Matthew 6:5–8

Context

This passage belongs to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7, a body of teaching that Jesus addressed to his disciples and the crowds. Matthew 6:1–18 treats in turn three representative acts of piety in the Judaism of the time: almsgiving (vv. 2–4), prayer (vv. 5–15), and fasting (vv. 16–18). All three sections follow the same pattern: these acts are not to be done "to be seen of men" but before the Father "which seeth in secret." The passage is immediately followed by the Lord's Prayer (vv. 9–13).

Interpretation

• A reading focused on motive: "Hypocrites" translates the Greek hypokritēs, which originally referred to an actor who performed on stage wearing a mask. Many commentators hold that the passage does not forbid public prayer as such. Its target, they argue, is the attitude that treats prayer as a means of winning human praise. As evidence, they point to the record of the early church gathering together for prayer (Acts 2:42).
• On the "closet": The word rendered "closet" denotes a storeroom or small room in the inner part of a house. It is commonly read not so much as a literal place as an expression for private, secret prayer in which one is conscious of God alone.
• On "vain repetitions": "Use vain repetitions" (Greek battalogeō; Korean jungeon bueon) means to repeat the same words meaninglessly. The New Korean Standard Version renders the phrase "do not keep repeating empty words." Jesus himself prayed three times in Gethsemane, "saying the same words" (Matthew 26:44). For this reason, the prevailing interpretation is that the passage objects not to repetition itself but to a magical attitude that seeks to move God by sheer quantity of words. The scene on Mount Carmel in which the prophets of Baal cried out all day (1 Kings 18:26–29) is often cited as an example of such "heathen" prayer.
• A theological reading of verse 8: The passage raises the question, "If God already knows, why pray?" The Reformed tradition, including John Calvin, explains that prayer is not a matter of informing God. Rather, it is a means by which believers learn to trust in and depend on God. The explanations offered by other denominations are broadly similar in that they view prayer in terms of a relationship with God.

Questions of Application

The passage is sometimes cited in connection with certain prayer practices in the Korean church. Examples include tongseong gido (in which a congregation cries out aloud together in prayer), lengthy public prayers, and prayers that repeat the same phrase over and over. Critics of these practices cite this passage in support of their position. Defenders counter that the passage's focus is on motive and on a magical attitude. They also argue that it should be read alongside texts that commend persistent prayer (Luke 11:5–13; 18:1). Churches that use set forms of prayer, such as the Anglican and Lutheran churches, understand the repetition of prayers as a tradition of common prayer distinct from "vain repetitions."

In the Korean Church

The word "closet" (golbang) from verse 6 is widely used in the Korean church to refer to private prayer, especially deep prayer offered alone; the expression "closet prayer" (golbang gido) is a typical example. Verse 5 is often cited as a caution to those leading representative prayer on behalf of the congregation, lest their prayer become one offered to be seen by others.

Related Passages

• Matthew 6:1–4 — the preceding section, which treats almsgiving according to the same pattern
• Luke 11:2–4 — the Lord's Prayer in Luke
• Luke 11:5–13 — a parable about importunate prayer
• Luke 18:1 — the teaching that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint"
• James 4:2–3 — prayer that asks amiss, from wrong motives