Matius 6:1-2

Pure-hearted Giving

6:1 “Be ¹  careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. ²  Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, ³  do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues ⁴  and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, ⁵  they have their reward.

Matius 6:5

Private Prayer

6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues ⁶  and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

Matius 23:2-7

23:2 “The ⁷  experts in the law ⁸  and the Pharisees ⁹  sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ¹⁰  23:4 They ¹¹  tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They ¹²  do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries ¹³  wide and their tassels ¹⁴  long. 23:6 They ¹⁵  love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues ¹⁶  23:7 and elaborate greetings ¹⁷  in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’

[6:1]  ¹ tc ‡ Several mss (א L Z Θ Ë¹ 33 892 1241 1424 al) have δέ (de, “but, now”) at the beginning of this verse; the reading without δέ is supported by B D W 0250 ˹³ Ï lat. A decision is difficult, but apparently the conjunction was added by later scribes to indicate a transition in the thought-flow of the Sermon on the Mount. NA²⁷ has δέ in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.

[6:1]  ² tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”

[6:2]  ³ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).

[6:2]  ⁴ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[6:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[6:5]  ⁶ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[23:2]  ⁷ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[23:2]  ⁸ tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:2]  ⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[23:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”

[23:4]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:5]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:5]  ¹³ sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.

[23:5]  ¹⁴ tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”

[23:5]  sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).

[23:6]  ¹⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:6]  ¹⁶ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[23:7]  ¹⁷ sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.