Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men

Spoken to
audience

Sermon on Mount, law and fulfillment, visible and hidden, debts and repayment, virtue and virtue signaling

KJV

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

 

NIV

Matthew 6:1  Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified)

Matthew 6:1 Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

LISTENERS HEARD

Hold on, however, to that virtue of yours. You don't want to perform in front of people for the purpose of being gazed at by them. But if not, indeed you are not having remuneration at the side of that Father of yours, the one in the heavens.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

There are so many translation issues in this verse that none of the English versions come particularly close. The verse has three uncommon prepositions phrases that mean "in front of men" "towards this being gazed at", and "at the side of the Father." The verb translated as "see" is the least common verb that means "to see" that Jesus uses, one which he uses critically or humorously.  To get the Biblical versions a key preposition and a negative must ignored along with an "if" and "however" or two. One strange aspect is the sense that we can a reward "beside the Father" instead of from Him. The meaning of the words is stretched to the breaking point, being put into different forms from the Greek. 

MY TAKE

We have a choice of rewards from society, as a social position, or from our Father as His child.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
16
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "do" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to do."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "alms" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "alms" is more like "virtue" that an award.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "men" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "towards" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "seen" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "to" of the infinitive is negated by the preceding article.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "seen" is more like "viewed."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "reward" is more like "compensation" that an award.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "of" should be "beside."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "which" is a pronoun but an article, "the one." 
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "heaven" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "heaven" is translated as singular but it is plural, "hevens" or "skies."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
18
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "alms" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "men" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "others" should be "men."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "engaged in" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "seen" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "to" of the infinitive is negated by the preceding article.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "seen" is more like "viewed."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "not wanting at all" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "you do" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the tense is the present.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "reward" is more like "compensation" than an award.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "from" should be "beside."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "heaven" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "heaven" is translated as singular but it is plural, "heavens" or "skies."
# 3RD TRANSLATION ISSUES
25
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "watch out" is not the word meaning "watch" that is usually used for this verb.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "do" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to do."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "alms" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "publicly" should be "in front of."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "men" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "men" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "engaged in" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "admired" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "to" of the infinitive is negated by the preceding article.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "admired" is more like "viewed."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "for" should be "if."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "not wanting at all" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the tense is the present.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "lose" should be "have."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "not" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "reward" is more like "compensation" than an award.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "from" should be "beside."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "heaven" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "heaven" is translated as singular but it is plural, "heavens" or "skies."
EACH WORD of KJV

Take heed -- The Greek word translated as "take here" means primarily "hold to" and "turn to" but, in this context, has more of a sense of  "to be on one's guard against," and "to take heed." The verb's form could be a command or a simple statement, however, because of the negative used and since this word is at the beginning of the sentence, it is more likely a command.

missing "however"-- (MW) The untranslated word "however" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  

that  -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source.

do -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "do" primarily means "to make", "to perform", or "to produce." Though it is a very broad verb in Greek, covering many activities, it is not as broad as the English "do" which covers any activity. The form is not an active verb, but an infinitive: "to make", "to perform" or something similar. The form of this word is an infinitive.

not -- The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done or don't think something that might be true. In the Greek, it appears before the verb, so the sense is that "you don't want to perform" or "don't perform".

your -- The word translated as "your" is the plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

alms -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "alms" means virtue in the sense of fulfilling social or legal obligations. This would cover all activities required by the Jewish traditions of the time.

before -- A Greek word translated as "before" (KJV) and "in front of" (NIV) primarily means "in front of".

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

men, -- The word translated as "men" is the Greek word for "men" but it is introduced by an article, "the", which gives it the sense of "the men", which has a meaning more like we use the term "people".

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "towards" means "towards", engaged in," "by reason of (for)," "before" both in time and place,  "against," and several other types of "before." However, with the dative, as it is here, it means to be close to people and to be "engaged in" an action. With verbs of seeing it specifically means "towards."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW)The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. Coming before an infinitive, this word makes it into a noun describing the action of the verb.

to -- (WF)  This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English. However, because of the article before the word, this infinitive acts like a noun describing the action, which is English is a noun ending in "-ing."

be  -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

seen --  (CW) The verb translated as "see" is the least common verb that means "to see" that Jesus uses, one which he uses critically or humorously. Jesus uses both for seeing and being seen. It is a fancier word that has more of a sense of viewing something as a spectator. It is either in the passive,  acting like a noun, "this being gazed at", or in a form where the subject acts on or for themselves, "the displaying of yourself".This word is the root of our English word "theater."

of -- This word "of" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to" as an indirect object, or  a "by" for agents works here.

them: -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.

otherwise  -- This is from a special Greek construction  that means "but if not," with has the sense of "otherwise." The Greek word  "but" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". The word "if" here a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not. It also means "if ever" and "whenever." The negative "not" is the one used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not want" and "not think."  However, the negative is  is used with an emphatic particle meaning "at least" and "indeed." This particle emphasizes the word to which it is associated.

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do",  "to have due to one", or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English. 

no -- The Greek word translated as "no" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no", "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

reward -- (CW)  The Greek word translated as "reward" really means "compensation," "pay," and "recompense," what you receive from others for providing service for them. In Jesus's era, compensation was not just money but it took many forms: food, housing, salt, and so on. Jesus saw that there is both spiritual compensation and worldly compensation. It is a reward that is earned. It is not a gift.

of -- (WW) The word translated as "of" primarily means "beside" or "from the side of."  With the dative as it here, the sense is resting "beside," "at one's house," "with" and other static forms of the word. It is not the normal word used simply to say "from" a source or the "of" of possession.

your -- The word translated as "your" is the plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW)  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers". It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father. 

which  -- (CW) The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") that the English "the." See this article for more. 

is -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source.

in  -- The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near." 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

heaven. -- (WN) The "heaven" here is a little different because it is plural, "heavens." For more about the meaning of the Greek word "heaven" see this article.

EACH WORD of NIV

Be careful-- The Greek word translated as "take here" means primarily "hold to" and "turn to" but, in this context, has more of a sense of  "to be on one's guard against," and "to take heed." The verb's form could be a command or a simple statement, however, because of the negative used and since this word is at the beginning of the sentence, it is more likely a command.

missing "however"-- (MW) The untranslated word "however" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  

not -- The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done or don't think something that might be true. In the Greek, it appears before the verb, so the sense is that "you don't want to perform" or "don't perform".

to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.

practice -- The Greek word translated as "practice" primarily means "to make", "to perform", or "to produce." Though it is a very broad verb in Greek, covering many activities, it is not as broad as the English "do" which covers any activity. The form is not an active verb, but an infinitive: "to make", "to perform" or something similar. The form of this word is an infinitive.

your -- The word translated as "your" is the plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

righteousness -- The Greek word translated as "righteousness" means virtue in the sense of fulfilling social or legal obligations. This would cover all activities required by the Jewish traditions of the time.

 in front of -- A Greek word translated as "before" (KJV) and "in front of" (NIV) primarily means "in front of".

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

others, -- (WW) The word translated as "others" is the Greek word for "men" but it is introduced by an article, "the", which gives it the sense of "the men", which has a meaning more like we use the term "people".

missing "towards"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "towards" means "towards", engaged in," "by reason of (for)," "before" both in time and place,  "against," and several other types of "before." However, with the dative, as it is here, it means to be close to people and to be "engaged in" an action. With verbs of seeing it specifically means "towards."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. Coming before an infinitive, this word makes it into a noun describing the action of the verb.

to -- (WF)  This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English. However, because of the article before the word, this infinitive acts like a noun describing the action, which is English is a noun ending in "-ing."

be  -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

seen --  (CW) The Greek word translated as "to be seen" is not one of the common words Jesus uses for seeing and being seen. It is a fancier word that has more of a sense of viewing something as a spectator. It is either in the passive,  acting like a noun, "this being gazed at", or in a form where the subject acts on or for themselves, "the displaying of yourself". 

by -- This word "by" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to" as an indirect object, or  a "by" for agents works here.

them: -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. 

If -- The "if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not. It also means "if ever" and "whenever."

missing "however,"-- (MW) The untranslated word "however" is constructed from a series of Greek words that mean "if however not indeed." The word "not indeed" refers to an exaggerated form of the subjective negative uses above. The actual Greek says, "if, however, indeed no," but the "no" is hte subjective negative with the sense of not wanting or thinking something."

missing "not wanting at all"-- (MW) The untranslated word  "not at all" isa compound fo two words. The negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not want" and "not think." It is used with an emphatic particle meaning "at least" and "indeed." It emphasizes the word to which it is associated.

you do, -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "you do" in the Greek source.

you -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

will  -- (WT) This helping verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.

have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do",  "to have due to one", or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English. 

no -- The Greek word translated as "no" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no", "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

reward -- (CW)  The Greek word translated as "reward" really means "compensation," "pay," and "recompense," what you receive from others for providing service for them. In Jesus's era, compensation was not just money but it took many forms: food, housing, salt, and so on. Jesus saw that there is both spiritual compensation and worldly compensation. It is a reward that is earned. It is not a gift.

from -- (WW) The word translated as "from" primarily means "beside" or "from the side of."  With the dative as it here, the sense is resting "beside," "at one's house," "with" and other static forms of the word. It is not the normal word used simply to say "from" a source or the "of" of possession.

your -- The word translated as "your" is the plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers". It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

in  -- The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near." 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

heaven. -- (WN) The "heaven" here is a little different because it is plural, "heavens." For more about the meaning of the Greek word "heaven" see this article.

EACH WORD 3RD (NLT or as noted)

Watch out! -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "take here" means primarily "hold to" and "turn to" but, in this context, has more of a sense of  "to be on one's guard against," and "to take heed." The verb's form could be a command or a simple statement, however, because of the negative used and since this word is at the beginning of the sentence, it is more likely a command.

missing "however"-- (MW) The untranslated word "however" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  

Do  -- This helping verb is used to create commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement.

n't -- The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done or don't think something that might be true. In the Greek, it appears before the verb, so the sense is that "you don't want to perform" or "don't perform".

do -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "do" primarily means "to make", "to perform", or "to produce." Though it is a very broad verb in Greek, covering many activities, it is not as broad as the English "do" which covers any activity. The form is not an active verb, but an infinitive: "to make", "to perform" or something similar. The form of this word is an infinitive.

your -- The word translated as "your" is the plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

good deeds -- The Greek word translated as "good deeds" means virtue in the sense of fulfilling social or legal obligations. This would cover all activities required by the Jewish traditions of the time.

publicly, --  (WW)  The word translated as "publicly" means "in front of".

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

missing "men"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "men" is the Greek word for "men" but it is introduced by an article, "the", which gives it the sense of "the men", which has a meaning more like we use the term "people".

missing "towards"  -- (MW) The untranslated word"towards" means "towards", engaged in," "by reason of (for)," "before" both in time and place,  "against," and several other types of "before." However, with the dative, as it is here, it means to be close to people and to be "engaged in" an action. With verbs of seeing it specifically means "towards."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. Coming before an infinitive, this word makes it into a noun describing the action of the verb.

to -- (WF)  This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English. However, because of the article before the word, this infinitive acts like a noun describing the action, which is English is a noun ending in "-ing."

be  -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

admired --  (CW) The Greek word translated as "admired"  has more of a sense of viewing something as a spectator. It is either in the passive,  acting like a noun, "this being viewed", or in a form where the subject acts on or for themselves, "the viewing of yourself". 

by -- This word "by" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to" as an indirect object, or  a "by" for agents works here.

others: -- The word translated as "others" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.

for -- (WW) The "if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not. It also means "if ever" and "whenever."

missing "however,"-- (MW) The untranslated word "however" is constructed from a series of Greek words that mean "if however not indeed." The word "not indeed" refers to an exaggerated form of the subjective negative uses above. The actual Greek says, "if, however, indeed no," but the "no" is the subjective negative with the sense of not wanting or thinking something."

missing "not wanting at all"-- (MW) The untranslated word  "not at all" isa compound fo two words. The negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not want" and "not think." It is used with an emphatic particle meaning "at least" and "indeed." It emphasizes the word to which it is associated.

you -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

will  -- (WT) This helping verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.

lose -- (WW) The word translated as "lose" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do",  "to have due to one", or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English. 

missing "no"-- (MW) The untranslated word "no" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no", "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.

reward -- (CW)  The Greek word translated as "reward" really means "compensation," "pay," and "recompense," what you receive from others for providing service for them. In Jesus's era, compensation was not just money but it took many forms: food, housing, salt, and so on. Jesus saw that there is both spiritual compensation and worldly compensation. It is a reward that is earned. It is not a gift.

from -- (WW) The word translated as "from" primarily means "beside" or "from the side of."  With the dative as it here, the sense is resting "beside," "at one's house," "with" and other static forms of the word. It is not the normal word used simply to say "from" a source or the "of" of possession.

your -- The word translated as "your" is the plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers". It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

in  -- The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near." 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

heaven. -- (WN) The "heaven" here is a little different because it is plural, "heavens." For more about the meaning of the Greek word "heaven" see this article.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

Προσέχετε (2nd pl pres imperat act or verb 2nd pl pres ind act ) "Take heed" is the Greek prosecho, which means "hold to", "to offer", "turn to or toward," "to turn your mind toward," "to be on one's guard against", "to take heed", "to pay attention", "to devote oneself to", "to attach oneself", "to continue", "to hold fast to [a thing]," "to have in addition," or "pay court to."

[δὲ] (partic) Untranslated is de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

τὴν (article sg fem acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). --

δικαιοσύνην [10 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Alms" is dikaiosyne, which means "righteousness", "justice", "fulfillment of the law," and "the business of a judge." It carries the sense of virtue but specifically that of fulfilling legal or social requirements.

ὑμῶν (pron 2nd pl gen) "Your" is from humon, which is a plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

μὴ (partic) "Not" is from me, which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective.

ποιεῖν (pres inf act) "That ye do" is from poieo, which means "to make", "to produce", "to create", "to bring into existence", "to bring about", "to cause", "to render", "to consider", "to prepare", "to make ready," and "to do."

ἔμπροσθεν (adv) "Before" is from emprosthen, which as an adverb means [of place]"in front of", "before", "forwards," [of time] "before", "of old," and as a preposition, "facing", "opposite", "in front," [of time] beforehand," and [of degree] "preferred before." It also denotes a ranking.

τῶν (article pl masc gen)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

ἀνθρώπων (noun pl masc gen ) "Men" is from anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

πρὸς (prep) Untranslated is pros, which means "on the side of", "in the direction of", "from (place)", "towards" "before", "in the presence of", "engaged in," "in the eyes of", "in the name of", "by reason of", "before (supplication)", "proceeding from (for effects)", "dependent on", "derivable from", "agreeable,""becoming", "like", "at the point of", "in addition to", "against," and "before."

τὸ (article sg neut acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

θεαθῆναι [6 verses](aor inf mp) "To be seen" is theaomai, which means "to behold", "to gaze with a sense of wonder", "view as a spectator", "to see clearly," and "to contemplate."

αὐτοῖς: (adj pl masc dat) "Of them" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."

εἰ, (conj) "Otherwise" is ei, (as part of the construction ei de me), which is the particle used to express conditions "if" (implying nothing about its fulfillment) or indirect questions, "whether." It also means "if ever", "in case," and "whenever." It is combined with various conjunctions to create derivative conditions. O

δὲ  (conj"Otherwise" is de, (as part of the construction ei de me), which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

μήγε  (adverb) "Otherwise" is mege, (as part of the construction ei de me) which is a contraction of me ge. The me is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." The ge is an emphatic particle meaning "at least" and "indeed." It emphasizes the word to which it is associated.

μισθὸν (noun sg masc acc) "Reward" is from misthos, which means "wages" in the sense of compensation for work done, "pay", "hire", "fee", "recompense," and "reward."

οὐκ "Not" is from ou which is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.

ἔχετε (2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye have" is from echo, which means "to have", "to hold", "to possess", "to keep", "to have charge of", "to maintain", "to hold fast", "to bear", "to keep close", "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."

παρὰ (prep) "Of" is from para, which means "beside", "from the side of", "from beside,", "from", "issuing from", "near", "by", "with", "along", "past", "beyond", "parallel (geometry)", "like (metaphor)", "a parody of (metaphor)", "precisely at the moment of (time)," and "throughout (time)." With the dative, the sense is resting "beside," "at one's house," "with" and other static forms of the word.

τῷ (article sg masc dat)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). --

πατρὶ (noun sg masc dat) "The Father" is from pater, which means "father", "grandfather", "author", "parent," and "forefathers."

ὑμῶν (pron 2nd pl gen) "Your" is from humon, which is a plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

τῷ ( article sg masc dat ) "Which" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one".

ἐν (prep) "Is in" is from en, which means "in", "on", "at", "by", "among", "within", "surrounded by", "in one's hands", "in one's power," and "with".

τοῖς (article pl masc dat)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -- missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

οὐρανοῖς. (noun pl masc dat) "Heaven" is from ouranos, which means "heaven as in the vault of the sky", "heaven as the seat of the gods", "the sky", "the universe," and "the climate." See this article for more perspective on the word and how Christ uses it.

Possible Symbolic Meaning
Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings

“Doesn’t the Divine compensate us for our virtuous deeds?” Abbiah asked sincerely in the aristocratic tones of high society.
The Master nodded, agreeing, but he added a warning.
“Hold on, however, to that virtue of yours,” he advised, addressing all of us in the crowd.
“But those people,” Abbiah said proudly, standing and indicating the people in the crowd, “can see my virtue only if I display it.”
“You don’t want to perform,” the Teacher continued, “in front of those people.”
He said “those people” mimicking Abbiah’s aristocratic accent.
We laughed.
“Not like an actor,” Abbiah protested, spreading her arms and turning so the crowd could see her. “But it is important to be recognized.”
“To show yourself off to them?” he asked her directly, spreading his arms and posing even more theatrically than she had.
We laughed.
“But my good example can inspire others,” the woman said haughtily.”
“If you absolutely don’t want a reward,” the Teacher added wryly with a big smile.
“What reward?” the woman asked.
The Master pointed a finger skyward.
“This realm of the skies!” we chanted. We laughed and applauded our contribution to completing his thought.
“The reward of your sky realm?” the woman asked, sounding confused. “Those of us who get recognition do not get the compensation of the sky realm?”
“You all are not getting it from that Father of yours,” the Teacher assured her, “the one in the skies.”

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