Matthew 6:5 (KJV)

What does Matthew 6:5 mean?

Matthew 6:5 describes prayer performed for public approval. Jesus says that people who pray in order to attract attention receive the recognition they seek, but he calls that recognition their reward.

Jesus speaks to his listeners during the Sermon on the Mount. His picture places the people praying in synagogues, where people gathered for worship, and at street corners, where passersby could see them. Standing made their prayer visible in those public places.

The Greek behind Matthew 6:5

• “hypocrites” — ὑποκριταί (hypokritai): The Greek word was used for actors and could also describe people who put on a false appearance. Here Jesus uses the word for people whose visible prayer serves their desire to be noticed.
• “have” — ἀπέχουσιν (apechousin): The Greek word can carry the sense of receiving something in full. In “They have their reward,” it suggests that the attention they sought is the payment they have received.

Why Matthew 6:5 matters

• Jesus identifies the desire to be seen as the problem in his example. The phrase “that they may be seen of men” gives the reason these people choose such visible places.
• Matthew 6:5 does not make standing or public prayer wrong by itself. Jesus contrasts the display in verse 5 with private prayer in verse 6, where the focus is on the person praying and the Father who sees in secret.
• The word “reward” ties the verse to the passage around it. In Matthew 6:1–4, Jesus also speaks about people seeking recognition for giving to those in need.