Matthew 6:3 (DBY)

Passage

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

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.

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets so that they should appear to men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "When therefore thou doest alms sound not..." into verse 4's "so that thine alms may be in...", so "thou" and "doest" 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 "doest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.