St Matthew Chapter VI : Verses 1-18
Contents
- Matt. vi. 1-18 (Douay-Rheims text) & Latin text (Vulgate). The three eminent Good Works: almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
- Notes on text
Matt. vi. 1-18
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| He taught them. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
1 Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.
Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus, ut videamini ab eis : alioquin mercedem non habebitis apud Patrem vestrum qui in cælis est.
2 Therefore when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
Cum ergo facis eleemosynam, noli tuba canere ante te, sicut hypocritæ faciunt in synagogis, et in vicis, ut honorificentur ab hominibus. Amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam.
3 But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.
Te autem faciente eleemosynam, nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua :
4 That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
ut sit eleemosyna tua in abscondito, et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.
5 And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
Et cum oratis, non eritis sicut hypocritæ qui amant in synagogis et in angulis platearum stantes orare, ut videantur ab hominibus : amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam.
6 But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
Tu autem cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et clauso ostio, ora Patrem tuum in abscondito : et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.
7 And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.
Orantes autem, nolite multum loqui, sicut ethnici, putant enim quod in multiloquio suo exaudiantur.
8 Be not you therefore like to them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him.
Nolite ergo assimilari eis : scit enim Pater vester, quid opus sit vobis, antequam petatis eum.
9 Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Sic ergo vos orabitis : Pater noster, qui es in cælis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Adveniat regnum tuum; fiat voluntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra.
11 Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.
Panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie,
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
13 And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
14 For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences.
Si enim dimiseritis hominibus peccata eorum : dimittet et vobis Pater vester caelestis delicta vestra.
15 But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.
Si autem non dimiseritis hominibus : nec Pater vester dimittet vobis peccata vestra.
16 And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
Cum autem jejunatis, nolite fieri sicut hypocritæ, tristes. Exterminant enim facies suas, ut appareant hominibus jejunantes. Amen dico vobis, quia receperunt mercedem suam.
17 But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
Tu autem, cum jejunas, unge caput tuum, et faciem tuam lava,
18 That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.
ne videaris hominibus jejunans, sed Patri tuo, qui est in abscondito : et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.
Notes
1. Almsgiving.
1. your justice. This is the correct rendering of the Greek word δικαιοσύνην, which is found in the best MSS. The T.R. has ἐλεημοσύνην, “ alms,” but this is generally regarded as a marginal explanation which has crept into the text. “ Justice ” has here the same meaning as in ch. x. 20, and signifies holiness of life. It is a generic term which includes the three eminent good works, i.e. —
Almsgiving, which is justice towards our neighbour.
Prayer which is justice towards God.
Fasting which is justice towards ourselves.
The prohibition, do not your justice before men, applies to the motive of our actions, since “We are to be seen to do good, but not to do good to be seen.” By performing our good deed with purity of intention, we shall observe this precept, and one which apparently contradicts it — So let your light shine before men, etc.
shall not have. Lit. “ you have not ”*(οὐκ ἔχετε). Our reward is laid up in heaven, as we perform our good deeds on earth.
of your Father. Better “ with your Father” (παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν).
2. when thou dost, etc. So in verse 5 we have when ye pray ; and in verse 16 when you fast. He could hardly have taught more forcibly the duty of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting than by thus taking for granted that all His disciples will give alms, and pray, and fast ; and by teaching them how to do, what He assumes that they will do (Wordsworth, St Matt., p. 22).
alms-deed. The word “ alms ” is derived from the Greek word “ eleemosyne,” which originally signified “ mercifulness.” We still employ a cognate word in this sense in the “ Kyrie eleison” of the Mass. Gradually the meaning became restricted to that compassion which is proved by giving relief. It passed thus into the Latin, and thence in varying forms into most European languages (Ger. almosen, Fr. aumone, Ital. simosina, etc.).
sound not a trumpet. Our Lord probably alludes to the Jewish custom of blowing trumpets to announce events, and the words are to be taken metaphorically. We use a like expression when we say that a man who boasts is “ his own trumpeter.” Both as regards public and private almsdeeds, the Christian is to avoid ostentation and vainglory.
The Orientals have a proverb which runs thus : “ If thou doest any good, cast it into the sea ; if the fish know it not, God knows it.”
hypocrites. The Greek word ὑποκριταὶ properly signifies an actor. Greek actors wore masks, and represented some personage in whose name they spoke. Gradually the word came to be applied in an evil sense to those who feigned a part and lacked sincerity.
in the streets. Lit. “in the lanes” ( ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις), i.e. the narrow alleys of a city.
they have received. Lit. “have received fully” (ἀπέχουσιν). They sought the praise of men, and having received it, could expect no further reward.
3. let not thy left hand, etc. As a counsel, these words bid us perform our deeds of mercy secretly when this is possible ; as a precept, they forbid ostentation in those acts of charity which it is our duty to perform in public. Commentators are generally agreed that the language is figurative, and that it signifies anyone as near to us as the right hand.
4. thy alms may he in secret. Thus we shall be less tempted to vainglory, and the feelings of the recipients of our alms will be spared.
Commenting on these words, St John Chrysostom writes: “For what, saith he, doth thou wish ? is it not to have some to be spectators of what is going on? Behold then, thou hast some ; not angels, nor archangels, but the God of all ... . if thou take pains to lie hid now, God Himself will then proclaim thee in the presence of the whole universe ” (Hom., xix. 2).
will repay thee. God counts it an act not of bounty but of justice when He rewards our good deeds. Cf. If he continue, he shall leave a name above a thousand: and if he rest, it shall he to his advantage (Eccles. xxxix. 15). St Paul thus speaks of the reward reserved for him : As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day : and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming (2 Tim. iv. 8).
Note. — It is our duty as Catholics —
1. To be generous in giving alms, remembering that God, who counts each offering, will reward us in good time.
2. If our means are limited, we are not thereby excused from almsgiving, but should give according to our ability, and be willing to sacrifice comforts, and even necessaries, for the love of God and our neighbour.
2. Prayer.
5. that love to stand. Our Lord blames neither the prayer nor the posture, but the motive. Ostentation was “ the wind which set the windmill at work.” The Jews of Jerusalem were accustomed to pray standing. Cf. And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the sight of the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven (3 Kings viii. 22). And when you shall stand to pray : forgive, if you have aught against any man : that your Father also, who is in heaven, may forgive you your sins (St Mark xi. 25). This was also the custom of the Church from the earliest ages, and especially on Sundays and during the offices of Eastertide. This practice is still maintained in religious orders, where the monks stand during the recitation of the greater part of the canonical hours.
St Ambrose explains that Christians stand when praying because it befits the soldier of Christ to adopt that attitude when fighting against his spiritual foes, and he stands to pray on the Sabbath in honour of the Resurrection of our Lord, by which fallen humanity has been raised from the depths of sin. In the Temple at Jerusalem only the king and the high-priest were allowed to sit. All the other worshippers stood or knelt. According to the rabbinical injunction, the Jews were to pray standing, having the head covered, the eyes cast down, and the face turned towards Jerusalem.
corners of the streets. Here the wide thoroughfares are meant, which intersected the large open spaces. A Pharisee praying “ in angulis platearum ” could not fail to be conspicuous.
6. into thy chamber. Lit. “an inner or secret chamber” ( εἰς τὸ ταμεῖόν). The Jews were accustomed to build little oratories called “ Alijah” on the roofs of the houses. Jesus bids His disciples perform their private devotions in secret. By so doing, they are less exposed to external distractions and to temptations of vainglory. Note the antithesis : the private chamber — the corner of the streets. There is here no condemnation of public devotions, which our Lord approved both by example and precept. Cf. He went into the synagogue according to his custom on the sabbath-day (St Luke iv. 16). Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (infra, xviii. 20).
7. speak not much. The English rendering,and the Latin “nolite multum loqui,” are not so expressive as the Greek verb μὴ βατταλογήσητε, which is derived from the Greek words Βάττος , a stammerer, and λόγος , a word. Hence we derive the English word “ battology,” which signifies a vain and senseless repetition of words. “ Christ does not forbid much praying, but much speaking” (St Aug.).
as the heathens. This can be illustrated both from the Old and New Testament : —
(a) When Elias cballengeil the prophets of Baal. They called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, O Baal, hear us (3 Kings xviii. 26).
(b) In the tumult stirred up by the silversmiths of Ephesus, all with one voice, for the space of about two hours, cried out : Great is Diana of the Ephesians (Acts xix. 34).
Some of the Jews seem to have had the same illusion, since certain rabbis taught that “ every one who multiplies prayer is heard.” Christ does not condemn the reverent repetition of a prayer, for this comes spontaneously, especially when the soul is troubled or overwhelmed with grief. The Psalms are full of repetitions : and in the Garden of Gethsemani, in His agony, Jesus prayed the third time, saying the self-same words (infra, xxvi. 44).
8. your Father knoweth, etc. “ If He know, one may say, what we have need of, wherefore must we pray ? Not to instruct Him, but to prevail with Him, to be intimate with Him by continuing in supplication, to be humbled, to be reminded of our sins ” (St John Chrys., Horn,, xix. 5).
St Augustine gives another reason for presenting our petitions : “ Why should we pray at all? He knoweth Himself; let Him then give what He knoweth to be needful for us. Yes, but it is His will that thou shouldest pray, that He may give to thy longings, that His gifts may not be lightly esteemed ; seeing He hath Himself formed this longing desire in us. The words therefore which our Lord Jesus Christ hath taught us in His prayer are the rule and standard of our desires. Thou mayest not ask for anything but what is written there (St Aug., Serm., vi. 4).
9. Thus .... you. These two words are emphatic and antithetical, “ thus ” (Οὕτως) being in opposition to the vain babbling of the heathen, and “ you ’’ contrasts with them.” “ The Saviour assumes that His disciples will pray, and must pray. There are no dumb children in the family of the heavenly Father.”
Note. — The “ Our Father ” is given more briefly by St Luke, and in another context. And it came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him : Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them : When you pray, say : Father, hallowed he thy name, etc. (St Luke xi. 1, 2).
Commentators are not agreed as to whether Jesus taught this sublime prayer once or twice. Maldonatus, Jansenius, a Lapide, and others hold that Jesus only taught it once, and that St Luke gives the incident in its correct context, while St Matthew, in placing it earlier, anticipates the event. Those who hold the opinion that Jesus uttered it twice, think that He did so on account of the dullness of comprehension of His disciples.
The two forms are subjoined.
St Matthew. St Luke.
1. Our Father who art in heaven 1 Father.
2. Hallowed be thy name. 2. Hallowed be thy name.
3. Thy kingdom come. 3. Thy kingdom come.
4. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 4.
5. Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. 5. Give us this day our daily bread.
6. And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. 6. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
7. And lead us not into temptation. 7. And lead us not into temptation.
8. But deliver us from evil. Amen. 8.
Comparing the two forms, we notice that St Luke omits two petitions, Thy will he done on earth as it is in heaven, and deliver us from evil. These, however, are contained in the second and sixth petitions, and St Luke probably abridged to avoid repetitions, as he did when giving the Beatitudes (four instead of eight). The full form is found in all the ancient liturgies except the Clementine. By a “ liturgy ” we understand the prayers used in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Our Father. A child instinctively cries to his earthly father ; as children of God we are to invoke our heavenly Father, not merely selfishly, each for his individual needs, but presenting, in his petitions, the necessities of all his brethren. In St Luke the word our is omitted.
who art in heaven. Although God is infinite and omnipresent, yet heaven is always referred to as His special dwelling-place.
Cf.
(a) Thus saith the Lord : Heaven is my throne (Is. lxvi. 1).
(b) He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them and the Lord shall deride them (Ps. ii. 4).
(c) Your Father, who is in heaven (supra, verse 1).
A few commentators take the Lord’s Prayer as addressed directly to God the Father, but the greater number consider it as a prayer to the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.
hallowed he thy name. By the name we signify the person. In these words we pray that God’s eternal glory may be augmented, as far as it is in the power of creatures, i.e. men and angels, to increase that glory, for God is glorified when they serve Him faithfully. The intrinsic glory of God is unchangeable.
“ There are two kinds of prayer — praise and supplication. The former is the more perfect. Therefore when you pray, be not over-eager to petition for favours .... lest you should appear to pray merely from personal interest, but leaving on one side all visible and invisible creatures, first praise Him who has created all things ” (St Basil).
10. Thy kingdom come. This does not refer to God’s absolute dominion over all creatures, which nothing can change. “According to the Christian idea, the kingdom of God is both internal and external, but admits of different degrees of perfection, so that its advent may be understood of an increase of either its extent or its intensity.” This petition therefore includes the triumph of Christ’s Church on earth and in each individual soul.
Thy will he done. Theologians distinguish between the absolute and the conditional will of God (“voluntas beneplaciti” and “voluntas signi”). The absolute will of God is always accomplished, for no creature can resist the Creator in this respect. The conditional will of God depends for its fulfilment on the co-operation of our free will.
We therefore pray that, as far as it depends on them, all creatures may accomplish God’s conditional will.
St Thomas Aquinas teaches that the conditional will of God is only certain to be accomplished when it coincides with His absolute will. He reveals His conditional will (voluntas signi) by five signs, viz. precept, council, prohibition, operation, and permission.
on earth as it is in heaven. In this petition we ask that on earth God’s will, whether expressed by His Divine Providence, or revealed by the Scriptures and the Infallible Church, may be executed promptly, cheerfully, and lovingly, as the angels in heaven execute God’s commands.
11. Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. The word ἐπιούσιον , here translated ‘‘ supersubstantial,” is not found in the Greek except in this text and in the parallel passage in St Luke’s gospel. Its meaning is unknown, and it is possible that the Greek possessed no equivalent to the original Aramaic word employed by Christ. Some critics derive the word in question from ἕπειμι (to be imminent), others from ἐπι and οὐσία (essence, goods). “ According to the former derivation the word means present (adest, præsto est) ; according to the latter it means (sufficient) for the substance.” The comparative rarity of ‘‘οὐσία” has induced the more modern writers to prefer the former derivation. But in either case the prayer is a petition for the present day. This derivation is more consistent with —
(а) The words of our Lord : Be not solicitous therefore for to-morrow (St Matt. vi. 34).
(b) The phrase this day (τὸ καθ ἡμέραν).
(c) The old Latin version which gives daily in this context,
(d) The traditional interpretation, which explains it as referring to daily bread rather than to bread sufficient for supporting life.
St Augustine says that by “ quotidiano pane ” we may understand all that is necessary both for soul and body, and the Catechism of Christian Doctrine explains these words in the same sense.
12. forgive us our debts. St Luke has the word “ sins,” but elsewhere he speaks of sinners as debtors (xiii. 4).
as we also forgive. The forgiveness of injuries may be considered under two aspects : —
(а) As the condition on which we ask God to forgive us (c/. St Matt, vi, 14, 15, xviii. 24-28).
(b) As the measure of God’s pardon. Other conditions for forgiveness of sin are also required, e.g. faith and contrition.
St Augustine, speaking to those who refused to forgive, says : “If you omit repeating the words ‘forgive us our trespasses,’ etc., your trespasses will not be forgiven; but if you repeat them, and do not as you say, i e. forgive your enemies, your sins will not be forgiven. It therefore remains for us to say it and do it, i.e. repeat the words, craving forgiveness, and comply with the condition expressed, in order that our sins may be forgiven.”
The words of this petition by no means prevent our demanding public satisfaction and reparation, on public grounds, for injuries done us in person or property. They only prevent harbouring private feelings of vengeance and hatred. The omission to exact public satisfaction would subvert society ; hence it is not contemplated here.
13. lead us not into temptation. There are two kinds of temptations : —
(а) Tests by which God tries our fidelity.
(b) Solicitations to evil which come from the devil or his agents.
God sends us these trials in order —
(a) to enable us to acquire self-knowledge.
(b) to increase our merit and perfect us in virtue.
(c) to procure us occasions of glorifying His Name.
The devil tempts us that he may cause us to sin, and if possible effect our eternal ruin. Therefore in this petition we ask that God may not allow us to be tempted above our strength, and that He may give us grace to conquer the devil by resisting temptation.
but deliver us from evil. In this petition we ask for deliverance both from spiritual and physical evils. From the former we can ask deliverance unconditionally, since God wills our sanctification and salvation. From the latter, we can only ask to be delivered in as far as such exemption is profitable for our eternal interests, and that God alone knows. Some theologians take the word “evil” as synonymous with “ the evil one,” i.e. the devil, but the majority prefer the interpretation given above.
14. if you will forgive. Jesus here gives the reason for the second clause of the fifth petition — as we forgive our debtors. “ It is most equitable that we should not obtain forgiveness for the vast debts we owe our Heavenly Father, our Creator and Master, if we refuse to remit to our brethren, His children, the trifling debts which, on the grounds of offence, they owe us. In singling out this petition and the condition of securing it, our Lord shews the great importance as well as the necessity of charity and brotherly union” (MacEvilly, St Matt., p. 121).
15. if you will not forgive, etc. Jesus reiterates the same truth in a negative form, that the disciples might clearly understand His meaning. In like manner He repeated a truth, both in the positive and negative aspect, when He said, Whose sins you shall forgive^ they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain^ they are retained (St John xx. 23).
3. Fasting.
16. when you fast. Christ presupposes that Plis disciples will fast, and these words contain an implied command.
The written Law of Moses prescribed but one fast-day in the year, viz. the Day of Atonement, but other fasts were enjoined later (see Zach. viii. 19), and the Sanhedrin sometimes prescribed special fasts in times of great national calamities. These fasts, however, generally coincided with the weekly fast-days (enjoined by the rabbis in their oral traditions), i.e. Mondays and Thursdays. Thus if a fast of five days was enjoined, it was extended over two weeks and a half, e.g. over three Mondays and two Thursdays. Only the stricter Jews, and especially the Pharisees, observed these weekly fasts. On these weekly fasts Edersheim remarks : “But, perhaps, we should not forget that these were also the regular market-days, when the country people came to the towns, and there were special services in the synagogues and the local Sanhedrin met, so that these saints in Israel would, at the same time, attract and receive special notice for their’ fasts ” (Life and Times, etc. , vol. ii. p. 291).
sad .... disfigure their faces. The Jews were accustomed on fastdays (both public and private) to cover the face and head with ashes, to abstain from washing and anointing, and to appear with disordered dress and dishevelled hair. Sometimes they completely covered the face. They also wore a special mourning dress of haircloth, and often rent their garments as a sign of sorrow.
may appear. In the Greek there is a play upon the words here translated “disfigure” and appear,” ἀφανίζουσιν and φανῶσιν. Both come from the same root,φαίνω , to appear. The original text may be rendered, “ They make their faces invisible that they may be visible to men.”
17. But thou .... ayioint .... wash. Christians are bidden to fast cheerfully and with spiritual joy. Our Lord’s words as regards anointing and washing are not to be taken literally as applying to the public fasts enjoined when these signs of mourning were enjoined by custom and tradition, but the Catholic can conceal his fasts of devotion.
The Catholic Church imposes days and seasons of fasting and penance, and as children of the Church we are bound to obey her laws faithfully, unless for some special reason we are dispensed from fasting.
18. thy Father who seeth, etc. See Annot. on verse 4.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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