Matthew 6:2 (DBY)

Passage

When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:1 Take heed not to do your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens.

Matthew 6:2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:3 But thou, when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand does;

Matthew 6:4 so that thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret will render [it] to thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "thou", "doest", "alms", "sound", "trumpet", "before", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Take heed not to do your alms..." into verse 3's "But thou when thou doest alms let...", so "therefore" and "thou" 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 "therefore" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.