Matthew 6:16

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Moreover	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
when	Ὅταν Hotan	G3752	whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertain… · conjunction
ye fast	νηστεύητε, nēsteuēte	G3522	to abstain from food (religiously) · verb — present active subjunctive, 2nd person plural
be	γίνεσθε ginesthe	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — present middle or passive deponent imperative, 2nd person plural
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
as	ὥσπερ hṓsper	G5618	just as
the hypocrites	ὑποκριταὶ hupokritai	G5273	an actor under an assumed character (stage-player) · noun — nominative plural masculine
of a sad countenance	σκυθρωποί· skuthrōpoi	G4659	angry-visaged · adjective — nominative plural masculine
for	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
they disfigure	ἀφανίζουσιν aphanizousin	G853	to render unapparent · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person plural
their	αὐτῶν autōn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine
faces	πρόσωπα prosōpa	G4383	the front (as being towards view) · noun — accusative plural neuter
that	ὅπως hopōs	G3704	what(-ever) how · conjunction
they may appear	φανῶσιν phanōsin	G5316	to lighten (shine) · verb — second aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person plural
unto men	ἀνθρώποις anthrōpois	G444	from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)) · noun — dative plural masculine
to fast	νηστεύοντες. nēsteuontes	G3522	to abstain from food (religiously) · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
Verily	ἀμὴν amēn	G281	properly · interjection — Hebrew
I say	λέγω legō	G3004	properly · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
unto you	ὑμῖν hymîn	G5213	to (with or by) you
They have	ἀπέχουσιν apechousin	G568	(actively) to have out · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person plural
their	αὐτῶν. autōn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine
reward	μισθὸν misthon	G3408	pay for service (literally or figuratively) · noun — accusative singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Isaiah 58:3-5 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the d…
Matthew 9:14-15 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of…
Daniel 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
Psalms 69:10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Esther 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also…
Psalms 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:16-18

We are here cautioned against hypocrisy in fasting, as before in almsgiving, and in prayer. I. It is here supposed that religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, when God, in his providence, calls to it, and when the case of their own souls upon any account requires it; when the bridegroom is taken away, then shall they fast, Mat 9:15. Fasting is here put last, because it is not so much a duty for its own sake, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Prayer comes in between almsgiving and fasting, as being the life and soul of both. Christ here speaks especially of private fasts, such as particular persons prescribe to themselves, as free-will offerings, commonly us…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 6:16

Moreover, when ye fast--referring, probably, to private and voluntary fasting, which was to be regulated by each individual for himself; though in spirit it would apply to any fast. be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces--literally, "make unseen"; very well rendered "disfigure." They went about with a slovenly appearance, and ashes sprinkled on their head. that they may appear unto men to fast--It was not the deed, but reputation for the deed which they sought; and with this view those hypocrites multiplied their fasts. And are the exhausting fasts of the Church of Rome, and of Romanizing Protestants, free from this taint? Verily I say unto you,…

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John Gill on Matthew 6:16

Moreover when ye fast,.... This is to be understood, not so much of their public stated fasts, and which were by divine appointment, as of their private fasts; which, with the Jews, were very frequent and numerous, and particularly every Monday and Thursday; see Luke 18:12 in which they affected great severity, and is here condemned by Christ: be not as the hypocrites, the Scribes and Pharisees, of a sad countenance; who put on very mournful airs, and dismal looks; made wry faces, and distorted countenances; banished all pleasantry and cheerfulness from them, so that they looked quite like other men than they really were; for they disfigure their faces; not by covering them out of sight,…

The Church Fathers

(Serm. in Epiph. iv. 5.) But that fasting is not pure, that comes not of reasons of continence, but of the arts of deceit.
— Leo the Great ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week; but do ye fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday).
— Didache, The Didache, Chapter 8

(Mor. viii. 44.) For by the pale countenance, the trembling limbs, and the bursting sighs, and by all so great toil and trouble, nothing is in the mind but the esteem of men.
— Gregory the Dialogist ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Fast — The sole fast required by the law of Moses was that of the great Day of Atonement (q.v.), Lev. 23:26-32. It is called “the fast” (Acts 27:9). The only other mention of a periodical fast in the Old…
Hypocrite — One who puts on a mask and feigns himself to be what he is not; a dissembler in religion. Our Lord severely rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16). “The hypocrite’s…
Mourn — Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 35); the Egyptians for Jacob (50:3-10); Israel for Aaron…
Pharisees — Separatists (Heb. persahin, from parash, “to separate”). They were probably the successors of the Assideans (i.e., the “pious”), a party that originated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in revolt…
Commandments · DISCOURSE — DISCOURSE
Face · Disfiguring of, in fasting — Disfiguring of, in fasting
Fasting · 35:13;69:10; — 35:13;69:10;
Hypocrisy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Motive · Right, required — Right, required
Pharisees · .By Jesus — .By Jesus
Religion · TRUE — TRUE
Works, Good · Saints: Should avoid ostentation in — Saints: Should avoid ostentation in

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Matthew 6:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:16-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 6:16

John Gill on Matthew 6:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Matthew 6:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:16-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 6:16

John Gill on Matthew 6:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Matthew 6:16-18

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 6:16