Matthew 6:5

Matthew 6:5 is the fifth 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 opens the discussion on the proper procedure for praying.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites

are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and

in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.

Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for

they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the

corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most

certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:5

The previous verses have been discussing alms-giving, and Jesus argued that such giving should be in secret, and not be to pursue praise from others. This verse extends this argument to prayer, another of the cornerstones of Jewish piety. In that era there were public prayers at the temple, and private prayers to be said on one's own. There were also regularly scheduled times for prayer. Schweizer notes that when it was time to pray, one was instructed to seek out an inconspicuous corner, and prayers not at public events were to quietly mumbled. As mentioned in this verse, standing was the standard position for prayer.^[1]

In this verse Jesus condemns as hypocrites those who make an ostentatious display of praying. Hendriksen links this verse to Luke 18:9-14, which condemns a Pharisee who seeks out the most prominent location in the Temple to pray.^[2] Boring notes that some of read this verse as descriptive of mainstream Jewish prayer during this period. Boring disagrees strongly, noting that contemporary Jewish writings are equally condemning of such exhibitionist prayer practices.^[3] Hendriksen also notes that while in Matthew 6:2 the word used for street can also alley, this verse is clear in stating that the prayer is taking place at the corner of the major thoroughfares.^[4] As with Matthew 6:2 this verse states that for those who pray to be seen by others, their only reward will be the adulation of their peers. There will be no heavenly reward for those who pray ostentatiously.

This verse is not a total rejection of communal worship. Such behaviour is praised at Matthew 15:36 and elsewhere in the New Testament. What is being attacked is ostentatious prayer meant to impress others. Those who pray to be "seen by men" rather than to pray to God.^[5]

References