Scriptures Plain & Simple (Matthew 6:1-4)

Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 6:1-4:

Do you accompany your good deeds with a toot on your own horn?
       Do you give to the poor in hope of praise from others?
Well, so do hypocrites who seek praise in church and in public.
       Earthly praise is their full reward.

Be secretive and silent when you give to the poor!
Your Father above knows everything —
       so be patient! Your reward is waiting for you.

Translation commentary on Matthew 6:2

Thus, when you give alms is given in more contemporary language by Good News Translation: “So when you give something to a needy person.” New English Bible (“Thus, when you do some act of charity”) and Barclay (“When you are going to perform an act of charity”) are similar. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “When you help someone.” However, this and Phillips (“So, when you do good to other people”) may not emphasize enough that what is involved here is giving help to the needy. Other than in Matthew 6.2, 3, 4 the word alms is found in the New Testament only in the Lukan writings: Luke 11.41; 12.33; Acts 3.2, 3, 10; 9.36; 10.2, 4, 31; 24.17.

The transition Thus can be “Therefore” or “So then.”

When is “on those occasions,” “whenever,” or “at any time when.”

Many languages have a word which means give alms. This is particularly true in areas where a religion such as Islam predominates, which encourages this practice. In other cases translators can use a phrase similar to that in Good News Translation, such as “give something to people who are in need (or, who are poor).”

Sound no trumpet before you is translated nonfiguratively by Good News Translation: “do not make a big show of it.” This figure of speech is probably not to be taken literally, but as a metaphor for attracting notice. However, it may contain a reference to the practice of blowing trumpets in the Temple at the time of collecting alms for some special need. It was the custom to sound trumpets during public fasts on the occasions of drought. During these times prayers were frequently offered in the streets, and some commentators believe that collections for the poor may also have been made during these public fasts. Whether the expression is taken to be figurative or literal, it should be rendered in the receptor language in such a way as to make a dynamic impact. Note, for example, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “Don’t hang it on the great bell!” In German this expression means something like “Don’t make a big fuss about it” or “Don’t broadcast it all around.” Several English translations maintain the trumpet imagery with forceful impact: “do not announce it with trumpets” (New International Version), “do not announce it with a flourish of trumpets” (New English Bible), and “don’t hire a trumpeter to go in front of you” (Phillips).

Translators who prefer to keep the image of the trumpet may say “Don’t have someone blow a trumpet to draw attention to what you are doing.” Others may use another image, as in “Don’t beat the drums to tell everyone about it.” Translators who use no image at all will say something like “Don’t do it in such a way that everyone will know about it,” “Don’t attract attention to what you are doing,” or “Don’t make a big noise (or, fuss) about it.”

Hypocrites is the translation (rather transliteration) of a Greek word originally used of an actor who played a role (Phillips “play actors”). In the Septuagint it is employed as a term for the godless. In the Psalms of Solomon, which are of Pharisaic origin, it is applied to the Sadducees, since they were considered worldly by the Pharisees (Psalms of Solomon 4.7, 25). Although the word itself may indicate self-delusion, in the context conscious deception is evidently intended. This interpretation is supported by the terrible accusations brought against hypocrisy in the following verses. The word is quite frequently used in Matthew’s Gospel: 6.2, 5, 16; 7.5; 15.7; 22.18; 23.13, (14,) 15, 23, 25, 27, 29; 24.51. Outside the Gospel of Matthew it occurs only four times in the New Testament: Mark 7.6; Luke 6.42; 12.56; 13.15.

Hypocrisy is probably something known in every culture in the world, so many languages will have a word that means exactly hypocrites. Others, however, will speak of such people as “those who appear to be one thing but are really the opposite” or “people who pretend to be good and are really bad.” In this verse, translators should not identify the hypocrites as Pharisees or as any other specific group.

Synagogues were the Jewish “houses of worship” (Good News Translation); see comments on 4.23.

Streets follows the Greek text and is the rendering of most translations; Anchor Bible has “market places.” In some languages it may sound odd to have the people standing out in the middle of busy streets praying; any place where large crowds of people normally gather for daily activities, such as market places or street corners, would seem a most satisfactory rendering. Thus translators may have “out in the middle of town” or “in the busy parts of the towns.”

The word as means “just like” or “in the same manner.” This sentence can be structured in two or three ways; for example, “When you give to needy people, don’t do it the way the hypocrites do. They have someone blow a trumpet in the synagogues and in the streets to draw attention to what they are doing” or “When you give something to needy people, don’t have someone blow a trumpet to announce it. That is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets.”

The passive form of the Greek text (that they may be praised by men) is changed into an active by Good News Translation‘s “so that people will praise them.” New American Bible has “looking for applause”; Barclay “to win popular applause”; New Jerusalem Bible “to win human admiration”; New English Bible “to win admiration from men”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “they want only to be honored by men.” Translations have also said “so that people will say how good they are” or “because they want people to praise them.”

Truly, I say to you: see 5.18, where almost the same form is used. The Greek verb translated received by Revised Standard Version occurs frequently in written materials from those days as a technical term in drawing up a receipt. Matthew uses it with this same meaning in verse 16; elsewhere it occurs in the Gospel in 14.24 and 15.8, though with a different meaning.

Reward: although the word has “wages” as its first meaning, it may also mean “reward” as a special gift given either by humans or by God. Elsewhere in Matthew it occurs in 5.12 (see comments there); 5.46; 6.1, 16; 10.41, 42; and as “wages” in 20.8. It is sometimes translated “gift for what they have done,” or simply “gift.”

Jesus is saying here “They have received already all the reward they are going to receive” or “They will not get any more reward than that.” It may be helpful to indicate that any further reward or gift would have come from God. This can be done with a phrase like “God won’t give them any gift beyond that (or, that praise).” The “that” refers, of course, to the praise of men. Another way to express the thought is “When people praise them, that is the only reward they will receive.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:2

Paragraph 6:2–4

In the Greek text of this passage, the pronouns for “you” and “your” are all singular (except for 6:2e, which is plural). But the teaching applies to all of Jesus’ followers. So in some languages, it is more natural to use the plural form of “you” here.

6:2a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So indicates that the following verses (in 6:2–18) are the applications of the command in 6:1. These verses contain three examples of how to apply the command not to do good works before people.

1Do not do your good deeds before men if you want a reward from God. 2Thus,

(a) do not give to the needy sounding a trumpet (6:2–4)

(b) do not pray where people can see you (6:5–15)

(c) do not fast in a way that shows people you are fasting (6:16–18)

Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:

Therefore (King James Version)
-or-
Thus (English Standard Version)
-or-
For example
-or-
As a result

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction.

when you give to the needy: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when you give to the needy is more literally “when you do/give alms” (as in the Revised Standard Version). It means “when you give money or aid to poor people.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

when you give something to a needy person (Good News Translation)
-or-
whenever you help a person in need
-or-
any time you give money/aid to poor people

when: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when means “whenever” or “each time.” Jesus assumed that his followers would give to the needy.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

whenever (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Every/each time
-or-
At any time

6:2b

do not sound a trumpet before you: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do not sound a trumpet before you also means “do not blow a trumpet before you” (as in the NET Bible).

This clause is a metaphor. In this metaphor, doing good deeds in a way that causes people to notice you is compared to blowing a trumpet. Some ways that they are similar are that both of these things:

(a) attract people’s attention

(b) make people look at you

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

do not blow a trumpet before you (NET Bible)

• Replace the metaphor with a simile and make explicit the way they are similar. For example:

Do not call attention to yourself like someone blowing a trumpet
-or-
Do not cause people to watch your giving like a person blowing a horn before he gives.

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

do not make a lot of noise to draw attention to what you are doing
-or-
do not do it in a way that everyone will look/notice

trumpet: A trumpet is a musical instrument that makes a loud noise when someone blows into it. In the time of Matthew, some trumpets were made from the horns of rams. Other trumpets were made from metal tubes.

If you decide to translate the metaphor of blowing trumpets, here are some other ways to translate trumpet:

horn
-or-
instrument

6:2c

as the hypocrites do: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hypocrites literally refers to actors (in the theater). Figuratively it refers to people who pretend to be something they are not. They say that they believe one thing, but they do something different. Or they appear religious or spiritual on the outside, but they do not have true hearts that desire to please God.

In this context, Jesus was referring to people who gave money or other help to poor people. But they did it in the presence of other people so that these other people would think highly of them and honor them. They did not do it out of love for the needy person.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

those who pretend to be good/pious
-or-
those who just act like they are obedient to God
-or-
those who pretend to be devout people

Some languages have an idiom for this word. For example:

two-tongued
-or-
double-hearted

in the synagogues and on the streets: The phrase in the synagogues and the phrase on the streets both indicate very public places. Many beggars gathered in these areas, because many people would be there. In these areas, people could easily see someone giving money to a poor person.

Here are some other ways to translate these phrases:

in the meeting places and on the street corners (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
in public places where many people are there and can see them

synagogues: The word synagogues refers to buildings where Jews gathered to pray, read Scripture, teach their beliefs, and worship God. The Jews also gathered in synagogues for cultural activities. There was only one temple, but each Jewish community had a synagogue.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

prayer-houses of the Jews
-or-
meeting-places of the Jews
-or-
buildings for worship
-or-
houses for gathering together

The word “synagogue” first occurs in 4:23b. Translate it here as you did there. See also synagogue in the Glossary for more information.

6:2d

to be honored by men: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to be honored can also mean “to be praised” or “to be admired.”

This verb is passive.

Here are some ways to translate this verb:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

in order to be praised by people (God’s Word)

• Use an active verb. For example:

so that people will praise them

men: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men means “people.” It is identical to the word “men” in 6:1a.

6:2e

Truly I tell you: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Truly I tell you introduces a statement that the speaker wants to emphasize. Also, the statement is often surprising. When Jesus began a statement with these words, he was asking people to listen with extra attention.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I assure you
-or-
Certainly/Truly,
-or-
Listen to this:
-or-
Let me tell you this:

If you have a way in your language to emphasize a statement or to alert people to listen with special attention, consider using it here.

This clause first occurred in 5:18a. Translate it here as you did there.

you: The Greek word for you here is plural.

they already have their full reward: This clause indicates that the praise that the hypocrites received from people is the only reward they will get. That honor is their complete reward. God will not give them any additional rewards.

God rewards people who do good deeds for the right reasons. But these hypocrites did good deeds for the wrong reasons. So God will not reward them.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they have received all the reward they will ever get (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
That will be their only reward (God’s Word)
-or-
they will not receive any other reward/wages
-or-
that ⌊praise/honor from people⌋ will be their only reward ⌊because God will not reward/honor them any further⌋

their full reward: The noun reward is the same word that occurs in 6:1c.

In some languages, it is more natural to use a verb or clause to express this idea. For example:

people have rewarded them by honoring them, but God will not reward them

-or-

people have already praised them, so God will give them nothing more

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