Matthew 6:17 (GNV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:15 But if ye do not forgiue men their trespasses,, no more will your father forgiue you your trespaces.

Matthew 6:16 Moreouer, when ye fast, looke not sowre as the hypocrites: for they disfigure their faces, that they might seeme vnto men to fast. Verely I say vnto you, that they haue their rewarde.

Matthew 6:17 But when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face,

Matthew 6:18 That thou seeme not vnto men to fast, but vnto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret, will rewarde thee openly.

Matthew 6:19 Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth, where the mothe and canker corrupt, and where theeues digge through and steale.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "fastest", "anoint", "thine", "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 "Moreouer when ye fast looke not sowre..." into verse 18's "That thou seeme not vnto 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.