Matthew 6:1

Matthew 6:1

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

a. NLT: “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

b. NIV: Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

1). Note in NIV: This verse introduces the discussion of three acts of righteousness: 1. Giving (vv2-4); 2. Praying, (vv. 5-15); and 3. Fasting, (vv16-18).

c. Amplified Bible: Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven.

d. Young’s Literal Translation: 'Take heed your kindness not to do before men, to be seen by them, and if not -- reward ye have not from your Father who is in the heavens;

e. Worrell Translation: “Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen by them, otherwise at least ye have no reward with your Father Who is in Heaven.

1. “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them…”

a. take heed [4337 * prosecho; pros-to; echo-to have] [Zodhiates: To have in addition, to hold the mind or the ear toward someone…as a naughtical term, it means to hold a ship in a direction. It means to hold on one’s course toward a place.] [Strong: from 4314 and 2192; (figuratively) to hold the mind (3563 implied) towards, i.e. pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to:--(give) attend(-ance, -ance at, -ance to, unto), beware, be given to, give (take) heed (to unto); have regard.]

b. do [4160 * poieo] [Strong: apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):--abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do(-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.]

c. not [3361 * me] [Strong: a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

d. your [5216 * humon] [Strong: genitive case of 5210; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves).]

e. alms [1654 * eleemosyne] [Strong: compassionateness, i.e. (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction:--alms(-deeds).][Vine: In Matthew 6:1, the RV, translating dikaiosune, according to the most authentic texts, has "righteousness," for AV, "alms."] [D. Costello: Though I don’t agree with the wording “authentic texts”, I do believe the use of the Greek word [1715 is more accurate.]

1). Vine is using a different Greek text that has the Greek word dikaiosune instead of eleemosyne, and translates it as “religious duties of alms giving vv2-4; praying vv5-15; and fasting, self control vv 16-18. In Romans 6 all 5v occurrences of the Greek word “dikaiosune” mean right action.

a). Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

b). Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

c). Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

d). Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

e). Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

2). Compare the wording in 2 Corinthians 9.

a). 2 Corinthians 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

b). His good deeds of dispersing his wealth abroad by giving to the poor will remain forever.

3). Because of this information I favor the NIV and the Worrell Translation and the Amplified Bible more than the rest.

f. before [1715 * emprosthen; en-in; prosthen-in front of, before] [Strong: from 1722 and 4314; in front of (in place (literally or figuratively) or time):--against, at, before, (in presence, sight) of.]

g. men [444* Anthropos] [Strong: from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:--certain, man.]

h. to be seen [4314 * pros] [Strong: a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

1). [2300 * theaomai] [Strong: a prolonged form of a primary verb; to look closely at, i.e. (by implication) perceive (literally or figuratively); by extension to visit:--behold, look (upon), see.]

i. them [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

2. “…otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

a. otherwise [1490 * ei de me (ge)] [Strong: from 1487, 1161, and 3361 (sometimes with 1065 added); but if not:--(or) else, if (not, otherwise), otherwise.]

b. ye have [2192 * echo] [Strong: including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; (used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition):--be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.]

c. no [3756 * ou] [Strong: also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

d. reward [3408 * misthos] [Strong: apparently a primary word; pay for service (literally or figuratively), good or bad:--hire, reward, wages.]

e. of [3844 * para] [Strong: a primary preposition; properly, near; i.e. (with genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (with dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case) to the proximity with (local (especially beyond or opposed to) or causal (on account of):--above, against, among, at, before, by, contrary to, X friend, from, + give (such things as they), + that (she) had, X his, in, more than, nigh unto, (out) of, past, save, side...by, in the sight of, than, (there-)fore, with. In compounds it retains the same variety of application.]

f. your [5216 * humon] [Strong: genitive case of 5210; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves).]

g. Father [3962 * pater] [Strong: apparently a primary word; a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote):--father, parent.]

h. which [3588 * ho] [Strong: including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

i. is in [1722 * en] [Strong: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

j. heaven [3772 * ouranos] [Strong: perhaps from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):--air, heaven(-ly), sky.]