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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:1-4

As we must do better than the scribes and Pharisees in avoiding heart-sins, heart-adultery, and heart-murder, so likewise in maintaining and keeping up heart-religion, doing what we do from an inward, vital principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be applauded of men; that is, we must watch against hypocrisy, which was the leaven of the Pharisees, as well as against their doctrine, Luke 12:1. Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, are three great Christian duties?the three... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:5-8

In prayer we have more immediately to do with God than in giving alms, and therefore are yet more concerned to be sincere, which is what we are here directed to. When thou prayest (Matt. 6:5). It is taken for granted that all the disciples of Christ pray. As soon as ever Paul was converted, behold he prayeth. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. For this shall every one that is godly pray. If prayerless, then graceless. ?Now, when... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:9-15

When Christ had condemned what was amiss, he directs to do better; for his are reproofs of instruction. Because we know not what to pray for as we ought, he here helps our infirmities, by putting words into our mouths; after this manner therefore pray ye, Matt. 6:9. So many were the corruptions that had crept into this duty of prayer among the Jews, that Christ saw it needful to give a new directory for prayer, to show his disciples what must ordinarily be the matter and method of their... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:16-18

We are here cautioned against hypocrisy in fasting, as before in almsgiving, and in prayer. I. It is here supposed that religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, when God, in his providence, calls to it, and when the case of their own souls upon any account requires it; when the bridegroom is taken away, then shall they fast, Matt. 9:15. Fasting is here put last, because it is not so much a duty for its own sake, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Prayer comes in... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:19-24

Worldly-mindedness is as common and as fatal a symptom of hypocrisy as any other, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a visible and passable profession of religion, than by this; and therefore Christ, having warned us against coveting the praise of men, proceeds next to warn us against coveting the wealth of the world; in this also we must take heed, lest we be as the hypocrites are, and do as they do: the fundamental error that they are guilty... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:1-18

When we study the opening verses of Matthew 6:1-34 , we are immediately confronted with one most important question-- What is the place of the reward motive in the Christian life? Three times in this section Jesus speaks of God rewarding those who have given to him the kind of service which he desires ( Matthew 6:4 ,; Matthew 6:18 ). This question is so important that we will do well to pause to examine it before we go on to study the chapter in detail. It is very often stated that... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:19-21

6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth. where moth and rust destroy them, and where thieves dig through and steal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy them, and where thieves do not dig through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. In the ordinary, everyday management of life it is simple wisdom to get to oneself only those things which will last. Whether we are buying a suit of clothes, or a... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:19-21

The Jews were very familiar with the phrase treasure in heaven. They identified such treasure with two things in particular. (i) They said that the deeds of kindness which a man did upon earth became his treasure in heaven. The Jews had a famous story about a certain King Monobaz of Adiabdne who became a convert to Judaism. "Monobaz distributed all his treasures to the poor in the year of famine. His brothers sent to him and said, 'Thy fathers gathered treasures, and added to those of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:22-23

6:22-23 The light of the body is the eye. So then, if your eye is generous, the whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is grudging, your whole body will be in the dark. If, then, the light which is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! The idea behind this passage is one of childlike simplicity. The eye is regarded as the window by which the light gets into the whole body. The state of a window decides what light gets into a room. If the window is clear, clean. and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:22-23

But here Jesus speaks of one special virtue which fills the eye with light, and one special fault which fills the eye with darkness. The King James Version speaks here about the eye being single and the eye being evil Certainly that is the literal meaning of the Greek, but the words single and evil are here used in a special way which is common enough in the Greek in which scripture is written. The word for single is haplous ( Greek #573 ), and its corresponding noun is haplotes ( ... read more

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