Matthew 6:17

KJV1611 – Modern English

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

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Σὺ δὲ, νηστεύων, ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι·

Transliteration

You de, nēsteuōn, aleipsai of you the kephalēn, and the prosōpon of you nipsai·

Grammar Details

• *Sy de*: nominative pronoun + contrastive particle - but you
• *nēsteuōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - fasting
• *aleipsai*: aorist middle imperative, 2nd singular - anoint
• *kephalēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - head
• *prosōpon*: accusative, neuter, singular - face/countenance
• *nipsai*: aorist middle imperative, 2nd singular - wash

Word Meanings

• *nēsteuōn*: fasting/when you fast/while abstaining from food
• *aleipsai*: anoint/apply oil to/rub with oil
• *kephalēn*: head
• *prosōpon*: face/countenance/appearance
• *nipsai*: wash/cleanse

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

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

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  But thou whe thou fastest annoynte thyne heed and washe thy face

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But thou, whe thou fastest, annoynte thyne heed, and wash thy face,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But thou, when thou fastest, annoynt thyne head, and washe thy face:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

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

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `But thou, fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But when you go without food, put oil on your head and make your face clean;

• World English Bible (2000)

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

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Referenced Verses

• Ruth 3:3 : 3 Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put your clothes upon you, and get down to the floor: but do not make yourself known to the man, until he has finished eating and drinking.
• 2 Sam 12:20 : 20 Then David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, changed his clothing, came into the house of the LORD, and worshiped: then he went to his own house; when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.
• 2 Sam 14:2 : 2 And Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, I pray you, pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothes now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead:
• Eccl 9:8 : 8 Let your garments be always white; and let your head lack no ointment.
• Dan 10:2-3 : 2 In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. 3 I ate no desirable food, neither did meat nor wine enter my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were completed.