“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.” — Matthew 6:1
The Textus Receptus reads alms. The critical text reads righteousness: “Do not practice your righteousness before men.” One word either begins the first example or serves as a heading over alms, prayer, and fasting.
The broader term has strong early support. Matthew has just spoken of a righteousness exceeding that of scribes and Pharisees. A heading about practicing righteousness then introduces three acts often linked with Jewish piety. Critics can explain alms as a scribe’s attempt to make verse 1 match the almsgiving that begins in verse 2.
That argument has real literary force. But headings are not Matthew’s only way of joining paragraphs. The repeated “when thou” and the repeated Father’s reward already bind the three practices.
The Greek words for righteousness and almsgiving had also drawn close in Jewish and Christian usage. Mercy to the poor could be called a righteous act. A copyist might expand the concrete alms into the noble umbrella righteousness, especially after Matthew 5:20.
A warning with a named deed
“Alms” makes the opening immediate. A hand gives money or food; an eye looks for witnesses; a trumpet sounds. Jesus moves from the act to its motive without first naming a category.
The warning is not against visible goodness. A disciple’s light may shine before men so they glorify the Father. The sin is doing the deed to be seen. The same outward gift can be love toward the needy or payment for praise.
The received reading also keeps the word righteousness from being reduced to three religious exercises. The righteousness of the kingdom fills the whole sermon. Alms, prayer, and fasting are particular places where hypocrisy tests it.
The early evidence for “righteousness” makes this a close case. The concrete flow into verse 2, the lexical path by which alms could be generalized, and the continuous received text favor alms. Christ puts a real coin in the hand before he puts the heart under judgment.
The singular “alms” in older English names charitable giving as a practice, not one coin. The Greek word is tied to mercy. This prevents the act from becoming a fee paid to acquire a reputation for righteousness. The giver meets a needy person and gives because compassion answers need.
The trumpet in verse 2 may be a vivid figure rather than a documented synagogue custom. Either way, the sound names self-advertisement. Modern forms can be quieter: a camera at the gift, a donor list cultivated for status, or a story told so that the poor person becomes scenery around the giver.
The received opening reaches those practices directly. It does not remove almsgiving from righteousness; it refuses to let the larger word hide the deed. The Father sees the gift, the recipient, the motive, and the cost. Secret mercy is still righteous because his sight, not public applause, gives the final measure.
Sources and further reading
- Matthew 5:16, 20; 6:1–18; Acts 10:1–4.
- Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, note on Matthew 6:1.
- Frederick H. A. Scrivener, A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament.