Teks -- Matthew 6:6 (NET)

6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Mat 6:6 - Into thy closet

Into thy closet ( eis to tameion ).

The word is a late syncopated form of tamieion from tamias (steward) and the root taṁ from temnō , to cut. So it is a store-house, a separate apartment, one’ s private chamber, closet, or "den"where he can withdraw from the world and shut the world out and commune with God.

Vincent: Mat 6:6 - Closet

Closet ( ταμιεῖον )

See on Luk 12:3.

Wesley: Mat 6:6 - Enter into thy closet

That is, do it with as much secrecy as thou canst.

JFB: Mat 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet

A place of retirement.

JFB: Mat 6:6 - and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly

Of course, it is not the simple publicity of prayer which is here condemned. It may be offered in any circumstances, however open, if not prompted by the spirit of ostentation, but dictated by the great ends of prayer itself. It is the retiring character of true prayer which is here taught.

Supplementary Directions and Model Prayer (Mat 6:7-15).

Clarke: Mat 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest

But thou, when thou prayest - This is a very impressive and emphatic address. But Thou! whosoever thou art, Jew, Pharisee, Christian - enter into thy closet. Prayer is the most secret intercourse of the soul with God, and as it were the conversation of one heart with another. The world is too profane and treacherous to be of the secret. We must shut the door against it: endeavor to forget it, with all the affairs which busy and amuse it. Prayer requires retirement, at least of the heart; for this may be fitly termed the closet in the house of God, which house the body of every real Christian is, 1Co 3:16. To this closet we ought to retire even in public prayer, and in the midst of company

Clarke: Mat 6:6 - Reward thee openly

Reward thee openly - What goodness is there equal to this of God to give, not only what we ask, and more than we ask, but to reward even prayer itself! How great advantage is it to serve a prince who places prayers in the number of services, and reckons to his subjects’ account, even their trust and confidence in begging all things of him!

TSK: Mat 6:6 - enter // pray

enter : Mat 14:23, Mat 26:36-39; Gen 32:24-29; 2Ki 4:33; Isa 26:20; Joh 1:48; Act 9:40, Act 10:9, Act 10:30

pray : Psa 34:15; Isa 65:24; Joh 20:17; Rom 8:5; Eph 3:14

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Mat 6:6

By this public prayer is not condemned, but secret prayer is established, and made every Christian’ s duty; and Christians are warned not to think that their duty of prayer is discharged by their going to places of public worship, and praying there: but that which our Saviour here cautions us against is ostentation, by which men may as much offend in their closets as elsewhere. Wherever we pray, we must take heed that our ends be right, that the glory of God be our principal end, and yielding obedience to his command; and there is no better means in order to this than the right setting of God before our eyes, as he that seeth in secret, and knoweth the most secret designs, scopes, and intentions of our hearts, and who, if we thus perform our duty, will reward us of his free grace and mercy; not as persons who by our prayers have merited any thing at his hand, (for what merit can there be in our prayers?) but as having showed our obedience to his will, and in the fulfilling of those many promises which he hath made to those that seek his face for the hearing of their prayers.

Haydock: Mat 6:6

Because he who should pray in his chamber, and at the same time desire it to be known by men, that he might thence receive vain glory, might truly be said to pray in the street, and sound a trumpet before him: whilst he, who though he pray in public, seeks not thence any vain glory, acts the same as if he prayed in his chamber. (Menochius) ---

Jesus Christ went up to the temple, to attend public worship on the festival days.

Gill: Mat 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet // And when thou hast shut thy door // Pray to thy Father, which is in secret // and thy Father, which seeth in secret // shall reward thee openly

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,.... Or "chamber", a secret place, fit for private retirement, meditation, and prayer.

And when thou hast shut thy door; see some such like phrases in Isa 26:20 where they are used to express security, here secrecy. Our Lord does not mean to exclude and condemn public prayer, in joining with few, or more persons, in such service; for he himself directs to it, and approves of it, Mat 18:19 but his view is to instruct persons that they should not only pray in public, but in private also; and especially the latter, which is more suitable and fitting for their particular cases, and less liable to pride, hypocrisy, and vanity.

Pray to thy Father, which is in secret; who is invisible; not to be seen with the eyes of the body, but to be approached with a true heart, in faith and fear, through his Son Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man; and who is the image of the invisible God, and in whom he is pleased to manifest himself to his people, so as he does not unto the world:

and thy Father, which seeth in secret, observes and takes notice of the secret breathings, pantings, desires, and requests of thy heart and lips,

shall reward thee openly, both here and hereafter; by pouring into thy bosom all the good things thou hast been praying for, both for time and eternity. This is agreeable to what the Jews sometimes say,

"that a man ought not to cause his voice to be heard in prayer; but should pray בלחש, "silently", with a voice that is not heard; and this is the prayer which is daily accepted ^g.''