Matthew 6:5. But when ye pray. The plural form is more correct. That men ought to pray is assumed. Prayerless men cannot consistently praise the Sermon on the Mount and the morality of Jesus of Nazareth. Religion is the backbone of morality; the second table presupposes the first: no love to man without love to God.

Ye shall not be. This neither ought to be nor will be the case, if we are Christ's disciples.

They love, not to pray, but to stand and pray, etc., for the praise of men, resulting from the publicity of the places they chose for their pretended devotions. It was right enough to pray in the usual posture, and the synagogues were proper places of devotion; but the standing was of a kind to attract attention. Not posture and place, but spirit and motive are condemned.

In the broad ways. The word here used is not that found in Matthew 6:2. The hypocrites would purposely be in such conspicuous places at the fixed hours of prayer. The fashion of airing piety in this way has not died out.

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Old Testament