Matthew 6:2

Bible in Basic English (1941)

When then you give money to the poor, do not make a noise about it, as the false-hearted men do in the Synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly, I say to you, They have their reward.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ὅταν οὖν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις, ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, Ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν.

Transliteration

Hotan oun poiēs eleēmosynēn, mē salpisēs emprosthen of you, hōsper the hypokritai poiousin in the synagōgais and in the rhymais, hopōs doxasthōsin by the anthrōpōn. Amēn legō to you, Apechousin the misthon of them.

Grammar Details

• *Hotan oun poiēs*: temporal conjunction + inferential particle + present subjunctive, 2nd singular - whenever therefore you do/give
• *eleēmosynēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - alms/charitable giving
• *mē salpisēs*: negative particle + aorist subjunctive, 2nd singular - do not sound a trumpet
• *emprosthen*: preposition - before/in front of
• *hōsper*: comparative adverb - just as/like
• *hypokritai*: nominative, masculine, plural - hypocrites/actors
• *poiousin*: present active indicative, 3rd plural - they do/practice
• *synagōgais*: dative, feminine, plural - synagogues/assemblies
• *rhymais*: dative, feminine, plural - streets/alleys
• *hopōs doxasthōsin*: purpose conjunction + aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd plural - so that they may be glorified/honored
• *Amēn legō*: Hebrew term + present active indicative, 1st singular - truly I say
• *Apechousin*: present active indicative, 3rd plural - they have in full/receive completely
• *misthon*: accusative, masculine, singular - reward/payment

Word Meanings

• *Hotan*: whenever/when
• *salpisēs*: sound a trumpet/announce loudly/proclaim
• *hypokritai*: hypocrites/actors/pretenders
• *synagōgais*: synagogues/meeting places/assemblies
• *rhymais*: streets/alleys/roads
• *doxasthōsin*: be glorified/be praised/be honored
• *Amēn*: truly/verily/certainly
• *Apechousin*: have received in full/have collected completely/have exhausted their reward

Referenced Verses

• Matt 6:5 : 5 And when you make your prayers, be not like the false-hearted men, who take pleasure in getting up and saying their prayers in the Synagogues and at the street turnings so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
• Matt 6:16 : 16 And when you go without food, be not sad-faced as the false-hearted are. For they go about with changed looks, so that men may see that they are going without food. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
• Matt 7:5 : 5 You false one, first take out the bit of wood from your eye, then will you see clearly to take out the grain of dust from your brother's eye.
• Matt 15:7 : 7 You false ones, well did Isaiah say of you,
• Matt 16:3 : 3 And in the morning, The weather will be bad today, for the sky is red and angry. You are able to see the face of heaven, but not the signs of the times.
• Matt 22:18 : 18 But Jesus saw their trick and said, Oh false ones, why are you attempting to put me in the wrong?
• Matt 23:6 : 6 And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues,
• Matt 23:13-29 : 13 But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back. 14 [] 15 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gold of the Temple, he is responsible. 17 You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy? 18 And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible. 19 You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy? 20 He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it. 21 And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is. 22 And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it. 23 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the others be undone. 24 You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel. 25 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire. 26 You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean. 27 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things. 28 Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing. 29 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good men, and say,
• Matt 24:51 : 51 And will have him cut in two, and will give him a part in the fate of the false ones: there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.
• Mark 7:6 : 6 And he said, Well did Isaiah say of you, you false ones: These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
• Mark 12:39 : 39 And to have the chief seats in the Synagogues and the first places at feasts;
• Luke 6:24 : 24 But unhappy are you who have wealth: for you have been comforted now.
• Luke 6:42 : 42 How will you say to your brother, Brother, let me take the grain of dust out of your eye, when you yourself do not see the bit of wood in your eye? O false one! first take the wood out of your eye and then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your brother's eye.
• Luke 11:41 : 41 But if you give to the poor such things as you are able, then all things are clean to you.
• Luke 11:43 : 43 A curse is on you, Pharisees! for your desires are for the most important seats in the Synagogues and for words of respect said to you in the market-place.
• Luke 12:33 : 33 Give what property you have in exchange for money, and give the money to the poor; make for yourselves money-bags which will not get old, wealth stored up in heaven which will be yours for ever, where thieves will not come nor worms put it to destruction.
• Luke 12:56 : 56 O false ones! the face of the earth and the heaven is clear to you; how is it that the signs of these times are not as clear to you?
• Luke 13:15 : 15 But the Lord gave him an answer and said, O you false men! do you not, every one of you, on the Sabbath, let loose his ox and his ass and take it to the water?
• Luke 20:46 : 46 Keep away from the scribes, whose pleasure it is to go about in long robes, and to have words of respect said to them in the market-places, and to take the chief seats in the Synagogues and the first places at feasts;
• John 5:41 : 41 I do not take honour from men;
• John 5:44 : 44 How is it possible for you to have faith while you take honour one from another and have no desire for the honour which comes from the only God?
• John 7:18 : 18 The man whose words come from himself is looking for glory for himself, but he who is looking for the glory of him who sent him--that man is true and there is no evil in him.
• John 13:29 : 29 Some were of the opinion that because Judas kept the money-bag Jesus said to him, Get the things we have need of for the feast; or, that he was to give something to the poor.
• Acts 9:36 : 36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, that is, Dorcas: this woman was given to good works and acts of mercy at all times.
• Acts 10:2 : 2 A serious-minded man, fearing God with all his family; he gave much money to the poor, and made prayer to God at all times.
• Acts 10:4 : 4 And he, looking on him in fear, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your offerings have come up to God, and he has kept them in mind.
• Acts 10:31 : 31 Who said, Cornelius, your prayer has come to the ears of God, and your offerings are kept in his memory.
• Acts 11:29 : 29 And the disciples, everyone as he was able, made a decision to send help to the brothers living in Judaea:
• Acts 24:17 : 17 Now after a number of years I came to give help and offerings to my nation:
• Rom 12:8 : 8 He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.
• 2 Cor 9:6-9 : 6 But in the Writings it says, He who puts in only a small number of seeds, will get in the same; and he who puts them in from a full hand, will have produce in full measure from them. 7 Let every man do after the purpose of his heart; not giving with grief, or by force: for God takes pleasure in a ready giver. 8 And God is able to give you all grace in full measure; so that ever having enough of all things, you may be full of every good work: 9 As it is said in the Writings, He has sent out far and wide, he has given to the poor; his righteousness is for ever. 10 And he who gives seed for putting into the field and bread for food, will take care of the growth of your seed, at the same time increasing the fruits of your righteousness; 11 Your wealth being increased in everything, with a simple mind, causing praise to God through us. 12 For this work of giving not only takes care of the needs of the saints, but is the cause of much praise to God; 13 For when, through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all; 14 While their hearts go out to you in love and in prayer for you, because of the great grace of God which is in you. 15 Praise be to God for what he has given, which words have no power to say.
• Gal 2:10 : 10 Only it was their desire that we would give thought to the poor; which very thing I had much in mind to do.
• Eph 4:28 : 28 Let him who was a thief be so no longer, but let him do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who is in need.
• 1 Thess 2:6 : 6 Or looking for glory from men, from you or from others, when we might have made ourselves a care to you as Apostles of Christ.
• 1 Tim 6:18 : 18 And to do good, having wealth in good works, being quick to give, taking part with one another;
• Phlm 1:7 : 7 For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.
• Heb 13:16 : 16 But go on doing good and giving to others, because God is well-pleased with such offerings.
• Jas 2:15-16 : 15 If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of the day's food, 16 And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this?
• 1 Pet 4:11 : 11 If anyone has anything to say, let it be as the words of God; if anyone has the desire to be the servant of others, let him do it in the strength which is given by God; so that in all things God may have the glory through Jesus Christ, whose are the glory and the power for ever.
• 1 John 3:17-19 : 17 But if a man has this world's goods, and sees that his brother is in need, and keeps his heart shut against his brother, how is it possible for the love of God to be in him? 18 My little children, do not let our love be in word and in tongue, but let it be in act and in good faith. 19 In this way we may be certain that we are true, and may give our heart comfort before him,
• 1 Sam 15:30 : 30 Then he said, Great is my sin: but still, give me honour now before the heads of my people and before Israel, and come back with me so that I may give worship to the Lord your God.
• Job 31:16-20 : 16 If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose; 17 If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father; 18 (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;) 19 If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him; 20 If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;
• Ps 37:21 : 21 The sinner takes money and does not give it back; but the upright man has mercy, and gives to others.
• Ps 112:9 : 9 He has given with open hands to the poor; his righteousness is for ever; his horn will be lifted up with honour.
• Prov 19:17 : 17 He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward.
• Prov 20:6 : 6 Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen?
• Eccl 11:2 : 2 Give a part to seven or even to eight, because you have no knowledge of the evil which will be on the earth.
• Isa 9:17 : 17 For this cause the Lord will have no pleasure in their young men, and no pity on their widows and the children without fathers: for they are all haters of God and evil-doers, and foolish words come from every mouth. For all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
• Isa 10:6 : 6 I will send him against a nation of wrongdoers, and against the people of my wrath I will give him orders, to take their wealth in war, crushing them down like the dust in the streets.
• Isa 58:7 : 7 Is it not to give your bread to those in need, and to let the poor who have no resting-place come into your house? to put a robe on the unclothed one when you see him, and not to keep your eyes shut for fear of seeing his flesh?
• Isa 58:10-12 : 10 And if you give your bread to those in need of it, so that the troubled one may have his desire; then you will have light in the dark, and your night will be as the full light of the sun: 11 And the Lord will be your guide at all times; in dry places he will give you water in full measure, and will make strong your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like an ever-flowing spring. 12 And your sons will be building again the old waste places: you will make strong the bases of old generations: and you will be named, He who puts up the broken walls, and, He who makes ready the ways for use.
• Hos 8:1 : 1 Put the horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of the Lord; because they have gone against my agreement, they have not kept my law.
• Matt 5:18 : 18 Truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth come to an end, not the smallest letter or part of a letter will in any way be taken from the law, till all things are done.