Matthew 6:3
Encyclopedia
Matthew 6:3 is the third 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 one should give to charity.
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 6:3
This previous two verses argued that charitable giving should be kept secret, so that it is not done for praise by others. This verse uses a metaphor to build on this argument, but there is some debate over exactly what this metaphor means. This verse is the origin of a common English expression. However "the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing" is generally a term of derision for an organization where different members are pursuing opposing or contradictory goals. This is quite different from this verse where Jesus presents the lack of coordination as an ideal.
Literally it is impossible for one's left hand to be ignorant of what the right one is doing, and Jesus' statement here is thus generally considered a humorous hyperbole
. One interpretation, outlined by Hendriksen
, is that Jesus is here stating that just as we should avoid seeking the praise of others for our good deeds, we should also avoid self-congratulation for our piety. One should not feel smug about our own goodness, but should rather try to forget our own good deeds. Hendriksen feels this view is supported by Matthew 25:37-39. An alternate view, expressed by Filson, is that this verse is not a condemnation of smugness, but rather of scheming for public praise. Giving should be an automatic action without need to consider the potential rewards. If one spends too much effort pondering giving, one will scheme to have even secret donations made public so that you might be praised. Thus the verse means that right hand should by reflex be generous without the need for mental calculus, and if the mind is avoided so to is the left hand. This view sees this verse simply of a metaphor explaining the rules already laid out in the previous two verse. Fowler agrees with this second interpretation, and believes that Matthew 6:4
bears it out. Lewis takes a third approach, arguing the proverb is a metaphor for secrecy, and that it was earlier used as such by the Stoics. By this interpretation the left hand not knowing what the right is doing is a metaphor for how covert the proper donor should be. Harrington believes that the verse is based on an ancient proverb whose exact meaning is not known. His guess is that it referred to close friendship, and that this verse implies that friends that are even as close as one's left hand should not be made aware of donations.
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 one should give to charity.
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:
- But when thou doest alms, let not thy
- left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
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:
- But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let
- your left hand know what your right hand does,
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:3
This previous two verses argued that charitable giving should be kept secret, so that it is not done for praise by others. This verse uses a metaphor to build on this argument, but there is some debate over exactly what this metaphor means. This verse is the origin of a common English expression. However "the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing" is generally a term of derision for an organization where different members are pursuing opposing or contradictory goals. This is quite different from this verse where Jesus presents the lack of coordination as an ideal.
Literally it is impossible for one's left hand to be ignorant of what the right one is doing, and Jesus' statement here is thus generally considered a humorous hyperbole
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally....
. One interpretation, outlined by 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...
, is that Jesus is here stating that just as we should avoid seeking the praise of others for our good deeds, we should also avoid self-congratulation for our piety. One should not feel smug about our own goodness, but should rather try to forget our own good deeds. Hendriksen feels this view is supported by Matthew 25:37-39. An alternate view, expressed by Filson, is that this verse is not a condemnation of smugness, but rather of scheming for public praise. Giving should be an automatic action without need to consider the potential rewards. If one spends too much effort pondering giving, one will scheme to have even secret donations made public so that you might be praised. Thus the verse means that right hand should by reflex be generous without the need for mental calculus, and if the mind is avoided so to is the left hand. This view sees this verse simply of a metaphor explaining the rules already laid out in the previous two verse. Fowler agrees with this second interpretation, and believes that Matthew 6:4
Matthew 6:4
Matthew 6:4 is the fourth verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This is the final verse of the Sermon's discussion of alms giving....
bears it out. Lewis takes a third approach, arguing the proverb is a metaphor for secrecy, and that it was earlier used as such by the Stoics. By this interpretation the left hand not knowing what the right is doing is a metaphor for how covert the proper donor should be. Harrington believes that the verse is based on an ancient proverb whose exact meaning is not known. His guess is that it referred to close friendship, and that this verse implies that friends that are even as close as one's left hand should not be made aware of donations.