Matthew 6:2
Encyclopedia
Matthew 6:2 is the second verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
and is part of the Sermon on the Mount
. This verse continues the discussion of how even good deeds can be done for the wrong reasons.
In the King James Version of the Bible
the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:2
There were three main displays of piety in Jesus' era: alms
giving, prayer
, and fasting
. All three are discussed in Matthew 6, with this verse beginning the discussion of alms giving, though some translations have Matthew 6:1 also reference alms rather than general righteousness. The term translated as "merciful deeds" in the WEB refers explicitly to alms giving. Alms giving was a religious act, one commanded in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 15:11 and other places. In this era all were expected to contribute alms, and services for the needy were funded through them.
In this verse Jesus condemns the hypocrites who give to charity for their own glory rather than for pious reasons. In Classical Greek a hypocrite was simply an actor who pretended to be another person on stage. By the time the Septuagint was written, the word had gained the negative connotations that it has today, and it in the Gospel of Matthew the word is clearly a pejorative one.
For many centuries the blowing of trumpets during alms giving was taken literally, with Cyril of Alexandria
being perhaps the first to interpret the verse this way. Modern scholars mostly disagree.
There is no evidence that the Pharisees, and others seen as hypocrites, actually blew upon trumpet
s to publicize their giving, and Fowler feels it is unlikely they would have been so brazen. Lewis thinks the reference might be to the autumn public fasts, which would have been accompanied by the blowing of horns. Lachs considers this improbable as there is no direct connection to the period of fasting and alms giving. Schweizer speculates that when the list of donors were read off in the Temple that especially large ones may have been accompanied by horns. Hendriksen
thinks it unlikely that this would have been allowed. Lachs agrees that such acts were improbable. There is no historic evidence for such displays, and rabbinic writings from this period were just as critical of boastful giving. There was also no understanding of trumpeting as boasting in the contemporary literature, an expression that has developed in English perhaps as a result of this verse.
Lachs supports the theory that the verse does not actually refer to trumpets, but instead to the alms-boxes, known as sophar chests. The meaning would thus be to put your donation in the chest quietly, so those around cannot hear. The two words are similar, and a transcriber who did not known the unusual word for the boxes may have replaced it with the more common one for the horn. Davies and Allison reject this theory, arguing that the context seems to make clear that a musical instrument is meant, and that there is no textual evidence for a mistranslation. They do note that the author of Matthew could be making a pun based on the two similar words.
The verse mentions the synagogue
s and the street
s. Fowler notes that some scholars argue that synagogue cannot here refer to the religious building, as charity was not distributed there. Synagogue might thus be being used in its more general sense of any meeting place. Hendriksen feels the reference to streets, or alleys, is included because that is the place where the poor would have gathered.
Fowler argues that this verse is arguing that one's piety cannot be both to impress God and to impress other people; rather true piety must be dedicated to God and God alone. While those who make public displays of charity may receive praise and adulation from their fellows, this is the only reward they will receive as God will ignore such crassly motivated generosity.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and is part of the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
. This verse continues the discussion of how even good deeds can be done for the wrong reasons.
In the King James Version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
the text reads:
- 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.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a
- trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the
- synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from
- men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:2
There were three main displays of piety in Jesus' era: alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
giving, prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
, and fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
. All three are discussed in Matthew 6, with this verse beginning the discussion of alms giving, though some translations have Matthew 6:1 also reference alms rather than general righteousness. The term translated as "merciful deeds" in the WEB refers explicitly to alms giving. Alms giving was a religious act, one commanded in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 15:11 and other places. In this era all were expected to contribute alms, and services for the needy were funded through them.
In this verse Jesus condemns the hypocrites who give to charity for their own glory rather than for pious reasons. In Classical Greek a hypocrite was simply an actor who pretended to be another person on stage. By the time the Septuagint was written, the word had gained the negative connotations that it has today, and it in the Gospel of Matthew the word is clearly a pejorative one.
For many centuries the blowing of trumpets during alms giving was taken literally, with Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
being perhaps the first to interpret the verse this way. Modern scholars mostly disagree.
There is no evidence that the Pharisees, and others seen as hypocrites, actually blew upon trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s to publicize their giving, and Fowler feels it is unlikely they would have been so brazen. Lewis thinks the reference might be to the autumn public fasts, which would have been accompanied by the blowing of horns. Lachs considers this improbable as there is no direct connection to the period of fasting and alms giving. Schweizer speculates that when the list of donors were read off in the Temple that especially large ones may have been accompanied by horns. Hendriksen
William Hendriksen
William Hendriksen was a New Testament scholar and writer of Bible commentaries. He was born in Tiel, Gelderland, but his family moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1911. Hendriksen studied at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary before obtaining an S.T.D...
thinks it unlikely that this would have been allowed. Lachs agrees that such acts were improbable. There is no historic evidence for such displays, and rabbinic writings from this period were just as critical of boastful giving. There was also no understanding of trumpeting as boasting in the contemporary literature, an expression that has developed in English perhaps as a result of this verse.
Lachs supports the theory that the verse does not actually refer to trumpets, but instead to the alms-boxes, known as sophar chests. The meaning would thus be to put your donation in the chest quietly, so those around cannot hear. The two words are similar, and a transcriber who did not known the unusual word for the boxes may have replaced it with the more common one for the horn. Davies and Allison reject this theory, arguing that the context seems to make clear that a musical instrument is meant, and that there is no textual evidence for a mistranslation. They do note that the author of Matthew could be making a pun based on the two similar words.
The verse mentions the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s and the street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
s. Fowler notes that some scholars argue that synagogue cannot here refer to the religious building, as charity was not distributed there. Synagogue might thus be being used in its more general sense of any meeting place. Hendriksen feels the reference to streets, or alleys, is included because that is the place where the poor would have gathered.
Fowler argues that this verse is arguing that one's piety cannot be both to impress God and to impress other people; rather true piety must be dedicated to God and God alone. While those who make public displays of charity may receive praise and adulation from their fellows, this is the only reward they will receive as God will ignore such crassly motivated generosity.