6:6a
But when you pray: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between the public way that the hypocrites pray (in 6:5) and the private way that Jesus wants his followers to pray (in 6:6). Some English versions indicate this contrast with the word But. In addition, the word you is emphasized in Greek.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
But you, when you pray
-or-
However, you, when you pray
-or-
As for you, when you pray
you: In Greek, the pronoun you is singular. However, it refers to each person individually. In some languages, it will be more natural to use the plural form of you.
go into your inner room, shut your door: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as room refers to an inner room. In other words, it is a room within a house. This refers to a private place. It is implied that the person is alone in the room. For example:
go into a room alone (Contemporary English Version)
If those meanings will not be clear to people in your area, you may want to include some implied information. For example:
go into your ⌊private/inner⌋ room ⌊alone⌋ and close the door
If houses in your area do not have inside rooms, you may want to use a general expression for being alone. For example:
go into your house alone
-or-
go to where you can be alone
-or-
go to a place where there are no other people
6:6b
and pray to your Father, who is unseen: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as who is unseen is more literally “the one in the secret.” There are several ways to interpret this Greek phrase. The three main interpretations are:
(1) It refers to God’s omnipresence. According to this interpretation, the focus is on God’s presence in that secret place. Jesus instructed his followers to pray in a room where no one can see them. Only God is there, and he can see them. For example:
pray to your Father who is in that secret place (New Jerusalem Bible)
(New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, and probably Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Revised English Bible)
(2) It refers to praying privately. According to this interpretation, the phrase is adverbial and goes with pray. Jesus said that his followers should not pray in public. Rather, they should pray in private. For example:
Pray to your Father in private. (Contemporary English Version)
(NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
(3) It refers to God’s invisibility. According to this interpretation, the focus is on the fact that no one can see God, but he can see them. For example:
pray to your Father, who is unseen (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
Be careful not to translate this phrase in a way that implies that there are two fathers: one who is in the secret place, and one who is somewhere else. In some languages it is more natural to translate this in two sentences. For example:
Pray to ⌊God⌋ your Father. He is ⌊there⌋ in that secret/hidden ⌊place⌋.
-or-
Your ⌊heavenly⌋ Father is ⌊there⌋ where no one can see you. Pray to him there.
6:6c
And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you: This clause is exactly the same as the clause in 6:4b. Translate it here as you did there.
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