Matthew 6:4 (LSB)

Passage

so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:2 “Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Matthew 6:3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Matthew 6:4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "giving", "secret", "father", "sees", "done", and "reward". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "giving" and "secret", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "But when you give to the poor..." into verse 5's "And when you pray you are not...", so "giving" and "secret" 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 "giving" and "secret" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.