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. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST [ proseuchee (G4336 )], THOU SHALT - or, according to the preferable, reading, 'when ye pray [ proseucheesthe (G4336)] ye shall' NOT BE AS THE HYPOCRITES ARE: FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND IN THE CORNERS OF THE STREETS (see the note at Matthew 6:2), THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN OF MEN. VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THEY HAVE ......

5._When thou shalt pray _He now gives the same instruction as to _prayer, _which he had formerly given as to _alms. _It is a gross and shameful profanation of the name of God, when hypocritcs, in order to obtain glory from men, pray in public, or at least make a pretense of praying. But, as hypocrisy is always ambitious, we need not wonder that it is also blind. Christ, therefore, commands his disciples, if they wish to pray in a right manner, to _enter into their closet _Some expositors, thinking that this has the appearance of absurdity, give it an allegorical turn, as referring to the inward recesses of the heart: but there is no necessity for such trifling. We are commanded, in many passages, to pray to God or to praise him, in the public assembly, amidst a crowd of men, and before all the people: and that for the purpose, not only of testifying our faith or gratitude, but also of ex...

5-8 It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to so poor a thing as the praise of men, it is just that it should be all our reward. Yet there is not a secret, sudden breathing after God, but he observes it. It is called a reward, but it is of grace, not of debt; what merit can there be in begging? If he does not give his people what they ask, it is because he knows they do not need it, and that it is not for their good. So far is God from being wrought upon by the length or words of our prayers, that the most powerful...

Verse Matthew 6:5. _AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST_] Οταν προσευχη. Προσευχη, _prayer_, is compounded of προς _with_, and ευχη a _vow_, because to pray right, a man _binds_ himself to God, as by a _vow_, to live to his glory, if he will grant him his grace, c. ευχομαι signifies _to pour out prayers_ or _vows_, from ευ _well_, and χεω, _I pour out_ probably alluding to the _offerings_ or _libations_ which were _poured out_ before, or on the altar. A proper idea of prayer is, _a pouring out of the soul unto God_, as a _free-will offering_, solemnly and eternally dedicated to him, accompanied with the most _earnest desire_ that it may know, love, and serve him alone. He that comes thus to God will ever be heard and blessed. Prayer is the language of _dependence_; he who prays not, is endeavouring to live independen...

AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST ... - Hypocrites manifested the same spirit about prayer as almsgiving; it was done in public places. The word “synagogues,” here, clearly means, not the place of worship of that name, but places where many were accustomed to assemble - near the markets or courts, where they could be seen of many. Our Lord evidently could not mean to condemn prayers in the synagogues. It might be said that he condemned ostentatious prayer there, while they neglected secret prayer; but this does not appear to be his design. The Jews were much in the habit of praying in public places. At certain times of the day they always offered their prayers. Wherever they were, they suspended their employment and paid their devotions. This is also practiced now everywhere by Muslims, and in many places by Roman Catholics. It seems, also, that they sought publicity, and regarded it as proof of gre...

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 deduced from the Law to those which belonged only to recognized religious duty. Of these he instances three: alms (Matthew 5:2), prayer (Matthew 5:5, Matthew 5:9), fasting (Matthew 5:16). It is, indeed, true

AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST, THOU SHALT NOT BE AS THE HYPOCRITES,.... As the Scribes and Pharisees; whose posture in prayer, the places they chose to pray in, and the view they had therein, are particularly taken notice of: FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES, AND IN THE CORNERS OF THE STREETS, THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN OF MEN. It was their usual custom to pray "standing"; nay, it is established by their canons. "There are eight things, (says Maimonides u,) that a man that prays ought to take heed to do; and the first he mentions is "standing"; for, says he, no man may pray אלא מעימד, "but standing"; if he is sitting in a ship, or in a cart, if he can stand, he must stand; if not, he may sit in his place and pray.'' Several hints of this custom there are in the Misna w. "On their fast days they used to bring out the ark into the streets-- עמדו בתפלה, "and they stood in prayer", o...

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._ Our blessed Lord does not tell his disciples to give alms, but he takes it for granted that they do that. How could they be his disciples if they did not so? But he tells them to take care that they do not do this in order to get honour and credit from it. Oh! how much is done in this world that would be very good, but it is spoilt in the doing through the motive done to be seen of men. «Ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.» Matthew 6:2. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you. They ha

REWARD That is, the praise of men....

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 that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in nowise enter into the kingdom of the heavens” (Matthew 5:20). This righteousness He had taught in His confirmation and expansion of the law, but now He speaks of something higher still. He makes known the motive of this true righteousness, which the heir of the kingdom is not alone to possess but also to practice. The motive is in all to act in the presence of the Father. The first eighteen verses of the sixth chapter shows this in a threefold relation. First, in rel