Matthew 6:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Take heed that ye do not your alms— Your righteousness. Our translators have put alms in the text; but doubting, upon good grounds, whether that was the true reading, they have for alms put in the margin righteousness, that is to say, justice, as it stands in the Vulgate; a reading supported with great authority from manuscripts, and commentaries of ancient fathers upon the place. However, if this were a mere verbal criticism, it would less deserve to be insisted upon: but it seems much better, and more agreeable to the sense of the Evangelist, that instead of alms we read justice; for the proper reward, not only of alms, but of every other virtue, will be forfeited, if a desire of worldly applause be our motive to the practice of them; and therefore this first verse seems to be a general caution against vain-glory in our good works, which are here summed up as usual in the comprehensive name of righteousness or justice: this general caution our Lord applies in the sequel to the three principal branches into which that justice is divided; namely, first, justice to our neighbour, by acts of kindness and beneficence; for merely not to hurt him, when we can do him good, is not doing him justice: secondly, justice to God by devotion; and thirdly, justice to ourselves by mortification, Matthew 6:16., &c. which three branches of justice our Lord here treats of severally. With this view Beza, who was for restoring δικαιοσυνην, justice, into the Greek text, makes the same remark; as does also St. Austin, who found justitia in his copy. This verse therefore may be considered as a general introduction to what follows. The doctrine and precepts of the disciples,—the righteousness which they preached, was to excel the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees in the manner set forth in the preceding chapter. Our Lord goes on to speak of the righteousness which the Jewish teachers practiced, or pretended to practise; shewing that his disciples ought to excel them in that respect also. The particulars which he mentions, though few, are of great importance; namely, alms-giving, prayer, fasting, heavenly-mindedness, walking with God, and cheerful resignation. The present chapter contains four parts; first, the right intention and manner in giving alms, Matthew 6:1-4.; secondly, the right intention, manner, form, and pre-requisites of prayer, Matthew 6:5-15.; thirdly, the right intention and manner of fasting, Matthew 6:16-18.; fourthly, the necessity of a pure intention in all things, unmixed either with a desire of riches, or worldly care and fear of want, Matthew 6:19-34. This first verse is a general caution against vain-glory in any of our good works. Our Saviour does not forbid us to do works of this kind publicly; for on some occasions that cannot be avoided; but to do them publicly, with a view and design to be seen of men, and to be applauded for them. See Heylin, Wetstein, Bengelius, and Olearius.