The Meaning of Matthew 6:18 Explained

Matthew 6:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: that thou mayest not appear to men fasting, but to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father, who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.

Darby: so that thou mayest not appear fasting unto men, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who sees in secret shall render it to thee.

ASV: that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Matthew 6:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 6:9-18 - How To Pray And How To Fast
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 pavement, and have found, in every age, that these seven brief petitions express sufficiently their deepest and holiest longings. Old men and little children, Roman Catholics and Protestants, the servant and his master, east and west, stand together in this noble temple not made with hands.
Prayer should be direct, simple and earnest. It must be reverent, hallowing the Name; and unselfish, employing, we, us, and our,-not "I," "me," "mine." It must breathe the filial spirit which cries, "Abba, Father." It must be conceived in love and breathe forgiveness and trust for the supply of all the hunger of our nature. When God forgives, He forth-gives; that is, He casts out of His hand and mind and memory every trace of our sin. We may claim that God should repair as well as forgive; but we must be willing to deal with all others as God has dealt with us. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 6

1  Giving to the Needy
5  The Lord's Prayer
16  Proper Fasting
19  Store up Treasures in Heaven
25  Do Not Worry
33  but seek God's kingdom

Greek Commentary for Matthew 6:18

In secret [εν τωι κρυπαιωι]
Here as in Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6 the Textus Receptus adds εν τωι πανερωι — en tōi phanerōi (openly), but it is not genuine. The word κρυπαιος — kruphaios is here alone in the New Testament, but occurs four times in the Septuagint. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 6:18

John 1:30 A man [ἀνὴρ]
Three words are used in the New Testament for man: ἄῤῥην , or ἄρσην , ἀνήρ , and ἄνθρωπος . Ἄρσην marks merely the sexual distinction, male (Romans 1:27; Revelation 12:5, Revelation 12:13). Ἁνήρ denotes the man as distinguished from the woman, as male or as a husband (Acts 8:12; Matthew 1:16), or from a boy (Matthew 14:21). Also man as endowed with courage, intelligence, strength, and other noble attributes (1 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:13; James 3:2). Ἄνθρωπος is generic, without distinction of sex, a human being (John 16:21), though often used in connections which indicate or imply sex, as Matthew 19:10; Matthew 10:35. Used of mankind (Matthew 4:4), or of the people (Matthew 5:13, Matthew 5:16; Matthew 6:5, Matthew 6:18; John 6:10). Of man as distinguished from animals or plants (Matthew 4:19; 2 Peter 2:16), and from God, Christ as divine and angels (Matthew 10:32; John 10:33; Luke 2:15). With the notion of weakness leading to sin, and with a contemptuous sense (1 Corinthians 2:5; 1 Peter 4:2; John 5:12; Romans 9:20). The more honorable and noble sense thus attaches to ἀνήρ rather than to ἄνθρωπος . Thus Herodotus says that when the Medes charged the Greeks, they fell in vast numbers, so that it was manifest to Xerxes that he had many men combatants ( ἄνθρωποι ) but few warriors ( ἄνθρωποι ) vii., 210. So Homer: “O friends, be men ( ἀνέρες ), and take on a stout heart” (“Iliad,” v., 529). Ἁνήρ is therefore used here of Jesus by the Baptist with a sense of dignity. Compare ἄνθρωπος , in John 1:6, where the word implies no disparagement, but is simply indefinite. In John ἀνήρ has mostly the sense of husband (John 4:16-18). See John 6:10. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

2 Timothy 4:8 Shall give [ἀποδώσει]
Most frequent in Synoptic Gospels. It may mean to give over or away, as Matthew 27:58; Acts 5:8; Hebrews 12:16: or to give back, recompose, as here, Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:18; Romans 2:6. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 6:18 mean?

so that not you might appear - to men [as] fasting but - to Father your the [One] in - secret and the Father of you the [One] seeing will reward you
ὅπως μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων ἀλλὰ τῷ Πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ καὶ Πατήρ σου βλέπων ἀποδώσει σοι

ὅπως  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅπως  
Sense: how, that.
φανῇς  you  might  appear 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 2nd Person Singular
Root: φαίνω  
Sense: to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light.
τοῖς  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνθρώποις  to  men 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
νηστεύων  [as]  fasting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: νηστεύω  
Sense: to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πατρί  to  Father 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
σου  your 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
τῷ  the  [One] 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κρυφαίῳ  secret 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: κρυπτός 
Sense: hidden, concealed, secret.
Πατήρ  Father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
  the  [One] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
βλέπων  seeing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βλέπω  
Sense: to see, discern, of the bodily eye.
ἀποδώσει  will  reward 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποδίδωμι  
Sense: to deliver, to give away for one’s own profit what is one’s own, to sell.