Matthew 6:18 (DRB)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "appear", "fast", "father", "secret", and "seeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "appear", 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 to yourselves treasures on...", so "thou" and "appear" 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 "appear" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.