Matthew 6
6
Giving with Pure Motives
1“Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father. 2So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it and make a show of it just to be seen by people, # 6:2 Or “blow your own horn.” like the hypocrites # 6:2 The Greek word hupokrites is not only used for people with double standards, it actually means “overcritical,” “nitpicking,” “splitting hairs over religious issues.” in the streets and in the marketplace. # 6:2 As translated from Aramaic and Hebrew Matthew. The Greek is “synagogues.” They’ve already received their reward! 3But when you demonstrate generosity, do it with pure motives and without drawing attention to yourself. # 6:3 Or “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” This is a figure of speech for giving with pure motives, not to be seen and applauded by others. 4Give secretly and your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.” # 6:4 As translated from the Aramaic and Hebrew Matthew. Most Greek manuscripts do not include the word openly.
Prayer
5“Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, # 6:6 Or “Go into your inner room [storehouse], close the door, and pray.” This “inner room” can also be a metaphor for praying from the heart, from our innermost being, our storehouse. praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. 7When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like the Gentiles do, for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. 8There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. 9Pray like this:
‘Our Beloved Father, # 6:9 Jesus invites us into the same relationship with the Father, as His Abba. dwelling in the heavenly realms,
may the glory of your name
be the center on which our lives turn. # 6:9 An alternate reading of the Aramaic text. The Aramaic word for “name” is shema (the Hebrew word, shem), a word with multiple meanings. It can also be translated “light,” “sound,” or “atmosphere.” Placing a light, like a lantern, in an enclosed space magnifies that light. This is the meaning here of God’s name being made sacred and magnified as we focus our lives on him. The Greek is “treated as holy.”
10Manifest your kingdom realm, # 6:10 Or “Come and begin your kingdom reign.”
and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth,
just as it is in heaven.
11We acknowledge you as our Provider
of all we need each day. # 6:11 Or “Give us bread [or life] today for the coming day.” Bread becomes a metaphor of our needs (physically, spiritually, and emotionally). Jesus is teaching us to acknowledge Father God as our Provider of all we need each day. Both the Greek and Hebrew Matthew can be translated “Give us this day our bread for tomorrow” (or “our continual bread”).
12Forgive us the wrongs we have done # 6:12 Or “Send away the results of our debts (shortcomings),” used as a metaphor for our sins. The Aramaic can be translated “Give us serenity as we also allow others serenity.” as we ourselves
release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
13Rescue us every time we face tribulation # 6:13 Or “Do not let us be put into the ordeal of testing.” God never tempts man. See James 1:13–14.
and set us free from evil. # 6:13 Or “the Evil One.”
For you are the King who rules
with power and glory forever. Amen.’ # 6:13 As translated from the Aramaic, Hebrew Matthew, and most Greek manuscripts. The Aramaic word for “forever” means “until the end of all the universes.”
14“And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”
Fasting
16“When you fast, don’t look gloomy and pretend to be spiritual. They want everyone to know they’re fasting, so they appear in public looking miserable and disheveled. # 6:16 Or “disfigure their faces.” Some of them would put saffron on their faces to make them appear a sickly yellow color in order to be seen as though they had been fasting. Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. 17-18When you fast, don’t let it be obvious, but instead, wash your face # 6:17–18 Or “put oil on your head.” and groom yourself and realize that your Father in the secret place is the one who is watching all that you do in secret and will continue to reward you.”
Treasures in Heaven
19“Don’t keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves. Material wealth eventually rusts, decays, and loses its value. # 6:19 Or “where rust and moth destroy.” 20Instead, stockpile heavenly treasures # 6:20 Heavenly treasures are eternal realities, such as loving others and doing good, revealing truth, and bringing Christ’s light to the lost. None of these “treasures” can be stolen or ever lose their value. for yourselves that cannot be stolen and will never rust, decay, or lose their value. 21For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure. # 6:21 Or “For your thoughts [heart] will always be focused on your treasure.”
22“The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light # 6:22 Or “Your eye is like a lamp for your body.” The teachings of Jesus are the “revelation-light” referred to here. Some scholars see “healthy eyes” as a Semitic figure of speech for generosity, due to the context of giving and money in the verses before and after. to enter into your being. If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in! 23But if your eyes are focused on money, # 6:23 An “evil” eye can also be associated with being stingy and greedy. the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place. # 6:23 Or “If your eye is healthy [focused], your whole body is full of light; but if it is sick (evil), your body is full of darkness.” The “eye” becomes a metaphor for spiritual perception. The “body” is our spirit. The “light” is Jesus’ teachings. The “darkness” is formed by the lies and opinions that blind us. These obvious metaphors have been made explicit in this translation. How profound will be the darkness within you # 6:23 Hebrew Matthew is “All your ways are dark.” if the light of truth cannot enter!
24“How could you worship two gods at the same time? You will have to hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t worship the true God while enslaved to the god of money!” # 6:24 Or “God and mammon.” Mammon is an Aramaic term for money. See 1 Tim. 6:6–10. There is found after v. 24 a part of the agrapha that reads, “If you do not fast from the world, you will never discover the kingdom of God” (Oxyrhyncus Papyrus 655, pOxy 1:4–11).
Don’t Worry
25“This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn’t there more to your life than a meal? Isn’t your body more than clothing?
26“Consider the birds—do you think they worry about their existence? They don’t plant or reap or store up food, yet your heavenly Father provides them each with food. Aren’t you much more valuable to your Father than they? 27So, which one of you by worrying could add anything to your life? # 6:27 The Aramaic and Hebrew Matthew is “add a cubit to your height.” The Greek is “add one hour to your lifespan.”
28“And why would you worry about your clothing? Look at all the beautiful flowers of the field. They don’t work or toil, 29and yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was robed in beauty like one of these! 30So if God has clothed the meadow with hay, which is here for such a short time and then dried up and burned, won’t he provide for you the clothes you need—you of little faith?
31“So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For that is what the unbelievers # 6:32 Or “Gentiles.” chase after. Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require? # 6:32 There is a part of the agrapha inserted here, which is confirmed by a number of church fathers who had access to more ancient manuscripts, that reads “So if you ask for the great things, God will add to you the little things.” This is most likely from a variation of the Hebrew Matthew. (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 1.24.158; Origen, Commentary on the Pss. 4.4; De Oratione 2.2; 14.1; Eusebius, Commentary on the Pss. 16.2. See also Craig A. Evans, Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels [IVP Press, 2006], 236–238.)
33“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom # 6:33 The Hebrew Matthew is “Above all, pray for the kingdom realm of God.” and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. # 6:33 As translated from the Aramaic. 34Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. # 6:34 Or “One day’s trouble is enough for one day.” Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
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Matthew 6: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationMatthew 6
6
The Sermon on the Mount: Charitable Giving
1 “And take care not to practice your righteousness before people to be seen by them; otherwise#Literally “but if not” you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! 3But you, when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“practice”) which is understood as temporal practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4in order that your charitable giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Sermon on the Mount: How to Pray
5And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stand”) has been translated as a finite verb pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! 6But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“shut”) has been translated as a finite verb pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7“But when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“pray”) which is understood as temporal pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. 8Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need#Literally “of what you have need” before you ask him. 9Therefore you pray in this way:
“Our Father who is in heaven,
may your name be treated as holy.
10May your kingdom come,
may your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread,
12and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.#Or “evil”; most later Greek manuscripts add the phrase “for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen”
14For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.
The Sermon on the Mount: How to Fast
16“Whenever you fast, do not be sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unrecognizable in order that they may be seen fasting by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! 17But when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“fasting”) which is understood as temporal you are fasting, put olive oil on your head#Literally “anoint your head” and wash your face 18so that you will not be seen by people as fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Sermon on the Mount: Treasure in Heaven
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and consuming insect#Traditionally “rust,” but more likely in this context along with “moth” the term refers to “eating” by other types of insects or vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor consuming insect#Traditionally “rust,” but more likely in this context along with “moth” the term refers to “eating” by other types of insects or vermin destroy and where thieves do not break in or steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sincere, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. Therefore if the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24“No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.#Traditionally transliterated from the Greek as “mammon”
The Sermon on the Mount: Anxiety
25“For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat,#Some manuscripts add “or what you will drink”; other later manuscripts add “and what you will drink” and not for your body, what you will wear. Is your life not more than food and your body more than clothing? 26Consider the birds of the sky, that they do not sow or reap or gather produce into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27And who among you, by#*Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being anxious”) which is understood as means being anxious, is able to add one hour#Or “cubit” to his life span? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not toil or spin, 29but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 30But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, although it#*Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as concessive is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not do so much more for you, you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?,’ 32for the pagans seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first his kingdom and righteousness,#Some manuscripts have “the kingdom of God and his righteousness” and all these things will be added to you. 34Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.#Literally “sufficient for the day its trouble”
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