Matthew 6:5

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

And 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.

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for

they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the

corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most

certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

For a collection of other versions see Bible Gateway Matthew 6:5

The previous verses have been discussing alms-giving, and Jesus argued that such giving should be in secret, and not be undertaken to pursue praise from others. This verse extends this argument to prayer, another of the cornerstones of Jewish piety. In that era there were public prayers at the temple and in synagogues, and private prayers to be said on one's own. There were also regularly scheduled times for prayer. Swiss theologian Eduard Schweizer notes that when it was time to pray, one was instructed to seek out an inconspicuous corner, and prayers not at public events were to be quietly mumbled. As mentioned in this verse, standing was the standard position for prayer.[1]

In this verse Jesus condemns as hypocrites those who make an ostentatious display of praying. As with Matthew 6:2, the same association can be seen between hypocrisy and the synagogues, although the word synagogue might be being used in its more general sense of "any meeting place".[2][3] This verse states that for those who pray to be seen by others, their only reward will be the adulation of their peers. Similarly, Luke 18:9-14 condemns a Pharisee who seeks out the most prominent location in the Temple to pray. However, theologian M. Eugene Boring notes that Jewish writings from that time are equally condemning of exhibitionist prayer, so these verses should not imply that it was a mainstream practice.[4] William Hendriksen notes that while in Matthew 6:2 the word used for street can also be read as alley, this verse is clear in stating that the prayer is taking place at the corner of the major thoroughfares.[5]

This verse is not a total rejection of communal worship. Such behaviour is praised elsewhere in the New Testament. What is being attacked is ostentatious prayer meant to impress others. Those who pray to be "seen by men" rather than to pray to God.[6]