John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Wherefore, when thou dost thine alms , etc.] Christ proceeds to give some directions and cautions about giving of alms, that they might be done aright, and answer some valuable purposes for the glory of God, the good of others, and their own: 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 . The persons Christ has reference to were the Scribes and Pharisees, who did all they did to be seen of men; whom he calls hypocrites; as he often does, because they put on an appearance of religion and holiness, but inwardly, and otherwise, were very wicked men. It does not appear that any such practice was literally performed, as blowing a trumpet before them, when they gave their alms; though the collectors of alms did, by some means, publicly notify to the people when they were about that service: for one of their rules is f377 , the collectors of alms do not proclaim on a feast, as they proclaim on a common day; but they collected h[nyxb , privately, and put it into their bosom, and distributed it to everyone by himself.
Wherefore this must be understood proverbially; and the sense is, that when they did their alms, they chose public places for it, such as the synagogues, where was a large concourse of people met together for religious worship; or the open streets of the city, where people were continually walking to and fro, so that nothing could be done in this way, but what must be seen and observed: and moreover, they took care, either by themselves, or others, to proclaim their good actions, that they might have glory of men; not only of the poor, or the collectors for them, but of the spectators. R. Aben Ezra says, that a man that gives alms to the poor, must not give it because of the glory of the collector, i.e. that he may have glory of him; nor that the children of men may praise him.
But his ancestors were of another mind: but what did they get by it? verily I say unto you, they have their reward ; and a poor one it is, the applause of men: however, it is what they seek after, and is all their empty performances deserve, and all they will have. He that glories in anything done by himself, wrk ta ljwn awh , he takes, or receives his reward f379 ; for as for any reward from God, they will have none; in this sense, as the Ethiopic version reads it, they have lost their reward: and, as a learned critic has thought, is the sense of the Greek word, they forbid, or hinder their reward. By seeking the glory of men, they lay impediments in the way of receiving honour from God.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Our Lord next warned against hypocrisy and outward show in religiou duties. What we do, must be done from an inward principle, that we ma be approved of God, not that we may be praised of men. In these verse we are cautioned against hypocrisy in giving alms. Take heed of it. It is a subtle sin; and vain-glory creeps into what we do, before we ar aware. But the duty is not the less necessary and excellent for being abused by hypocrites to serve their pride. The doom Christ passes, a first may seem a promise, but it is their reward; not the reward God promises to those who do good, but the reward hypocrites promis themselves, and a poor reward it is; they did it to be seen of men, an they are seen of men. When we take least notice of our good deed ourselves, God takes most notice of them. He will reward thee; not as master who gives his servant what he earns, and no more, but as Father who gives abundantly to his son that serves him.
Greek Textus Receptus
οταν 3752 CONJ ουν 3767 CONJ ποιης 4160 5725 V-PAS-2S ελεημοσυνην 1654 N-ASF μη 3361 PRT-N σαλπισης 4537 5661 V-AAS-2S εμπροσθεν 1715 PREP σου 4675 P-2GS ωσπερ 5618 ADV οι 3588 T-NPM υποκριται 5273 N-NPM ποιουσιν 4160 5719 V-PAI-3P εν 1722 PREP ταις 3588 T-DPF συναγωγαις 4864 N-DPF και 2532 CONJ εν 1722 PREP ταις 3588 T-DPF ρυμαις 4505 N-DPF οπως 3704 ADV δοξασθωσιν 1392 5686 V-APS-3P υπο 5259 PREP των 3588 T-GPM ανθρωπων 444 N-GPM αμην 281 HEB λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S υμιν 5213 P-2DP απεχουσιν 568 5719 V-PAI-3P τον 3588 T-ASM μισθον 3408 N-ASM αυτων 846 P-GPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Sound a trumpet (salpishv). There seems to be no trace of any such custom on the part of almsgivers, so that the expression must be taken as a figurative one for making a display. It is just possible that the figure may have been suggested by the "trumpets" of the temple treasury - thirteen trumpet-shaped chests to receive the contributions of worshippers. (See on Luke xxi. 2.)Have their reward (ajpecousin). The preposition ajpo indicates receipt in full. Rev. renders they have received, so that there is nothing more to receive. So Wyc., They have received their need.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:2 {Sound not a trumpet} (me salpiseis). Is this literal or metaphorical? No actual instance of such conduct has been found in the Jewish writings. McNeile suggests that it may refer to the blowing of trumpets in the streets on the occasion of public fasts. Vincent suggests the thirteen trumpet-shaped chests of the temple treasury to receive contributions (#Lu 21:2). But at Winona Lake one summer a missionary from India named Levering stated to me that he had seen Hindu priests do precisely this very thing to get a crowd to see their beneficences. So it looks as if the rabbis could do it also. Certainly it was in keeping with their love of praise. And Jesus expressly says that "the hypocrites" (hoi hupokritai) do this very thing. this is an old word for actor, interpreter, one who personates another, from hupokrinomai to answer in reply like the Attic apokrinomai. qen to pretend, to feign, to dissemble, to act the hypocrite, to wear a mask. this is the hardest word that Jesus has for any class of people and he employs it for these pious pretenders who pose as perfect. {They have received their reward} (apechousin ton misqon autwn). this verb is common in the papyri for receiving a receipt, "they have their receipt in full," all the reward that they will get, this public notoriety. "They can sign the receipt of their reward" (Deissmann, _Bible Studies_, p. 229). So _Light from the Ancient East_, pp. 110f. Apoch means "receipt." So also in #6:5.
