Matthew 6 · Verse 8

Matthew 6:8

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 6:8, King James Version

Matthew 6:8 in other translations

BSBDo not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
WEBTherefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him.
ASVBe not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
YLTbe ye not therefore like to them, for your Father doth know those things that ye have need of before your asking him;
DARBYBe not ye therefore like them, for your Father knows of what things ye have need before ye beg anything of him.
BBESo be not like them; because your Father has knowledge of your needs even before you make your requests to him.
WebsterTherefore be ye not like them: for your Father knoweth what things ye need before ye ask him.

What does Matthew 6:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him--and so needs not to be informed of our wants, any more than to be roused to attend to them by our incessant speaking. What a view of God is here given, in sharp contrast with the gods of the heathen! But let it be carefully noted that it is not as the general Father of mankind that our Lord says, "Your Father" knoweth what ye need before ye ask it; for it is not men, as such, that He is addressing in this discourse, but His own disciples--the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, hungry and thirsty souls, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, who allow themselves to have all manner of evil said against them for the Son of man's sake--in short, the new-born children of God, who, making their Father's interests their own, are here assured that their Father, in return, makes their interests His, and needs neither to be told nor to be reminded of their wants. Yet He will have His children pray to Him, and links all His promised supplies to their petitions for them; thus encouraging us to draw near and keep near to Him, to talk and walk with Him, to open our every case to Him, and assure ourselves that thus asking we shall receive--thus seeking we shall find--thus knocking it shall be opened to us.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8.

(s) "Father knoweth" Lk 12:30, Jn 16:23-27

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of - Prayer is not designed to inform God, but to give man a sight of his misery; to humble his heart, to excite his desire, to inflame his faith, to animate his hope, to raise his soul from earth to heaven, and to put him in mind that There is his Father, his country, and inheritance. In the preceding verses we may see three faults, which our Lord commands us to avoid in prayer: - 1st. Hypocrisy. Be not as the hypocrites. Mat 6:5. 2ndly. Dissipation. Enter into thy closet. Mat 6:6. 3rdly. Much Speaking, or Unmeaning Repetition, Be not like the heathens. Mat 6:7.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 6:5-8

It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to…

Read the full comment on Matthew 6:5-8 →

Matthew 6:8 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

μὴmēNotG3361
οὖνounthereforeG3767
ὁμοιωθῆτεhomoiōthētemay be likeG3666
αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846
οἶδενoidenhas known
γὰρgarforG1063
ὁhotheG3588
πατὴρpatērFatherG3962
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ὧνhōnof what thingsG3739
χρείανchreianneedG5532
ἔχετεecheteyou haveG2192
πρὸprobeforeG4253
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ὑμᾶςhumasyourG4771
αἰτῆσαιaitēsaiaskingG154
αὐτόν.¶autonHim.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 6:8

  • Matthew 6:32

    (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

  • Luke 12:30

    For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

  • Philippians 4:6

    Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

  • John 16:23-27

    And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: …

  • Psalms 38:9

    Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

  • Psalms 69:17-19

    And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
your.
32; Ps 38:9; 69:17-19; Lu 12:30; Joh 16:23-27; Php 4:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 6:7

    But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

  • Matthew 6:8

    Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

  • Matthew 6:9

    After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Read all of Matthew 6

Matthew 6:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No os hagáis, pues, semejantes á ellos; porque vuestro Padre sabe de qué cosas tenéis necesidad, antes que vosotros le pidáis.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ne leur ressemblez donc pas, car votre Père sait de quoi vous avez besoin, avant que vous le lui demandiez.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Seid ihnen nun nicht gleich; denn euer Vater weiß, was ihr bedürfet, ehe ihr ihn bittet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Nolite ergo assimilari eis: scit enim Pater vester, quid opus sit vobis, antequam petatis eum.