Matthew 6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:3

But when thou dost alms ,.... Do it so privately, and with so much secrecy, that, if it was possible, thou mightest not know it thyself, much less make it known to others: let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth ; acquaint not thy nearest and dearest friend with it; let not one that sits at thy left hand know what thou art doing with thy right hand; it is a proverbial and hyperbolical phrase, expressing the secrecy of the action. It is a Jewish canon F16 Piske Tosephot in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:4

That thine alms may be in secret ,.... May be done in secret, and be kept a secret. The allusion seems to be to the secret chamber, where money was brought privately for the relief of the poor. "There were two chambers in the sanctuary, the one was לשכת חשאים , "the chamber of secrets", and the other the chamber of vessels: the chamber of secrets was that into which pious persons put בחשאי , "in secret", and the poor children of good men were maintained out of it privately F17 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:5

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites ,.... As the Scribes and Pharisees; whose posture in prayer, the places they chose to pray in, and the view they had therein, are particularly taken notice of: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men . It was their usual custom to pray "standing"; nay, it is established by their canons. "There are eight things, (says Maimonides F21 Hilch. Tephilla. c.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:6

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet ,.... Or "chamber", a secret place, fit for private retirement, meditation, and prayer. And when thou hast shut thy door ; see some such like phrases in Isaiah 26:20 where they are used to express security, here secrecy. Our Lord does not mean to exclude and condemn public prayer, in joining with few, or more persons, in such service; for he himself directs to it, and approves of it, Matthew 18:19 but his view is to instruct persons... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:7

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions ,.... Saying the same things over and over again, as the Heathens do , as the worshippers of Baal, from morning till noon, 1 Kings 18:26 . This our Lord observes, to dissuade from such practices, because the Gentiles, who were odious to the Jews, used them, and the Jews were guilty of the same; had they not, there would not have been any need of such advice: for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking ; as did the Jews, who,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:8

Be not ye therefore like unto them ,..... Do not be imitators of them, and follow their ways, who have only the dim light of nature to guide them; it would be shameful in you to do as they do, when you have a divine revelation for your direction; and especially, because your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him ; and therefore have no need to make use of many words, or much speaking, or long prayers. The omniscience of God is a considerable argument, and a great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye ,.... That is, in such a concise and short way, without much speaking and vain repetitions; making use of such like words and expressions as the following: not that Christ meant to pin down his disciples to these express words, and no other; for this prayer is not a strict form, but a pattern of prayer, and a directory to it, both as to brevity, order, and matter; for we do not find the disciples ever making use of it in form; and when it is recited by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:10

Thy kingdom come ,.... The form of expression used by the ancient Jews, relating to this article, before the coming of Christ, doubtless was, as it now stands in their prayers F18 Seder Tephillot, fol. 128. 2. Ed. Basil. , מלכות משיחך יבא , "the kingdom of thy Messiah come". Christ alters the expression, leaves out the word "Messiah", and puts it thus, "thy kingdom come", to let them know that the Messiah was come; and that it was the kingdom of the Father, in the power of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:11

Give us this day our daily bread. The Arabic version reads it, "our bread for tomorrow"; and Jerom says, that in the Hebrew Gospel, used by the Nazarenes, he found the word מחר , which signifies "tomorrow": but this reading and sense seem to be contradicted by Christ, Matthew 6:34 were it not that it may be observed, that this signifies the whole subsequent time of life, and so furnishes us with a very commodious sense of this petition; which is, that God would give us, "day by day", as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:12

And forgive us our debts ,.... Nothing is more frequent in the Jewish writings than to call sins חובי , "debts"; and the phrase, of forgiving, is used both of God and men. Thus the prayer of Solomon is paraphrased F25 Targum in 2 Chron. vi. 21. by the Targumist: "and hear thou the petition of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make before this place; and do thou receive it from the place of the house of thy Shekinah, from heaven; and do thou accept their prayer... read more

Group of Brands