Matius 5:16-18

5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets

5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. ¹  5:18 I ²  tell you the truth, ³  until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter ⁴  will pass from the law until everything takes place.

Matius 6:2

6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, ⁵  do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues ⁶  and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, ⁷  they have their reward.

Matius 6:5

Private Prayer

6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues ⁸  and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

Matius 6:16

Proper Fasting

6:16 “When ⁹  you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive ¹⁰  so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, ¹¹  they have their reward.

Matius 23:5

23:5 They ¹²  do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries ¹³  wide and their tassels ¹⁴  long.

[5:17]  ¹ tn Grk “not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Direct objects (“these things,” “them”) were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but have been supplied here to conform to contemporary English style.

[5:18]  ² tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[5:18]  ³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[5:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “Not one iota or one serif.”

[5:18]  sn The smallest letter refers to the smallest Hebrew letter (yod) and the stroke of a letter to a serif (a hook or projection on a Hebrew letter).

[6:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).

[6:2]  ⁶ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[6:2]  ⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[6:5]  ⁸ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[6:16]  ⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:16]  ¹⁰ tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”

[6:16]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:5]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:5]  ¹³ sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.

[23:5]  ¹⁴ tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”

[23:5]  sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).