal Jewish posture for prayer — Jesus does not criticize the posture but the motive. The Greek philousin ('they love, they take pleasure in') exposes the deeper problem: they enjoy being seen praying more than they enjoy praying. The 'corners of the broad streets' (gōniais tōn plateiōn) were intersections where one would be visible from multiple directions — maximum exposure.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek tameion ('inner room, storeroom, private chamber') refers to the most private space in a house — often a windowless storage room. Shutting the door (kleisas tēn thyran) physically removes the human audience. The point is not that all prayer must be private (Jesus prayed publicly) but that the essential dynamic of prayer is between the person and God alone. Again the SBLGNT omits en tō phanerō ('openly').

Translator Notes

1. The Greek battalogēsēte is a rare word, possibly onomatopoetic (imitating the sound of babbling: 'ba-ba-ba'). It may mean 'to babble, to speak repetitiously and without meaning, to heap up empty phrases.' The Greek polylogia ('many words, wordiness') diagnoses the underlying error: the assumption that God must be nagged or informed by sheer volume of speech. The contrast is with the concise Lord's Prayer that follows.

Translator Notes

1. The logic raises a question: if God already knows our needs, why pray at all? Jesus does not answer this directly, but the Lord's Prayer that follows answers implicitly — prayer is not informing God but aligning oneself with God's purposes. The verb oiden ('knows,' perfect tense of oida) indicates settled, complete knowledge, not something God must learn.

Translator Notes

1. The address 'Our Father' (Pater hēmōn) is communal — not 'my Father' but 'our Father,' embedding the pray-er in community from the first word. 'In heaven' (ho en tois ouranois) distinguishes the divine Father from earthly fathers. The passive imperative hagiasthētō ('let it be sanctified, let it be treated as holy') is a divine passive — God himself will bring about the honoring of his name, but the pray-er asks for it and commits to participating in it. The 'name' (onoma) in Hebrew thought represents the entire character and reputation of God.

Translator Notes

1. The aorist imperatives elthetō ('let it come') and genēthētō ('let it be done') express urgency — bring the kingdom now, accomplish your will now. 'Your kingdom' (hē basileia sou) is the same kingdom of heaven Jesus has been proclaiming since 4:17. The phrase 'on earth as in heaven' (hōs en ouranō kai epi gēs) may modify all three petitions — let your name be holy, your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as these things already are in heaven.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek epiousios ('daily') is one of the rarest words in the entire Greek language — it appears nowhere else in all surviving Greek literature outside the Lord's Prayer and may have been coined for this purpose. Possible meanings: (1) 'for the coming day' (from epi + ienai, 'for the next day'), (2) 'for existence/sustenance' (from epi + ousia, 'for being'), or (3) 'necessary, essential.' The prayer echoes the manna provision in Exodus 16, where Israel was given bread for one day at a time — daily dependence on God rather than hoarding.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Exodus 16. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek opheilēmata ('debts, what is owed') is a financial metaphor applied to moral and spiritual obligation. Matthew uses 'debts' where Luke (11:4) uses 'sins' (hamartias), revealing that both concepts overlap. The aorist aphēkamen ('we have forgiven,' completed action) is striking — the prayer presupposes that we have already forgiven before we ask God to forgive us. The 'as' (hōs) does not mean 'because' (earning forgiveness by forgiving) but establishes a pattern: those who have experienced God's forgiveness extend it to others.

Translator Notes

1. The petition mē eisenegkēs ('do not bring into, do not lead into') has troubled interpreters: does God tempt people? James 1:13 says God tempts no one. The Greek peirasmos can mean 'testing' (from God) or 'temptation' (from evil) — the prayer asks to be spared the crisis of testing that could overwhelm faith. 'The evil one' (tou ponērou) can be masculine ('the evil one,' Satan) or neuter ('evil' in the abstract). Given Matthew's usage elsewhere (5:37, 13:19, 38), the personal reading is likely.
2. The doxology 'For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen' does not appear in the earliest manuscripts (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) and is absent from the SBLGNT critical text. It was likely added in liturgical usage, possibly drawn from 1 Chronicles 29:11. We follow the critical text but note the addition for readers accustomed to the traditional form.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References 1 Chronicles 29:11 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek paraptōmata ('trespasses, transgressions, false steps') is a different word from the 'debts' (opheilēmata) of verse 12. A paraptōma is literally a 'falling aside' — a misstep, a deviation from the right path. Jesus expands on the forgiveness petition from the prayer, making explicit what was implicit: the connection between receiving and extending forgiveness is not optional.

Translator Notes

1. The negative counterpart is stated with equal force — refusal to forgive blocks the reception of forgiveness. This is not a transactional formula (forgiving to earn forgiveness) but a statement about the nature of forgiveness itself: a heart that cannot extend mercy has not truly received it. The same principle drives the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek skythrōpoi ('gloomy, sullen, with a dark look') describes a deliberately mournful appearance. The verb aphanizousin ('they disfigure, make unrecognizable, obscure') may refer to putting ash on the face, not washing, or deliberately making oneself look haggard. The ironic wordplay in Greek is between aphanizousin ('they make invisible/disfigure') and phanōsin ('they may appear/be visible') — they destroy their appearance in order to create an appearance.

Translator Notes

1. Anointing the head with olive oil (aleipsai sou tēn kephalēn) and washing the face were signs of normal grooming and celebration in Jewish culture. The instruction is to look normal — even festive — while fasting. The fast remains between you and God; others should not be able to detect it from your appearance.

Translator Notes

1. The three-part pattern is now complete: giving (vv. 2-4), prayer (vv. 5-6), and fasting (vv. 16-18) each follow the same structure — negative example of hypocrites, positive instruction for disciples, and assurance that the Father who sees in secret will reward. The Greek kryphaios ('hidden, secret') is a variant of kryptos used in the giving and prayer sections. The SBLGNT again omits en tō phanerō ('openly').

Translator Notes

1. The Greek thēsaurizete ('store up, treasure up') shares the same root as thēsaurous ('treasures') — a deliberate play on words: 'do not treasure treasures.' The three threats to earthly wealth — moth (sēs, which destroys stored garments), decay (brōsis, literally 'eating, corrosion,' which ruins stored food or metal), and theft — cover the major categories of ancient wealth: clothing, provisions, and precious metals.

Translator Notes

1. Heavenly treasure is defined by its indestructibility — it is beyond the reach of the forces that threaten earthly accumulation. The concept of 'treasures in heaven' was known in Jewish tradition (Tobit 4:9, 2 Baruch 24:1) and refers to the lasting value of righteous deeds, generosity, and faithfulness before God.

Translator Notes

1. The singular 'your' (sou) makes this directly personal — it applies to each individual listener. The logic is not merely 'your heart follows your treasure' but 'what you treasure reveals and determines who you are.' The heart (kardia) in biblical thought is the center of will, desire, and allegiance. Treasure placement is not a financial decision but an identity decision.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek haplous ('single, simple, healthy, generous') is the key interpretive challenge. In Greek it can mean physically healthy (a 'sound' eye), morally simple/sincere, or generous (as in the closely related noun haplotēs in 2 Corinthians 8:2, 9:11). In context — between the teaching on treasure (vv. 19-21) and the warning about mammon (v. 24) — the sense 'generous' is strong. A 'single' eye is one focused on God rather than divided between God and wealth.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek ponēros ('evil, bad, sick') stands in direct contrast to haplous. In Jewish idiom, an 'evil eye' (ayin ra'ah in Hebrew) specifically meant stinginess, greed, and envy — the opposite of generosity. The final exclamation is devastating: if the very organ designed to receive light (the eye/heart) has itself become dark, there is no remaining capacity to perceive truth. The corruption of what should be the source of guidance is the ultimate disaster.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek douleuein ('to serve as a slave') is not casual employment but total allegiance. A slave has one master — divided ownership was legally impossible. The Aramaic mamōnas ('money, wealth, material possessions') is transliterated directly into Greek. By placing mamōnas alongside theō (God) as potential masters, Jesus personifies wealth as a rival deity. The claim is absolute: dual allegiance is structurally impossible, not merely difficult.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek mē merimnate ('do not worry, do not be anxious') does not prohibit planning or working but the corrosive anxiety that assumes God's provision is unreliable. The word merimnaō is from the root merizō ('to divide') — anxiety divides the mind and pulls it in opposing directions. The rhetorical question uses an a fortiori argument: if God gave you life (the greater gift), will he not also provide food and clothing (the lesser gifts)?

Translator Notes

1. The imperative emblepsate ('look at, observe carefully') calls for attentive observation of creation as theological evidence. Birds do not engage in the agricultural cycle (sowing, reaping, storing), yet they are fed. The argument is from lesser to greater (qal wahomer in rabbinic terms): if God provides for creatures that cannot farm, how much more for humans made in his image? 'Heavenly Father' (ho patēr hymōn ho ouranios) reinforces the relational basis of trust.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek hēlikian can mean either 'stature' (height) or 'life span' (age), and pēchyn ('cubit,' about 18 inches) can be literal or metaphorical. If 'stature,' the saying is absurd (a cubit is about 18 inches — no one can grow that much by worrying). If 'life span,' the saying is practical (worry cannot extend life; it may shorten it). Both readings work, but the life span reading fits the context of existential anxiety better.

Translator Notes

1. The verb katamathete ('learn thoroughly, observe carefully, consider well') is stronger than a casual glance — it means to study the lilies as one would study a text. The Greek krina ('lilies') may refer to various wildflowers rather than cultivated lilies specifically. Like the birds, the flowers do not 'labor' (kopōsin, hard physical work) or 'spin' (nēthoustin, the work of making thread for fabric). Creation itself testifies to God's generous provision.

Translator Notes

1. Solomon was proverbially the wealthiest and most magnificently dressed king in Israel's history (1 Kings 10:4-7, 23). The Greek doxē ('glory, splendor, magnificence') here refers to his outward splendor. The comparison is deliberately shocking: a wildflower that lives a single day surpasses the greatest human display of wealth. The implication: if God lavishes beauty on temporary flowers, how much more will he provide for his children?
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes 1 Kings 10:4-7. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek oligopistoi ('of little faith') is a word characteristic of Matthew (6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8) — it describes not unbelief but insufficient trust in a God one already acknowledges. The klibanon ('oven') was a clay baking oven fueled by dried grass and brush. The argument reaches its climax: the most ephemeral thing in creation (grass that exists one day and is fuel the next) receives extravagant beauty from God — how much more will God provide for beings created in his image?

Translator Notes

1. The three anxious questions cover the basic necessities: food, drink, and clothing. The subjunctive mood (phagōmen, piōmen, peribalōmetha) expresses the anxious deliberation of someone who does not know where their next provision will come from. Jesus does not dismiss the reality of material need but challenges the anxious mindset that treats provision as uncertain.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek ethnē ('nations, Gentiles') here refers to those who do not know God as Father. The verb epizētousin ('eagerly seek, strive after') implies an anxious, driven pursuit. The contrast is sharp: those who do not know God as Father must be anxious about material needs; those who do know him should not be, because he already knows (oiden, settled knowledge) their needs. The repetition of 'your heavenly Father' reinforces the relational basis of freedom from anxiety.

Translator Notes

1. This verse functions as the climax of the entire 'do not worry' section and arguably of the Sermon on the Mount itself. The imperative zēteite ('seek') is present tense — seek continuously, as a way of life. The word prōton ('first') establishes priority, not sequence: God's kingdom and righteousness are not the first item on a list but the governing priority that orders everything else. The passive prostethēsetai ('will be added, will be provided') is again a divine passive — God will add material provision. Notably, Matthew here uses 'kingdom of God' (tēn basileian tou theou) rather than his usual 'kingdom of heaven,' perhaps for emphasis.

Translator Notes

1. The personification of 'tomorrow' worrying about itself (hē aurion merimnēsei heautēs) adds a touch of wry humor to the teaching. The Greek kakia ('trouble, evil, hardship') here means the day's burden of difficulty — not moral evil but the ordinary weight of living. The concluding maxim is proverbial in form: confine your concern to today's challenges. This echoes the 'daily bread' petition of 6:11 — live in daily dependence, not projected anxiety.