Matthew 6:5 (GNV)

Passage

And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they loue to stand, and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streetes, because they would be seene of men. Verely I say vnto you, they haue their rewarde.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest thine almes, let not thy left hand knowe what thy right hand doeth,

Matthew 6:4 That thine almes may be in secret, and thy Father that seeth in secret, hee will rewarde thee openly.

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they loue to stand, and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streetes, because they would be seene of men. Verely I say vnto you, they haue their rewarde.

Matthew 6:6 But when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore, pray vnto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall rewarde thee openly.

Matthew 6:7 Also when ye pray, vse no vaine repetitions as the Heathen: for they thinke to be heard for their much babbling.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "prayest", "hypocrites", "loue", "stand", "synagogues", and "corners". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "prayest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "That thine almes may be in secret..." into verse 6's "But when thou prayest enter into thy...", so "thou" and "prayest" 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 "prayest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.