1
Προσέχετε ⸀δὲ τὴν ⸀δικαιοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς· εἰ δὲ μή γε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν τῷ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
Take care not to practise your righteousness before people, to be seen by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father in the heavens.
2
Ὅταν οὖν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις, ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν.
So when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by people. Amen I say to you, they have their reward in full.
Why this rendering
Matt.6.2 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν — they have received their reward in full. This is the verb that stood alone and unresolved at Mark 14:41 as ἀπέχει. In Matthew it has an object, so the usage is plain: the commercial idiom of a sum paid in full with nothing outstanding — and Matthew repeats the line three times (vv.2, 5, 16). The same refrain attaches to almsgiving, prayer and fasting. The three paragraphs are built identically: what the hypocrites do → the purpose of being seen (ὅπως) → the refrain they have their reward → but you, do it thus → the Father who sees in secret will repay. And the verb of that repaying is ἀποδώσει — the verb of Mark 12:17, give back to Caesar what is Caesar's; here God is the one giving back.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “they have their reward in full” — identically in all three places
Basis Keeps the commercial sense of paid in full and renders vv.2, 5 and 16 identically so the refrain is visible.
Vary the wording between the three places
Basis Fits each context for natural reading.
Rejected That the same sentence stands three times is the structure of the paragraph. Varying it scatters the structure and buries the link to Mark 14:41 under different renderings.
Lost in translation
the idiom of a receipt ἀπέχω is known from receipts, the word that confirms payment received in full. They have their reward carries the sense but not the documentary grain.
3
σοῦ δὲ ποιοῦντος ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ γνώτω ἡ ἀριστερά σου τί ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιά σου,
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4
ὅπως ᾖ σου ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ· καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ ⸀κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει ⸀σοι.
so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
5
Καὶ ὅταν ⸂προσεύχησθε, οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς⸃ οἱ ὑποκριταί· ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν ἑστῶτες προσεύχεσθαι, ⸀ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀμὴν λέγω ⸀ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, to appear to people. Amen I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6
σὺ δὲ ὅταν προσεύχῃ, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ ταμεῖόν σου καὶ κλείσας τὴν θύραν σου πρόσευξαι τῷ πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ· καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει ⸀σοι.
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
7
Προσευχόμενοι δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί, δοκοῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολυλογίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰσακουσθήσονται·
And when praying, do not babble on like the gentiles, for they think they will be heard for their many words.
8
μὴ οὖν ὁμοιωθῆτε αὐτοῖς, οἶδεν γὰρ ⸀ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὧν χρείαν ἔχετε πρὸ τοῦ ὑμᾶς αἰτῆσαι αὐτόν.
So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9
Οὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς· Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου,
Pray, then, like this: ‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be made holy;
10
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ⸀ἐπὶ γῆς·
let your kingdom come; let your will come about, as in heaven so also on earth.
11
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·
Give us today our bread for the day.
Why this rendering
Matt.6.11 Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
ἐπιούσιος occurs at two places in this corpus — here and Luke 11:3, both the same prayer — and the lexica record it as effectively unattested in Greek outside this prayer. Where the etymology is cut divides the sense: ἐπί + οὐσία, being, gives necessary for existence; ἐπί + ἰέναι, to go, gives of the coming day; ἐπί + εἶναι gives for today. The sentence already has σήμερον, today — so for today makes it say the same thing twice, while of the coming day makes what is asked for today belong to tomorrow. Of the twenty-nine versions compared nearly all render it daily; only YLT goes elsewhere, with appointed. The same division holds at Luke 11:3. The word's position is worth noting too: of the prayer's six petitions this is the only one about the body, the three before it naming God's name, kingdom and will, the two after it debts and testing.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “Give us today our bread for the day”
Basis Since the sense is unsettled, a short rendering that leans on neither etymology, with the division recorded in the analysis. ἄρτος stays bread, as already used at Mark 6:38, 8:5 and elsewhere.
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Basis Uses the settled rendering.
Rejected 일용할 and daily have already chosen one etymology (the day's portion), erasing that the word is unsettled. And 양식, provisions, widens ἄρτος beyond bread and breaks with its other places in the corpus.
Lost in translation
the newness of the word The word is scarcely used outside this prayer, so it may have sounded strange to its first hearers too. Any rendering covers that strangeness with a familiar phrase.
12
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ⸀ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Why this rendering
Matt.6.12 Observation
Syntactic observation
The petition's word is debt — ὀφείλημα, a thing owed, and ὀφειλέτης, a debtor. Not ἁμαρτία, sin. ὀφείλημα occurs only here in this corpus. ὀφειλέτης stands twice in Matthew (6:12, 18:24) and once in Luke (13:4); within Matthew, ch. 18 is the parable of the slave owing ten thousand talents — the prayer's word running on into that parable. Yet two verses later, at 14-15, Matthew himself changes the word: τὰ παραπτώματα, trespasses. The same matter is debt at v.12 and trespass at v.14. And παράπτωμα is the word of Mark 11:25, where Mark uses it for forgiving as you stand praying. The tense divides as well: ἀφήκαμεν is aorist, as we have forgiven, while the variant tradition prints a present (ἀφίεμεν, as we forgive), easing the dissonance. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀ἀφήκαμεν).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Basis Renders the debt-words as debt, joining 18:24 and keeping them apart from the trespasses of vv.14-15; the aorist stands as written.
“Forgive us our sins”
Basis Renders the sense.
Rejected Matthew chose debt at v.12 and trespass at v.14, and neither is sin. Levelling to sin loses both the split between the two words and the link to the parable of ch. 18.
13
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ⸀πονηροῦ.
And do not bring us into testing, but deliver us from the evil.'
Why this rendering
Matt.6.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
**SBLGNT ends the prayer here.** The Textus Receptus prints on: ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν — for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Tischendorf also has the short form. 개역한글, of the Textus Receptus line, sets the doxology in round brackets; NASB in square brackets; ESV, NIV and NET do not print it in the body. τοῦ πονηροῦ reads as either masculine or neuter — from the evil one or from evil; the form does not decide. Matthew's own usage supports both, with ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ at 5:37, τῷ πονηρῷ at 5:39, and ὁ πονηρός at 13:19 and 38. εἰσενέγκῃς is not causative but bring into — the petition that God not carry us into testing stands as written. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀πονηροῦ.).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted End at “deliver us from the evil” — no doxology
Basis Follows the base text. Since the gender of τοῦ πονηροῦ is undetermined, the rendering leaves both readings open.
Print the doxology
Basis Follows the Textus Receptus and liturgical tradition.
Rejected By our base-text decision we follow SBLGNT, and the direction runs one way: a liturgical ending seeping into the text is common; an existing ending being deleted is not.
Lost in translation
the undetermined gender of πονηρός Korean does not mark gender, so 악한 것 keeps both readings; English must choose between the evil one and evil.
Survives in · 개역한글
14
ἐὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος·
For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also;
15
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ⸀ἀνθρώποις, οὐδὲ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν.
but if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16
Ὅταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ⸀ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί, ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες· ἀμὴν λέγω ⸀ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν.
And when you fast, do not be gloomy-faced like the hypocrites; for they disfigure their faces to appear to people as fasting. Amen I say to you, they have their reward in full.
17
σὺ δὲ νηστεύων ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι,
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18
ὅπως μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων ἀλλὰ τῷ πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ ⸀κρυφαίῳ· καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ ⸁κρυφαίῳ ἀποδώσει σοι.
so as not to appear to people as fasting but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
19
Μὴ θησαυρίζετε ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται διορύσσουσιν καὶ κλέπτουσιν·
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal;
20
θησαυρίζετε δὲ ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὅπου οὔτε σὴς οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται οὐ διορύσσουσιν οὐδὲ κλέπτουσιν·
but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21
ὅπου γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρός ⸀σου, ἐκεῖ ἔσται καὶ ἡ καρδία ⸁σου.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22
Ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός. ἐὰν οὖν ⸂ᾖ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς⸃, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν ἔσται·
The lamp of the body is the eye. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light;
23
ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρὸς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου σκοτεινὸν ἔσται. εἰ οὖν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοὶ σκότος ἐστίν, τὸ σκότος πόσον.
but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. So if the light in you is the dark, how great is that dark.
24
Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ.
No one can be a slave to two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves to God and to mamonas.
Why this rendering
Matt.6.24 Observation
Syntactic observation
μαμωνᾶς is an Aramaic word in Greek letters, and Matthew does not gloss it — he glossed Immanuel at 1:23 with which translated is, and here he does not. It occurs at four places in this corpus — here and Luke 16:9, 11, 13 — and Luke leaves it unglossed too: four times the transliteration stands alone. The structure sets the word alongside God: θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ — two datives governed by one verb, the first God, the second this word. δουλεύω is to be a slave to, the verb of δοῦλος, not merely to serve. So the sentence is not that two activities cannot be combined but that one cannot belong as slave to two masters. The preceding verses prepare it — the θησαυρός of vv.19-21, the sound eye and the evil eye of vv.22-23, and then the two masters of v.24.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “You cannot be slaves to God and to mamonas” — transliterated
Basis Aramaic that Matthew leaves unglossed stays unglossed (a fixed corpus rule, as with Raka and Hosanna), keeping the shape in which one word stands beside God.
“You cannot serve God and money”
Basis Renders by sense for readability.
Rejected 재물 or money turns the word into a thing and weakens the shape in which what stands beside God is something that acts as a master. And it makes the translation supply a gloss Matthew withheld.
Lost in translation
what the word means That the word denotes wealth is inferred from the lexica and the context; the text does not say it. Transliteration leaves the inference to the reader.
25
Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν· μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν τί ⸀φάγητε, μηδὲ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν τί ἐνδύσησθε· οὐχὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πλεῖόν ἐστι τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος;
Therefore I say to you: do not worry about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26
ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά· οὐχ ὑμεῖς μᾶλλον διαφέρετε αὐτῶν;
Look at the birds of the sky: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27
τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα;
And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his span of life?
28
καὶ περὶ ἐνδύματος τί μεριμνᾶτε; καταμάθετε τὰ κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς ⸂αὐξάνουσιν· οὐ κοπιῶσιν οὐδὲ νήθουσιν⸃·
And why do you worry about clothing? Learn well from the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither labour nor spin.
29
λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἓν τούτων.
Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these.
30
εἰ δὲ τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καὶ αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ θεὸς οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς, ὀλιγόπιστοι;
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31
μὴ οὖν μεριμνήσητε λέγοντες· Τί φάγωμεν; ἤ· Τί πίωμεν; ἤ· Τί περιβαλώμεθα;
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?'
32
πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ ἔθνη ⸀ἐπιζητοῦσιν· οἶδεν γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων ἁπάντων.
For the gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33
ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν ⸀βασιλείαν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.
But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these will be added to you.
34
μὴ οὖν μεριμνήσητε εἰς τὴν αὔριον, ἡ γὰρ αὔριον μεριμνήσει ⸀αὑτῆς· ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς.
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Enough for the day is its own trouble.