MatthewChapter 6

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Show The Lord's PrayerOur Father - 7 prayer topics

Jesus taught his disciples to pray this prayer. It has seven parts: three concerning God's glory and four concerning our needs.

Our Father in heaven

[Matt 6:9]

v.9

Hallowed be your name

[Matt 6:9]

v.9

Your kingdom come

[Matt 6:10]

v.10

Your will be done

[Matt 6:10]

v.10

Give us today our daily bread

[Matt 6:11]

v.11

Forgive us our debts

[Matt 6:12]

v.12

Lead us not into temptation

[Matt 6:13]

v.13

Parallel texts1 parallels in this chapter

The Lord's PrayerML

Matthew has the longer version used liturgically.

Matthew(du leser)

9This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

LukeLuke 11:2-4

2He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

So when you give to the needy, don't sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by others. I tell you the truth: they have received their reward in full.

But when you give to the needy, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, to be seen by others. I tell you the truth: they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not babble on like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"When you fast, do not look somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. I tell you the truth: they have received their reward in full.

But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is hidden from sight. And your Father, who sees what is hidden, will reward you.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the light within you is darkness, how deep that darkness is!

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

"Therefore I tell you: do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth far more than they?

And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: they do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

The pagans chase after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has trouble enough of its own.

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Summary2

Chapter 6

Main Theme: Jesus teaches about genuine righteousness practiced for God alone, not for human recognition.

Content: The chapter begins with a warning against practicing righteousness to be seen by others (v. 1). Jesus then provides guidance on three acts of piety—giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting—all of which are to be done in secret for the Father. The Lord's Prayer is presented as the model prayer (vv. 9-13). The chapter concludes with teaching about storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, and an exhortation not to worry but to seek God's kingdom first.

Key Words/Images:

Hypocrites (ὑποκριταί): Those who practice their righteousness to be honored by people, having already received their reward.
In secret (ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ): God's perspective—the Father sees what is done in secret and will reward openly.
The Lord's Prayer: The model prayer that teaches disciples to pray with focus on God's name, kingdom, and will, as well as daily needs and forgiveness.
Mammon (μαμωνᾷ): Wealth as a competing master—one cannot serve both God and money.
Worry (μεριμνάω): Jesus warns against anxious worry and points to God's care for birds and flowers as evidence of His provision.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Matthew 6

Events and Customs

Alms (ἐλεημοσύνη)

Giving alms was one of the three pillars of Jewish piety, along with prayer and fasting. In first-century Jewish society, it was common to give alms publicly, often in connection with synagogue services or at the city gate. Rabbinic literature testifies that givers were sometimes announced aloud, and there were "alms boxes" (קופה) in synagogues. Jesus’ criticism of blowing a trumpet (σαλπίσῃς) is likely a hyperbolic description of the attention being sought, although some scholars have suggested it may refer to the sound of coins falling into metal containers.

Prayer Practices

Jewish devotional practice included set times for prayer (morning, afternoon, and evening), and many devout Jews would stand up to pray wherever they were when the time came. Standing on street corners and in synagogues was therefore not unusual. The Greek word ταμεῖόν (v. 6) refers to an inner room or storage chamber—often the only room in a simple house that had a door and could be closed.

Pagan Prayer Practices

The criticism of "vain repetition" (βατταλογέω) points to pagan beliefs that gods had to be persuaded through long incantations and repetitions. This stands in contrast to the short, trusting prayer Jesus teaches.

Fasting

Pharisees voluntarily fasted twice a week (Monday and Thursday), beyond the required fasting days. The practice of "disfiguring one’s face" (ἀφανίζουσιν τὰ πρόσωπα) could include sprinkling ashes on the head, refraining from washing, and going about with unkempt hair. Anointing the head and washing the face (v. 17), however, were signs of normal daily hygiene and festive occasions.

Key Terms

Ὑποκριταί (hypocrites)

The word originally meant "actor"—one who wears a mask on the theater stage. In the Jewish context of Jesus’ time, it had acquired the meaning of someone playing a role, displaying outward piety without inner sincerity. Jesus consistently uses it in this chapter to refer to those who practice their religion for human approval.

Μαμωνᾶς (Mammon)

An Aramaic loanword (ממון) meaning wealth or property. The word was personified in Jewish tradition as a power competing for human loyalty. By setting Mammon against God as two "lords" (κύριοι), Jesus suggests that wealth can become an idolatrous power demanding worship.

Ἐπιούσιος (daily)

This adjective in the Lord’s Prayer (v. 11) is found almost nowhere else in Greek literature and has been the subject of much discussion. It may mean "for the coming day," "necessary for existence," or "supernatural." Church fathers interpreted it both literally (food for the day) and sacramentally (Eucharistic bread).

Ὀφειλήματα (debts/sins)

In v. 12, the metaphor of debt is used for sin, which was common in Aramaic. Luke’s parallel uses "sins" (ἁμαρτίας), while Matthew retains the Semitic metaphor where sin is understood as a debt owed to God.

Ὀφθαλμὸς ἁπλοῦς / πονηρός (good/evil eye)

The "evil eye" (עין רעה) was a Hebrew idiom for stinginess, while the "good eye" meant generosity. This explains the connection with the passage on wealth—it is not primarily about sight, but about the heart’s attitude toward money and other people.

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