Matthew 6:2

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Therefore	οὖν oun	G3767	(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
when	Ὅταν Hotan	G3752	whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertain… · conjunction
thou doest	ποιῇς poiēas	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active subjunctive, 2nd person singular
alms	ἐλεημοσύνην, eleēmosunēn	G1654	compassionateness · noun — accusative singular feminine
do not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
sound a trumpet	σαλπίσῃς salpisēs	G4537	to trumpet · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 2nd person singular
before	ἔμπροσθέν emprosthen	G1715	in front of (in place (literally or figuratively) or ti… · preposition
thee	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee
as	ὥσπερ hōsper	G5618	just as · conjunction
the hypocrites	ὑποκριταὶ hupokritai	G5273	an actor under an assumed character (stage-player) · noun — nominative plural masculine
do	ποιοῦσιν poiousin	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person plural
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
the synagogues	συναγωγαῖς sunagōgais	G4864	an assemblage of persons · noun — dative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
the streets	ῥύμαις rhumais	G4505	an alley or avenue (as crowded) · noun — dative plural feminine
that	ὅπως hopōs	G3704	what(-ever) how · conjunction
they may have glory	δοξασθῶσιν doxasthōsin	G1392	to render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide application) · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person plural
of	ὑπὸ hupo	G5259	under · preposition
men	ἀνθρώπων. anthrōpōn	G444	from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)) · noun — genitive 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

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the s…
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 fas…
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
John 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Luke 20:46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and t…
1 John 3:17-19 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love…
John 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 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, Luk 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…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 6:2

Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee--The expression is to be taken figuratively for blazoning it. Hence our expression to "trumpet." as the hypocrites do--This word--of such frequent occurrence in Scripture, signifying primarily "one who acts a part"--denotes one who either pretends to be what he is not (as here), or dissembles what he really is (as in Luk 12:1-2). in the synagogues and in the streets--the places of religious and secular resort. that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you--In such august expressions, it is the Lawgiver and Judge Himself that we hear speaking to us. They have their reward--All they wanted was human appl…

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John Gill on Matthew 6:2

Wherefore, when thou dost thine alms,.... Christ proceeds to give some directions and cautions about giving of alms, that they might be done aright, and answer some valuable purposes for the glory of God, the good of others, and their own: do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. The persons Christ has reference to were the Scribes and Pharisees, who did all they did to be seen of men; whom he calls "hypocrites"; as he often does, because they put on an appearance of religion and holiness, but inwardly, and otherwise, were very wicked men. It does not appear that any such practice was literally performe…

The Church Fathers

(Comm. in Tim. 4, 8.) The sum of all Christian discipline is comprehended in mercy and piety, for which reason He begins with almsgiving.
— Ambrosiaster ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Etym. x. ex Aug. Serm.) The name 'hypocrite' is derived from the appearance of those who in the shows are disguised in masks, variously coloured according to the character they represent, sometimes male, sometimes female, to impose on the spectators while they act in the games.
— Isidore of Seville ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

He who sounds a trumpet before him when he does alms is a hypocrite. Whence he adds, as the hypocrites do. A reward not of God, but of themselves, for they receive praise of men, for the sake of which it was that they practised their virtues.
— Jerome ((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

Alms — Not found in the Old Testament, but repeatedly in the New. The Mosaic legislation (Lev. 25:35; Deut. 15:7) tended to promote a spirit of charity, and to prevent the occurrence of destitution among…
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…
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…
Adoption · Should produce: An avoidance of ostentation — Should produce: An avoidance of ostentation
Alms · 14:28,29;15:7-11; — 14:28,29;15:7-11;
Commandments · DISCOURSE — DISCOURSE
Giving · RULES FOR — RULES FOR
Glory · Seek not, from man — Seek not, from man
Hypocrisy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Liberality · 3:10-12; — 3:10-12;
Motive · Right, required — Right, required
Pharisees · .By Jesus — .By Jesus
Religion · TRUE — TRUE

Matthew 6:2

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:1-4

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 6:2

John Gill on Matthew 6:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Matthew 6:2

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:1-4

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 6:2

John Gill on Matthew 6:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Matthew 6:1-4

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 6:2