Matthew 6:17 (DRB)

Passage

But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:15 But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.

Matthew 6:16 And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to 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 appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "fastest", "anoint", "head", "wash", and "face". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "fastest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And when you fast be not as..." into verse 18's "That thou appear not to men to...", so "thou" and "fastest" 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 "fastest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.