Matthew 6:16 (DBY)

Passage

And when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, downcast in countenance; for they disfigure their faces, so that they may appear fasting to men: verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father also will forgive you [yours],

Matthew 6:15 but if ye do not forgive men their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences.

Matthew 6:16 And when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, downcast in countenance; for they disfigure their faces, so that they may appear fasting to men: verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:17 But *thou*, [when] fasting, anoint thy head and wash thy face,

Matthew 6:18 so that thou mayest not appear fasting unto men, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who sees in secret shall render [it] to thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fast", "hypocrites", "downcast", "countenance", "disfigure", "faces", "appear", and "fasting". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fast" and "hypocrites", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "but if ye do not forgive men..." into verse 17's "But thou when fasting anoint thy head...", so "fast" and "hypocrites" 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 "fast" and "hypocrites" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.