The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 237

-b:v. 6, 7, LXX.). When this" recompense" in Isaiah to the English reader. To thy .sholl be given is not stated. If, IL8 is pro- Father which is in secret. Not" which secth bable, our Lord is thinking of the" reward" in secret," as in tha next clause. The of ver. 1 and eh. v. 12, it would naturally thonght here may be partly that to be unseen be given at the judgment-day. Openly. Re- of men is a help to communion with him vised Version omits, with the manuscripts; who is also unseen by them, but especially similarly vers. 6, 18. 'fhe interpolation was that the manner of yoor actions ought to 11robably made not only because of the con- resemble that of your Father's, who is him- trast suggested by " in secret," bnt also to self unseen and works unseen. And thy indicate more precisely the time when God Father whioh seeth in seoret. You will be -wonld do this. no loser, since his eyes pass by nothing, how- Vere. 5-15,-PTayer. ever well concealed it be from the eyes of men. Shall reward thee openly (ver. 4, Vere. 5-8.-Matthew only. notes). Ver. 5.-And when thou prayest, thou Ver. 7.-But when ye pray ( wpounry(&µevo, 11balt not be, etc.; Revised Version, plural 6'). The Revised Version, and in praying, Ver. 5 is addressed to the disciples generally, shows that oar Lord is only continuing the ver. 6 to them individually. (For the subject, o.nd not turning to a new one, as in future, cf. eh. v. 48, note.) As the hypo- vers. 2, 5, 16. Bot while he has th113 far nritea are (ver. 2, note). The 'Didache,' thought of prayer as an external act, he now § viii., following this passage, says, speaks of the substance of the prayers offered, "Neither pray ye as the hypocrites," re- the li, indicating a transition to another ' ferring, like our Lord, to practices affected aspect of tbe same suhject. Use not vain chiefly by the Pharisees. For they love repetitions; "Babble not mnch" (TynJale ). (3..-, q,tl\.oiitT,). Not to be translated "they The word used (,u~ /Ja.TTa>..O'°y1JtT1JT• )is probably .are wont." Our Lord points out the cause onomo.topmio of stuttering. The Peshito of this their custom. It was not that the synagogue was more convenient (he is, of employs here the same root( C , OO"l\o) as oourse, thinking of their private prayers), -or that they were accidentally overtaken by for µo-ytl\.d>.o,, Mark vii 32 (}o}.ei). Bnt the prayer-honr when in the street, but from the primary sense of stuttering, f!,a.na.• their innate love of display mnde them Ao-yeiv naturally passed to that of babbling choose these places " that they mny be seen in senseless repetitions. As the heathen of men" (cf. ver. 16, and contrast ver. 2). do (ol l6v11co(, Gentile,, Revised Versiou; eh. 'To pray standing in the synagogues and in v. 47, note). Thinking that the virtue lies the comers of the streets; to stand and pray, in the mere utterance of the words. Even etc. (Revised Version), giving, however, the J ewe come perilously near this in their ..slightly more emphasis on " stand," than abundant use of synonyms and synonymous its position warrants. The emphasis is expressions in their prayere (cF. Light- really on the plnce, not on the posture, foot, 'Hor. Hehr.'). Perhaps it was this -which was only what was usuo.l nmong fa.et that assisted the introduotion of the .fews (cf. Mork xi. 25; Luke xviii. 11, 13). reading "hypocrites" in B and the Old There is no thought of taking up their posi- Syriao. For they think that they shall tion, standing still (na.O,v..-es, Acts v. 20; bo heard for their much speaking. In the cf. Luke xviii. 11, 40). (For the practice continuance (Iv) of their external action here condemned by our Lord, cf. Lightfoot, lies their hope of being fully heard ( el1T11· • Hor. Hehr.,' "R. Jochanan sahl, I saw R. 1<ouu6fiuovTa,). Jannai standing and prnying in the streets Ver. 8.-Be not ye therefore like. Ile- of Tsippor, and going four cubits, and then vised Version omits" ye," aR the emphntio ,praying the Additionary Prayer.") They personal pronoun is not expressed. The .have, eto. (ver. 2, note). connexion of thought is-Seein:;? you oro Ver. 6.-Bnt thon (emphatic) when thou expecteu to shun he11thcn error (Meyer), do -prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou not allow yourselves to reprodoce hen.then -hast shut thy door, pray, eto. An adaptation prootices. By ob~erving these yo':1 wo~1lu of Isa. xxvi. 20 (cf. also 2 Kings iv. 33). 'l'he be taking n definite way of becoming like prophet's language describing the action (passive, or rather middle, 6µ.0,01671-re) those -befitting a time of terror is used by our who ordinarily practise them. For; i.e. Lord to express what ought to bo the normo.l you stand on a different footing nltogethcr practice of each of his followers. Observe from the heathen; you are intimo.tely related that the widow of one of the sons of the to One above, who knows your wants, even prophets so acted when she wo.s about to before you express them to him. Your receive the miraculous supply of oil (2 Kings Fllther; Revise,! V L'r9ion margin, ":;omo ,iv. 4, 5). Closet; Revised Verdion, inneT ancient nuthorities rP:11\ God your Falher." .chamber, more readily suggesting the paAsage So~•, ll, sah. (6 e,as is bro.okotecl b7 \\'fat- 230 THE GOSPEL ACCOllDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. v1. 1-31<