Matthew 6:17 (LSB)

Passage

But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Matthew 6:16 “Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Matthew 6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

Matthew 6:18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Now whenever you fast do not put..." into verse 18's "so that your fasting will not be...", so "fast" and "anoint" 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 "fast" and "anoint" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.