George Haydock's Catholic Commentary
Matthew 6:16
He condemns not public fasts as prescribed to the people of God, (Judges xx. 26. 2 Esdras ix. Joel ii. 15. John iii.) but fasting through vain glory, and for the esteem of men. (Bristow)
He condemns not public fasts as prescribed to the people of God, (Judges xx. 26. 2 Esdras ix. Joel ii. 15. John iii.) but fasting through vain glory, and for the esteem of men. (Bristow)
Verse Matthew 6:16. _WHEN YE FAST_] A fast is termed by the Greeks νηστις, from νη _not_, and εσθειν _to eat_; hence fast means, a _total_ _abstinence from food for a certain time_. Abstaining from _...
MOREOVER, WHEN YE FAST - The word “fast” literally signifies to abstain from food and drink, whether from necessity or as a religious observance. It is, however, commonly applied in the Bible to the l...
CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The Better Righteousness.(Matthew 6:1 .) 2. Kept in the World; Single-eyed; Trusting God.(Matthew 6:19 .)_ Our Lord said: “For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness surpass th...
THE FULFILLED LAW IN RELATION TO THE LIFE OF THE PHARISEES. Mt. only, though the digression on Prayer (Matthew 6:7) has parallels in Lk. MATTHEW 6:1 is a general warning; three aspects of the mechani...
THE REWARD MOTIVE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (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...
When you fast, don't put on a sad face, as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces, so that all men may see that they are fasting. This is the truth I tell you--they are paid in full. But wh...
AS TO FASTING. BE. becorne. DISFIGURE... APPEAR. Note the Figure of speech _Paronomasia_ (App-6), _aphanizousin... phanosin._ APPEAR. App-106....
(_c_) Fasting, 16 18. 16. Fasting, in itself a natural result of grief, as anyone who has witnessed deep sorrow knows, easily degenerates into a form without reality. _disfigure_ Either (1) make uns...
Fasting, in itself a natural result of grief, as any one who has witnessed deep sorrow knows, easily degenerates into a form without reality. ἈΦΑΝΊΖΟΥΣΙΝ. Either (1) make unseen, ‘veil,’ or (2) cause...
VER 16. "MOREOVER WHEN YE FAST, BE NOT, AS THE HYPOCRITES, OF A SAD COUNTENANCE: FOR THEY DISFIGURE THEIR FACES, THAT THEY MAY APPEAR UNTO MEN TO FAST. VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD....
_THE ACTIONS OF FASTING AND GIVING MATTHEW 6:16-21_ : Fasting is to be seen only by God. God said, "When you fast." It seems that fasting is expected among Christians, but not commanded for Christians...
ΝΗΣΤΕΎΗΤΕ _praes. conj. act. от_ ΝΗΣΤΕΎΩ (G3522) поститься, сидеть и поститься. _Conj._ с этой частицей вводит обобщающее значение действия; _см._ Matthew 6:5. Об иудейских постах _см._ Moore, Judaism...
DISCOURSE: 1320 DIRECTIONS RESPECTING FASTING Matthew 6:16. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fas...
MOREOVER, WHEN YE FAST, &C.— Our Lord goes on to apply the general advice, before given, to private fasting as well as to private prayer. The Greek word σκυθρωπος properly denotes a _fretful_ and _ang...
D. THE MOTIVES OF THE WISE AND GODLY MAN (Matthew 6:1-18) 4. HIS MOTIVATION FOR FASTING. (Matthew 6:16-18) TEXT: 6:16-18 16. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:...
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. MOREOV...
14-15 Compare Mar_11:25-26. 14 Forgiveness now is according to the riches of His grace (Eph_1:7), not according to our forgiveness of others. The believers in Israel failed at this point. Their forgi...
6:16 have (b-32) 'Have' has here the force of having all they have to expect -- they have the whole of it already. It is expressed in English by laying the stress on 'have.' Perhaps one might say 'hav...
PRECEPTS FOR PRIVATE FASTS (not in St. Luke). Our Lord says nothing of public fasts, because when every one else is fasting there is little temptation to vainglory. In our Lord's time there were not m...
DISFIGURE THEIR FACES] viz. with ashes, or perhaps, 'conceal their faces with a veil': see 2 Samuel 15:30; Esther 6:12....
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (CONTINUED) 1. God's approval, not man's, to be sought in all our actions. Jesus does not say that we are to do good expecting no reward of any kind, but that we are to look fo...
THE EARTHLY TREASURE AND THE HEAVENLY TREASURE. When do we lay up 'treasure in heaven'? Whenever we give alms (Matthew 6:2), or pray (Matthew 6:5), or fast (Matthew 6:16), to please God rather than ma...
MATTHEW’S GOOD NEWS MATTHEW’S *GOSPEL _HILDA BRIGHT_ CHAPTER 6 THE RIGHT WAY TO GIVE GIFTS 6:1-4 V1 ‘Be careful not to show how good you are in front of other people. Do not do your good works...
WHEN YE FAST. — Fasting had risen under the teaching of the Pharisees into a new prominence. Under the Law there had been but the one great fast of the Day of Atonement, on which men were “to afflict...
CHAPTER 7 The Gospel of the Kingdom ("Sermon on the Mount") - Matthew 5:1; Matthew 6:1; Matthew 7:1 IT may seem almost heresy to object to the time-honoured title "Sermon on the Mount"; yet, so smal...
_Fasting_....
ὅταν δὲ : transition to a new related topic. σκυθρωποί, of sad visage, overdone of course by the “actors”. Fasting, like prayer, was reduced to a system; twice a week in ordinary Pharisaic practice: T...
HOW TO PRAY AND HOW TO FAST Matthew 6:9-18 This might more fitly be termed the “disciples' prayer.” As we tread its stately aisles, we cannot but think of the myriads who have stood on the same pavem...
In the first verse the Revised Version has substituted the word "righteousness" for "alms," "a reading approved of, almost unanimously, by the great editors and critics" (Morrison). This is a statemen...
(5) Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they (f) disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ...
CHAPTER 16 SERMON ON THE MOUNT Matthew 5-7, and Luke 6:20-49. A few days ago it was my privilege to spend two beautiful bright days at the sea of Galilee, sailing over it, and visiting the places of...
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. We have our LORD'S direction in these verses concerning...
God has been pleased, in the separate accounts He has given us of our Lord Jesus, to display not only His own grace and wisdom, but the infinite excellency of His Son. It is our wisdom to seek to prof...
_THE LENTEN FAST_ ‘When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites.’ Matthew 6:16 ‘When ye fast,’—the Lord takes it absolutely as granted that none of His followers will attempt to evade, or be so foolish...
He again returns to the former doctrine: for, having begun to rebuke vain ostentation in alms and prayer, he laid down, before proceeding farther, the rule for praying in a right manner. The same inju...
This discourse gives the principles of the kingdom, but supposes the rejection of the King, and the position into which this would bring those that were His; who consequently must look for a heavenly...
MOREOVER WHEN YE FAST,.... This is to be understood, not so much of their public stated fasts, and which were by divine appointment, as of their private fasts; which, with the Jews, were very frequent...
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Ver. 16....
_When ye fast_ Our Lord does not enjoin either fasting, alms-deeds, or prayer, all these being duties which were before fully established in the Church of God. _Be not as the hypocrites_, &c. Do not f...
DISFIGURE THEIR FACES; by leaving their face unwashed, and their hair and beard undressed. In religious duties, all should be especially careful to avoid ostentation, and the seeking of the praises of...
A lesson on fasting: MOREOVER, WHEN YE FAST, BE NOT AS THE HYPOCRITES, OF A SAD COUNTENANCE; FOR THEY DISFIGURE THEIR FACES, THAT THEY MAY APPEAR UNTO MEN TO FAST. VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THEY HAVE THE...
Verse 1 warns against practicing righteousness (margin) before men to attract their attention. This is self-righteousness, a mere show. How can we expect the Father to reward what we do merely to impr...
16-18 Religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, but it is not so much a duty itself, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Fasting is the humbling of the soul, Psalms 35:13...
SEE POOLE ON "MATTHEW 6:18"....
Shepherd of Hermas Commandment Tenth Cleanse yourself from this wicked grief, and you will live to God; and all will live to God who drive away grief from them, and put on all cheerfulness."[9] Tert...
Matthew 6:16 Moreover G1161 when G3752 fast G3522 (G5725) not G3361 be G1096 (G5737) like G5618 hypocrites...
THE CORRECT APPROACH TO FASTING (6:16-18). The idea of fasting in Israel was that of expressing repentance for sin (Nehemiah 9:1; Jonah 3:5); or of revealing grief (2 Samuel 1:12;...
THEIR RELIGIOUS EXERCISES ARE TO BE KNOWN ONLY TO THE FATHER AND NOT TO MEN (6:1-18). We will now, therefore, initially consider together the first four passages which deal with their religious behavi...
“Moreover when you fast, do not be, as the hypocrites, of a sad expression, For they disfigure their faces, That they may be seen of men to fast. Truly I say to you, They have received their reward...
Matthew 6:16. WHEN YE FAST. Fasting as an aid to prayer and meditation, and a wholesome discipline, is a religious duty, and has a place in Christian practice. More is meant than temperance in meat an...
GENERAL CHARACTER. The magna charta of Christ's Kingdom: the unfolding of His righteousness; the sublimest code of morals ever proclaimed on earth; the counterpart of the legislation on Mount Sinai; C...
Our Lord passes from moral to religious duties, enjoining a ‘righteousness' (Matthew 6:1), which exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (‘hypocrites'), and has regard to the character of our ‘Fathe...
Matthew 6:16-18. Third Example _(Fasting)._...
OF A SAD COUNTENANCE (σκυθρωπο). Only here and Luke 24:17 in the N.T. It is a compound of σκυθρος (sullen) and οπς (countenance). These actors or hypocrites "put on a gloomy look" (Goodspeed) and, i...
REWARD That is, the praise of men....
Matthew 6:16 Let us ask what is the use of fasting, for so we shall best come to understand the true methods and degrees of fasting. All bodily discipline, all voluntary abstinence from pleasure of wh...
Matthew 6:5. _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._ We oug...
Matthew 6:1. _Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven._ The motive which leads a man to give, will form the tr...
CONTENTS: Sermon on the Mount, continued. Formalism condemned. The new revelation of prayer (disciples prayer). The law of riches. Cure of anxiety. CHARACTERS: God, Jesus. CONCLUSION: True relationsh...
Matthew 6:1. _Take heed that ye do not your alms before men._ It is a dispute whether alms or righteousness be the true reading. The old copies had righteousness. Chrysostom in one place has righteous...
16-18. AND WHEN YOU FAST. This is the third example of the right and wrong way of doing religious duties. The same principle of avoiding a "show off" attitude applies here. Fasting can be useful, but...
_When ye fast._ I. A few remarks on the practice of fasting at the time of our Lord. II. The sinful and unprofitable manner in which the Jews observed it. 1. Their ostentation. 2. Its futility-“Th...
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 6:16 Various kinds of fasts were practiced in OT times, though the law required only one fast a year, on the Day of Atonement. (Fasting is probably implied by the command to “a...
CHAPTER 6 _Take heed_. &c. Instead of _alms_, some Greek Codices read _δικαιοσύνην, righteousness_, or _justice._ This is the reading of the Syriac and the Latin Vulgate. The Complutensian, Royal, and...
_CRITICAL NOTES_ Matthew 6:1. ALMS.—_Righteousness_ (R.V.) is probably correct and shows the connection between this chapter and the preceding, better than “alms.” In ch. Matthew 5:20, the disciples a...
EXPOSITION MATTHEW 6:1 _The_ _relation of our Lord and his disciples to the religion of the day _(_continued_);_ vide _Matthew 5:17, note. (_b_) Our Lord turns from cases which could be directly dedu...
Tonight let's take a look at Matthew, chapter six. We are in the section of the book of Matthew that is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount because it was delivered to the disciples of Jesus on th...
1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Corinthians 11:27; 2 Corinthians 6:5;...
Ye fast [ν η σ τ ε υ η τ ε]. Observe the force of the present tense as indicating action in progress : Whenever ye may be fasting. Of a sad countenance [ο κ υ θ ρ ω π ο ι]. An uncommon word in the New...
When ye fast? — Our Lord does not enjoin either fasting, alms — deeds, or prayer: all these being duties which were before fully established in the Church of God. Disfigure — By the dust and ashes whi...
The next duty which our Saviour instructs his disciples in, is that of religious fasting; which is,. devoting of the whole man, soul and body, to. solemn and extaordinary attendance upon God, in. part...