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The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 6:4, 6 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament (WH NU TGNT)

4 ὅπωςso that ᾖmay be σουof you ἡthe ἐλεημοσύνηmercifulness ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρFather σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷsecret ἀποδώσειwill give off σοι.to you.
6 σὺYou δὲbut ὅτανwhenever προσεύχῃ,you may pray, εἴσελθεenter εἰςinto τὸthe ταμεῖόνprivate room σουof you καὶand κλείσαςhaving shut τὴνthe θύρανdoor σουof you πρόσευξαιpray τῷto the πατρίFather σουof you τῷthe (one) ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρFather σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷsecret ἀποδώσειwill give back σοι.
to you.
18 ὅπωςso that μὴnot φανῇςyou might appear τοῖςto the ἀνθρώποιςmen νηστεύωνfasting ἀλλὰbut τῷto the πατρίFather σουof you τῷthe (one) ἐνin τῷthe κρυφαίῳ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρFather σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυφαίῳsecret ἀποδώσειwill give back σοι.to you.

Matthew 6:4, 6, 18 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
⁴so that your giving might be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁶But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ¹⁸so that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

WH NU TGNT ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει σοι
“your Father who sees in secret will reward you”
א B D Z ƒ^1.13 33 aur ff¹ k vg it^k sy^c cop; Origen

variant/TR BYZ Maj ο πατηρ σου ο βλεπων εν τω κρυπτω αποδωσει σοι εν τω φανερω
“your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly”
K L W Δ Θ 565. 579. 700. 892. 1241. 1424. l 844. l 2211 Maj it sy^s.p.h

Matthew 6:18

WH NU TGNT ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ ἀποδώσει σοι
“your Father who sees in secret will reward you”
א B (D) ƒ¹

variant/TR ο πατηρ σου ο βελπων εν τω κρυπτω αποδωσει σοι εν τω φανερω
“your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly”
K L W Γ Δ Θ ƒ¹³ 33. 565. 579. 700. 892. 1241. 1424. l 844. l 2211 Maj

On 6:18, Philip W. Comfort writes,

The synonymous expression εν τω κρυπτω (“in secret”), borrowed from 6:4, was substituted in later manuscripts for εν τω κρυφαιω. At the end of the verse, some late manuscripts add εν τω φανερω (“in the open” = “openly”), borrowed from inferior manuscripts in 6:4 (see note there) and 6:6. This expansion was incorporated in TR and carried over to KJV and NKJV. – Philip W. Comfort, New Testament Text and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the Variant Readings of the Ancient New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate to the Major English Translations (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), 17

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 6:4, 6, 18 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

4 ὅπωςso that ᾖmay be σουof you ἡthe ἐλεημοσύνηmercifulness ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρFather σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷsecret αὑτὸςhimself ἀποδώσειwill give off σοιto you. ἐνin τῷthe φανερῷ.openly.

6 σὺYou δὲbut ὅτανwhenever προσεύχῃ,you may pray, εἴσελθεenter εἰςinto τὸthe ταμεῖόνprivate room σουof you καὶand κλείσαςhaving shut τὴνthe θύρανdoor σουof you πρόσευξαιpray τῷto the πατρίFather σουof you τῷthe (one) ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρFather σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷsecret ἀποδώσειwill give back σοι.to you. ἐνin τῷthe φανερῷ.openly

18 ὅπωςso that μὴnot φανῇςyou might appear τοῖςto the ἀνθρώποιςmen νηστεύωνfasting ἀλλὰbut τῷto the πατρίFather σουof you τῷthe (one) ἐνin τῷthe κρυφαίῳ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρFather σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυφαίῳsecret ἀποδώσειwill give back σοι.to you. ἐνin τῷthe φανερῷ.openly

Matthew 6:4, 6, 18 King James Version (KJV)
⁴That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 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. 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.

The original wording “your Father who sees in secret will reward you” is found in the early manuscripts (א B D Z ƒ^1.13 33 aur ff¹ k vg it^k sy^c cop; Origen). The reading was changed to the variant “your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (K L W Δ Θ 565. 579. 700. 892. 1241. 1424. l 844. l 2211 Maj it sy^s.p.h).

The addition of εν τω φανερω (“in the open;” “openly”), which seems to be an addition by copyists seeking to have a parallel contrast with the words that came before ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ (“in secret”). If these had been the original words, there is no good reason as to why they would have been omitted from in so many early and diverse manuscripts. The addition of these words may help with the oral reading but they also alter the message within the passage that any acts of worship designed to impress or attract notice to oneself are wrong. We are to carry out acts of worship for the glory of God not to draw attention to ourselves.

The Textus Receptus along with (D E M S W Xvid Δ Π Σ Φ 28 565 1241 al) has added αὐτός (“himself”) before ἀποδώσει (“will reward”). Other witnesses (700 1223) add the word after σοι (“to you”). These readings are clearly interpolations produced to intensify the impressiveness of the saying. The shorter reading is preferred because it is supported by all other known witnesses.

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 6:4 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament

4 ὅπωςso that ᾖmay be σουof you ἡthe ἐλεημοσύνηmercifulness ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷ·secret; καὶand ὁthe πατήρ (ΠΗΡ)Father σουof you ὁthe (one) βλέπωνlooking at ἐνin τῷthe κρυπτῷsecret ἀποδώσειwill give off σοι.to you.

Matthew 6:4 has the divine name for “Father” (πατρὶ/ΠΗΡ) written in the nomen sacrum (sacred name) in two early manuscripts. (א W)

In his Sermon on the Mount under different forms of worship, he began with a strong rebuke of about not being showy or pretentious in one’s display of oneself in our worship of God. He then used such examples of how to give, how to pray, and how to fast.

Stuart K. Weber writes

The reward (6:4, 6, 18) is not unrelated to the concept of reward in 6:1. The first word leans more toward the idea of repayment; thus, the idea of reimbursement for our “expense” incurred in each act of righteousness. But the point is the Father rewarding his servants. We were “created … to do good works” (Eph. 2:10). In keeping with the instruction of 5:16 to “let your light shine,” our Father in heaven will reward us for good works. The issue for the Pharisees was works apart from God’s righteousness. The Pharisees were trying to establish their own righteousness by works.

Leon Morris,

So that introduces the purpose. In giving alms what is one really aiming at? Jesus says that the person must aim at doing this good deed in secret. But though almsgiving is done in the right way, that is, done without ostentation and in secret,* that does not mean that it is entirely unnoticed. Your Father (an expression found again in the first three Gospels only in vv. 6 and 18; the plural is more common) sees it and takes notice of it (for Father see on 5:16). The verb may be used of various kinds of seeing, literal and metaphorical; here it indicates that human secrecy is no bar to God’s complete knowledge. God sees what is given and will take action, rewarding the donor. This does not mean that good deeds should be done with a view to obtaining a reward; that would mean that the deeds would no longer be good. It is a way of saying that in the end justice will be done.16 In our anxiety to make sure that we do not serve God for what we can get out of it we must not go to the other extreme and think of God as not caring what we do, or if he does, as not doing anything about it. God notices what his children do and responds to it. We should bear in mind the nature of the reward. To respond to love is to obtain a wonderful reward even if the reward cannot be quantified in any way nor regarded as merited. But it is very real. As Plummer puts it, “There is nothing degrading in working for the reward of a good conscience here, and of increased holiness hereafter, both enriched by God’s love and blessing” (p. 91). Cf. Gutzwiller, “God himself is the reward of Christians.”

* χρυπτός occurs 5 times in Matthew, more than in any other book; it may point to what is hidden or, as here, what is secret. ἐν τῷ χρυπτῷ is applied to the Father again in verses 4 and 6 (twice) only in the New Testament.

Determining the Original Reading in Matthew 6:4, 6, 18: A Study on Divine Rewards in Secrecy and Openness

In the examination of textual variations within the Gospel of Matthew, particularly in 6:4, 6, 18, we confront a pivotal question: does the text assert that the Father “will reward you” or “will reward you openly”? This inquiry not only sheds light on the nuanced understanding of divine observation and recompense but also underscores the methodological principles of documentary analysis, emphasizing the weight of manuscript evidence while considering the internal coherence of the text.

Manuscript Evidence

The textual variants in question revolve around the presence or absence of the phrase “ἐν τῷ φανερῷ” (en tō phanerō, “in the open” or “openly”) following the assertion that the Father, who sees in secret, “ἀποδώσει σοι” (apodōsei soi, “will reward you”). The Westcott-Hort, Nestle-Aland, and the Tyndale House Greek New Testament (WH NU TGNT) reflect a consensus toward the shorter reading without “openly,” based on the documentary weight of early and diverse manuscripts such as Codex Sinaiticus (א), Codex Vaticanus (B), Codex Bezae (D), and others. These manuscripts, alongside patristic citations such as those from Origen, provide compelling evidence for the originality of the shorter reading.

The variant incorporating “openly” is supported by later manuscripts, including those aligned with the Byzantine text-type, such as Codex Washingtonianus (W) and others in the Majority Text. The inclusion of “openly” in these manuscripts appears to be a clarifying addition, aimed at emphasizing the contrast between secret acts of piety and their public acknowledgment by God.

Internal Evidence and Theological Considerations

Turning to internal evidence and theological reflection, the shorter reading without “openly” maintains coherence with the Sermon on the Mount’s broader thematic emphasis on the integrity of one’s relationship with God, rather than the pursuit of public acclaim for one’s piety. The phrase “ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ” (en tō kryptō, “in secret”) encapsulates a principle of genuine devotion, underscoring that divine reward is not contingent upon human observation.

Moreover, the textual tradition that omits “openly” aligns with the understanding that God’s recognition and reward of piety are not bound to the realms of human visibility. This perspective is not only consistent with the immediate context of Matthew 6 but also with the broader biblical narrative that commends faithfulness in unseen, intimate communion with God.

Conclusion: Affirming the Original Reading

After careful consideration of both the manuscript evidence and the internal theological coherence of the text, we conclude that the original reading in Matthew 6:4, 6, 18 is best represented by the phrase “your Father who sees in secret will reward you,” absent the addition of “openly.” This reading is supported by the earliest and most reliable witnesses and aligns with the didactic intent of Jesus’ teaching on genuine piety, as presented in the Gospel of Matthew.

The absence of “openly” serves as a profound reminder of the intrinsic value of worship and piety that seeks no external validation but is rooted in a sincere heart before God. Such an orientation not only captures the essence of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount but also challenges contemporary readers to reevaluate the motivations behind their spiritual practices, steering them towards a more authentic and hidden life with God.

In sum, the documentary method, alongside a thoughtful engagement with the text’s theological implications, leads us to affirm the reading that emphasizes God’s reward in response to the unseen, faithful acts of devotion. This conclusion underscores the primacy of a personal, secret relationship with the Divine, free from the trappings of human approval and visible recognition.

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is the CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored more than 220 books and is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).