Matthew 6 · Matthew 7
1ScriptureRead verse by verse
Giving to the needy
Matthew 6:1-4- 1Take 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.
- 2Therefore 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 have their reward.
- 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
- 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
The Lord's Prayer
Matthew 6:5-15- 5And 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.
- 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
- 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
- 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
- 9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
- 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
- 11Give us this day our daily bread.
- 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
- 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
- 14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
- 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
On fasting
Matthew 6:16-18- 16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
- 17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
- 18That 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.
Treasures in heaven
Matthew 6:19-24- 19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
- 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
- 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
- 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
- 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
- 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Do not worry
Matthew 6:25-34- 25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
- 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
- 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
- 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
- 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
- 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
- 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
- 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
- 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Judging others
Matthew 7:1-6- 1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
- 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
- 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
- 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
- 6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Ask, seek, knock
Matthew 7:7-12- 7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
- 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
- 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
- 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
- 12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
2Study & notable factsPeople, places, numbers, parallels
Important events, in order
- 1Giving to the needy — do your alms in secret (6:1–4)
- 2How to pray; the Lord's Prayer (6:5–15)
- 3Fasting — not to be seen of men (6:16–18)
- 4Treasures in heaven, not upon earth (6:19–24)
- 5Take no thought (do not worry); seek first the kingdom (6:25–34)
- 6Judge not; the mote and the beam (7:1–5)
- 7Pearls before swine (7:6)
- 8Ask, seek, knock (7:7–11)
- 9The Golden Rule (7:12)
Key facts
Key statement
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33
Who said it
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
— Jesus · 6:9
“Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
— Jesus · 6:24
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
— Jesus · 7:1
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
— Jesus · 7:7
By passage — type & parallels
- Giving to the needyMatthew 6:1-4
- The Lord's PrayerMatthew 6:5-15
- On fastingMatthew 6:16-18
- Treasures in heavenMatthew 6:19-24
- Do not worryMatthew 6:25-34
- Judging othersMatthew 7:1-6
- Ask, seek, knockMatthew 7:7-12
Highlighted abbreviations show which Gospels record the same event.
Easily-confused distinctives
- ▸Matthew's Lord's Prayer (6:9–13) is fuller than Luke's shorter form (Luke 11:2–4).
- ▸“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs” (7:6) sits between “judge not” and “ask, seek, knock.”
KJV word helps
- alms
- charitable gifts to the poor
- mammon
- wealth or riches (personified)
- mote / beam
- a speck vs. a plank — a small fault vs. a large one
3Quiz20 questions
Do not do your alms before men, to be ___ of them.
Matthew 6:1
When giving alms, do not sound a ___ before you.
Matthew 6:2
When you pray, enter into thy ___ and shut the door.
Matthew 6:6
The Lord's Prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, ___ be thy name.”
Matthew 6:9
“Give us this day our ___ bread.”
Matthew 6:11
“And forgive us our ___, as we forgive our debtors.”
Matthew 6:12
“And lead us not into ___, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:13
When you fast, anoint thine head and wash thy ___.
Matthew 6:17
Lay not up treasures on earth, where ___ and rust doth corrupt.
Matthew 6:19
“For where your ___ is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:21
“The light of the body is the ___.”
Matthew 6:22
“Ye cannot serve God and ___.”
Matthew 6:24
“Consider the ___ of the field, how they grow.”
Matthew 6:28
Even ___ in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6:29
“But seek ye first the ___ of God, and his righteousness.”
Matthew 6:33
“Take therefore no thought for the ___.”
Matthew 6:34
“Judge not, that ye be not ___.”
Matthew 7:1
Why behold the ___ in thy brother's eye but not the beam in thine own?
Matthew 7:3
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall ___.”
Matthew 7:7
The Golden Rule: do to others as you would have them do to you, “for this is the law and the ___.”
Matthew 7:12