When thou doest thine alms— When you do good offices. Heylin. The term ελεημοσυνη, which we render alms, has a much larger signification, and imports all acts of kindness by which we can benefit others. In all these our Lord warns us against ostentation, and the desire of applause; and not only that we should not seek the praise of others upon such occasions, but also cautiously abstain from all vain-glorious reflections upon the good that we have done; which advice he couches in those emphatical words,
Let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth. The phrase of sounding a trumpet before them, is generally thought to be only a figurative expression, to represent their doing it in a noisy ostentatious way, as it is certain that "to do a thing with the sound of the trumpet," is sometimes used proverbially to express a public ostentation. However, it seems not improbable, that as the Jews were wont to assemble the people by the sound of a trumpet, (Joel 2:15.) persons who affected the reputation of being extremely charitable, might sound a trumpet when they distributed their alms, on pretence, no doubt, of gathering the poor to receive them, while their real intention was to proclaim their own good works, and to receive glory of men. See Beza, and Elsner.