Matthew 6:18 (ASV)

Passage

that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

Matthew 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

Matthew 6:18 that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:

Matthew 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "seen", "fast", "father", "secret", and "seeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "seen", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "But thou when thou fastest anoint thy..." into verse 19's "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon...", so "thou" and "seen" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thou" and "seen" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.