Matthew 6:8 (YLT)

Passage

be ye not therefore like to them, for your Father doth know those things that ye have need of before your asking him;

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:6 `But thou, when thou mayest pray, go into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who <FI>is<Fi> in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.

Matthew 6:7 `And--praying--ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard,

Matthew 6:8 be ye not therefore like to them, for your Father doth know those things that ye have need of before your asking him;

Matthew 6:9 thus therefore pray ye: `Our Father who <FI>art<Fi> in the heavens! hallowed be Thy name.

Matthew 6:10 `Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "like", "father", "doth", "things", "need", "before", and "asking". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "like", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And--praying--ye may not use vain repetitions like..." into verse 9's "thus therefore pray ye Our Father who...", so "therefore" and "like" 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 "therefore" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.