# Matthew 6.2

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 1. <span class="rl-speech">Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.</span>
>
> **2. <span class="rl-speech">When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.</span>**
>
> 3. <span class="rl-speech">But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.</span> (Matthew 6:1-4, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 1. <span class="rl-speech">“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.</span>
>
> **2. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.</span>**
>
> 3. <span class="rl-speech">But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.</span> (Matthew 6:1-4, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 1. <span class="rl-speech">Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. <sup>alms: or, righteousness</sup> <sup>of your: or, with your</sup></span>
>
> **2. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore when thou doest thine alms, 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. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. <sup>do not: or, cause not a trumpet to be sounded</sup></span>**
>
> 3. <span class="rl-speech">But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.</span> (Matthew 6:1-4, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 1. <span class="rl-speech">'Take heed your kindness not to do before men, to be seen by them, and if not, reward ye have not from your Father who [is] in the heavens;</span>
>
> **2. <span class="rl-speech">whenever, therefore, thou mayest do kindness, thou mayest not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory from men; verily I say to you, they have their reward!</span>**
>
> 3. <span class="rl-speech">'But thou, doing kindness, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth,</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">that thy kindness may be in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret Himself shall reward thee manifestly.</span> (Matthew 6:1-4, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from Sanctity](/codex/argument-from-sanctity/), via [Matthew 6.1-21](/codex/matthew-6-1-21/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 6](/codex/matthew-6/)
- [Sermon on the Mount](/codex/sermon-on-the-mount/), via [Matthew 6](/codex/matthew-6/), [Matthew 6.1-18](/codex/matthew-6-1-18/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G3004 - lego](/codex/g3004-lego/)
- [H6666 - tzedakah](/codex/h6666-tzedakah/), via [Matthew 6.1-4](/codex/matthew-6-1-4/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.