Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 6:17
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
But thou when thou fastest, anoint … – That is, appear as you do daily. Do not assume any new appearance, or change your visage or dress. The Jews and all neighboring nations were much in the habit of washing and anointing their bodies. This washing was performed at every meal; and where it could be effected, the head, or other parts of the body, was daily anointed with sweet or olive oil. In a warm climate, exposed to the great heat of the sun, this practice conduced much to health, preserved the skin smooth and tender, and afforded a most grateful sensation and odor. See Mar 7:2-3; Jam 5:14; Mar 11:13; Joh 12:3.
The meaning of this whole commandment is, when you regard it to be your duty to fast, do it as a thing expressing deep feeling or sorrow for sin, not by assuming unfelt gravity and moroseness, but in your ordinary dress and appearance; not to attract attention, but as an expression of feeling toward God, and he will approve and reward it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. Anoint thine head and wash thy face] These were forbidden in the Jewish canon on days of fasting and humiliation; and hypocrites availed themselves of this ordinance, that they might appear to fast. Our Lord, therefore, cautions us against this: as if he had said, Affect nothing – dress in thy ordinary manner, and let the whole of thy deportment prove that thou desirest to recommend my soul to God, and not thy face to men. That factitious mourning, which consists in putting on black clothes, crapes, c., is utterly inconsistent with the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ and if practised in reference to spiritual matters, is certainly forbidden here: but sin is so common, and so boldly persisted in, that not even a crape is put on, as an evidence of deploring its influence, or of sorrow for having committed it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
17. But thou, when thou fastest,anoint thine head, and wash thy faceas the Jews did, exceptwhen mourning (Da 10:3); sothat the meaning is, “Appear as usual”appear so as toattract no notice.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But thou, when thou fastest,…. Christ allows of fasting, but what is of a quite different kind from that of the Jews; which lay not in an outward abstinence from food, and other conveniences of life, and refreshments of nature; but in an abstinence from sin, in acknowledgment and confession of it; and in the exercise of faith and hope in God, as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin; wherefore cheerfulness, and a free use of the creatures, without an abuse of them, best became such persons.
Anoint thine head, and wash thy face; directly contrary to the Jewish canons, which forbid these things, with others, on fast days:
“On the day of atonement, (say i they,) a man is forbidden eating and drinking, “and washing and anointing”, and putting on of shoes, and the use of the bed.”
And the same were forbidden on other fasts: in anointings, the head was anointed first, and this rule and reason are given for it:
“he that would anoint his whole body, , “let him anoint his head first”, because it is king over all its members k.”
Anointing and washing were signs of cheerfulness and joy; see Ru 3:3.
i Misn. Yoma, c. 8. sect. 1. & Taanith, c. 1. sect. 4, 5, 6. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 77. 2. Taanith, fol. 12. 2. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. affirm. 32. k T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 61. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “But thou, when thou fastest,” (su de nesteuon) “But when you fast,” personally, as individuals, privately as you are instructed to do, in private prayer, Mat 6:6; Mat 6:16.
2) “Anoint thine head,” (aleipsai sou ten kephalen) “Anoint your head,” clean your head, comb or brush your hair,” appear clean before the public, to avoid the hypocritical parading of feigned grief and devotions that the Pharisees sought to convey.
3) “And wash thy face;” (kai to prosopon sou nipsai) “And wash your face,” that it may appear fresh and clean, not a besmeared appearance of piety before the public at a fixed time, as the Pharisee hypocrites did. The Jews anointed their head and washed their face daily, except when mourning, Dan 10:3. So the meaning is that followers of Jesus should appear as usual, before the public, so as to attract no special attention to themselves as some cheap, sham religious actor.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(17) Anoint thine head, and wash thy face.Both these acts were rigidly prohibited by the traditions of the Elders on the Day of Atonement, and by implication on other fast days also. They were the outward signs of joy (Ecc. 9:8), and were therefore looked on as unsuitable for a time of mourning. The disciples of Christ were to hide their contrition and self-discipline, and even when the heart knew its own bitterness were to be blithe and cheerful, opening their griefs only to their Father in heaven.
Openly.Here again the artificial antithesis is to be rejected as an interpolation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. Anoint thine head, and wash thy face As these were the customary daily dressings of the Jews, our Lord, in the words, directs them to use their ordinary modes when fasting. Of course here is no reducing the practice of anointing the head to a universal Christian command.
The practice of anointing with oil as an inauguration of kings and priests, has already been mentioned. Matthew 1. But there were also anointings of guests, of the sick, and of the dead. The practice is extremely ancient; as there appear, even upon the monuments of ancient Egypt, figures in the act of pouring oil upon the head of a person sitting or standing before them. This use of oil in the dry climate of the East is supposed to impart softness and brilliancy to the skin, to prevent the weakening effects of too much perspiration, and to impart to the person health and beauty. Hence, it becomes the emblem of joy and gladness, of excellence and blessing, of divine favour and distinction, of royalty and priesthood. Hence, in periods of symbolical sorrow, of mourning, penitence, and fasting, the Jews abjured the use of oil.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face,
That you be not seen of men to fast,
But of your Father who is in secret,
And your Father, who sees in secret, will recompense you.”
So when they fast they are not to put on a sombre face, or to fail to shave or wash their faces, or to anoint their heads with oil (a contemporary Jewish practise), so that men will realise that they are fasting. They must rather wash their faces and anoint their heads, in other words try to give the impression that life is going on as normal so as to avoid being lionised. By doing it this way only God will be aware that they are fasting. And then their Father, Who sees in secret will recompense them, because they are doing it in order to demonstrate their love for Him. The basic point, as previously, is the genuine motive that lies behind their actions. Their hearts must be right towards God.
Note on Fasting.
As mentioned the general approach of Christians towards fasting was to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. This fast would end around 15:00 hours (the afternoon meal). Ideally the very fact of doing it would turn their thoughts towards God during that day. At other times they would fast because they were engaged in long sessions of prayer. Fasting as an ascetic practise only became involved much later, and was based on a false idea of the sinfulness of the flesh. It drew great honour from men (who always honour what they themselves are not prepared to do) and was thus a dangerous practise, involving the ascetics, many of whom were not truly godly men, although some were, in a similar condemnation to the Pharisees.
People under eighteen should not fast without consulting a doctor for health reasons. And all should seek medical advice before engaging in long fasts. God does not intend us to dishonour Him by harming ourselves physically. We are not even sure what the full basis of a ‘forty day fast’ was (wild fruit or other occasional sustenance may have been taken) and it was always in exceptional circumstances and with exceptional people. Thus we must be sensible and careful. There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that fasting as such brings blessing in itself. The blessing comes in respect of the right attitude of heart and circumstances that accompany the fasting.
End of note.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The proper method of fasting:
v. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face,
v. 18. that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Again the Lord emphasizes the contrast. A mere outward show of repentance without change of heart does not befit the followers of Jesus. Fasting they may practice indeed; that is a laudable custom and may be productive of good. But in doing so, all ostentation must be avoided. It is the heart that should feel the sorrow and humility, not the body. Therefore the usual daily washing and anointing should not be omitted, in order that men might not even know the conditions. God, their heavenly Father, that lives in the secret places, whose omniscience searches minds and hearts, will know. At the proper time He will make the necessary revelations and grant the reward of mercy.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 6:17-18. Anoint thine head That is to say, “Affect nothing which is uncommon; and, rather than put on a sad countenance, which may shew to all around you that you fast, wash, on the contrary, your face, and anoint your head.” Except in times of deep mourning, or public fasting, when they used dust and ashes, which must have sadly deformed the countenance, the Jews were accustomed to wash and rub themselves with oil,which was commonly perfumed, especially on festivals. See Rth 3:3. 2 Sam. 25: 2. Luk 7:37-38. Such were our Lord’s directions to his disciples with respect to fasting, from which it appears that he approved of the duty; and indeed the usefulness of it is sufficiently evident; for by abstinence from food, the body is mortified and subjected to the spirit, and the spirit itself is better fitted for the exercises of devotion: nevertheless, in religious fasting, regard must be had to men’s constitutions; for it may happen to some that a total abstinence from food would, insteadoffittingthem for the exercises of piety, render them wholly incapable thereof; in which case no more than a due degree of abstemiousness should be practised. See Macknight, Fortuita Sacra, p. 18 and Explication de Textes difficiles, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 6:17 . Dress thyself as if to go to a festive entertainment. Psa 23:5 ; Luk 7:46 ; Suicer, Thes . I. p. 185; Wetstein. Of course Jesus does not intend the anointing, and so on, to be taken literally; but under this form of requirement He expresses the sincerity which He desires in connection with the of itself voluntary practice of fasting. Comp. Chrysostom. The form is one that is suited to an attitude of radical opposition to Jewish formalism. Luther: “If thou so fastest between thyself and thy Father alone, thou hast rightly fasted in that it pleases Him; yet not as if one must not go on a fast-day with few clothes, or unwashed, but the additional ceremony is rejected, because it is observed for the sake of applause, and to hoodwink people with such singular demeanour.”
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Ver. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, &c. ] Not but that a man is bound at such a time to abridge himself of the comforts and delights of life, whence it is called a day of restraint, Joe 2:15 , and of afflicting the soul. a The Ninevites sat in sackcloth, as unworthy of any covering. Others put ashes on their heads, in token that they deserved to be as far under as now they were above ground. David lay on the earth, 2Sa 12:16 . Daniel laid aside all delights of sense, as music, mirth, perfumes, ointments, &c. Our Saviour fasted to the humbling of his soul, Psa 35:13 , weakening of his knees, Psa 109:24 , macerating and enfeebling of his body, Psa 69:10 . And when upon the cross they offered him wine mingled with myrrh, to stupefy him and make him less sensible of his pain, he received it not, Mar 15:23 . To teach us (saith a learned interpreter) in our extraordinary humiliations for our sins, to forbear all such refreshments as might hinder the course of our just griefs. “Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness,” Jas 4:9 , such a heaviness as may be seen in the countenance, as the word importeth. b But when our Saviour biddeth anoint the head, at such a time, and wash the face, it is, as he expounds himself, “that we may not appear to men to fast:” in a private fast, eschewing wholly the show: in a public, not performing to the show, or to this end, that we may be seen.
a Vox Hebraica Tsom, significat affligere: unde Aben Ezra ait, ubicunque in scripturis afflictio animae invenitur, ibi intelligitur ieiunium. Graeci dicunt particula privante, et quod est validum et firmum esse. Pet. Mart. Alii et , cibum non comedere.
b . Tristitia cum vultus demissione. Badaeus. . Ne te quaesiveris extra.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
17. ] i.e. ‘ appear as usual: ’ ‘seem to men the same as if thou wert not fasting.’ It has been observed that this precept applies only to voluntary and private fasts, (such as are mentioned Luk 18:12 ,) not to public and enjoined ones. But this distinction does not seem to be necessary; the one might afford just as much occasion for ostentation as the other.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 6:17 . , : not necessarily as if preparing for a feast (Meyer and Weiss), but performing the usual daily ablutions for comfort and cleanliness, so avoiding parade of fasting by neglect of them (Bleek, Achelis).
The foregoing inculcations of sincerity and reality in religion contribute indirectly to the illustration of the divine name Father, which is here again defined by discriminating use. God as Father desires these qualities in worshippers. All close relations (father, son: husband, wife) demand real affection as distinct from parade.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
wash. Greek. niptd. App-136.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
17.] i.e. appear as usual: seem to men the same as if thou wert not fasting. It has been observed that this precept applies only to voluntary and private fasts, (such as are mentioned Luk 18:12,) not to public and enjoined ones. But this distinction does not seem to be necessary; the one might afford just as much occasion for ostentation as the other.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 6:17. -, anoint-wash) Both verbs are in the middle voice; [the meaning therefore is] anoint and wash alone (solus unge et lava). It was customary for the Jews to be anointed on feast days.[270]
[270] The sense is, Abstain from all rather severe exercises.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
anoint: Rth 3:3, 2Sa 14:2, Ecc 9:8, Dan 10:2, Dan 10:3
Reciprocal: Psa 23:5 – thou anointest Luk 5:35 – and Luk 7:46 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:17
When David was ready to cease fasting (2Sa 12:20) at the death of his child he arose and washed himself. Jesus instructed his disciples to proceed with the usual customs of daily life in spite of their season of fasting. That would tend to the opposite effect of the disfigurement that the hypocrites practiced for attention.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
[But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, etc.] for those that fasted neither anointed themselves nor washed. “On the day of Expiation it was forbidden to eat, to drink, to wash, to anoint themselves, to put on their sandals, to lie with their wives. But the king and the bride may wash their faces, and a midwife may put on her sandals.” See the Babylonian Gemara here. See also the Babylonian Talmud in the tract Taanith, concerning other fasts, and the fasts of private men.
They were wont to anoint their bodies and heads upon a threefold reason:
I. For finer dress. “Anointing is permitted to be used on the sabbath, whether it be for ornament, or not for ornament. On the day of Expiation both are forbidden. On the ninth day of the month Ab, and in the public fasts, anointing for dress is forbid; anointing not for dress is allowed.”
II. They anointed themselves often, not for excess; or bravery; or delight; but for the healing of some disease, or for the health of the body. He that is troubled with the head-ache, or on whom scabs arise, let him anoint himself with oil.
“A tradition of the Rabbins. It is forbidden [in fasts] to wash a part of the body, as well as the whole body. But if it be defiled with dirt or dung, let him wash according to the custom, and let him not be troubled. It is also forbidden to anoint a part of the body, as well as the whole body: but if a man be sick, or if a scab arise on his head, let him anoint himself according to the custom.”
Hence, when the apostles are said “to anoint the sick with oil, and to heal them,” Mar 6:13; they used an ordinary medicine, and obtained an extraordinary and infallible effect.
Hence that of St. James, Jam 5:14; “Let the sick man call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord”: that is, to that ordinary medicine, namely, anointing for recovery of health, let the prayers of the ministers of the church be used.
III. They used sometimes a superstitious anointing of the head, and nothing differing from magical anointing: He that mutters, let him put oil upon his head, and mutter. this muttering is to be understood concerning the manner of saying a charm upon the wound, or some place of the body that feels pain; muttering over the wound; of which mention is made in the tract Sanhedrim. Mention also is made in the tract Schabbath now alleged, that some used this enchanting muttering in the name of Jesus: “One being sick, a certain person came to him, and muttered upon him in the name of Jesus of Pandira, and he was healed.” And a little after; “R. Eliezer Ben Damah was bitten by a serpent. James of Capharsam came to heal him in the name of Jesus: but R. Ismael permitted him not,” etc. See Act 19:13.
If the words of James before alleged be compared with this cursed custom, they may well sound to this sense; ‘It is customary for the unbelieving Jews to use anointing of the sick joined with a magical and enchanting muttering; but how infinitely better is it to join the pious prayers of the elders of the church to the anointing of the sick!’
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 6:17. When thou fastest. He assumes that His disciples would practise private fasting.
Anoint thy head and wash thy face. The usual practice before meals, especially before feasts. Special preparation would involve hypocrisy also. The meaning is, perform the cleansing usual and proper before meals even when fasting. (The maxim of sound piety, cleanliness next to godliness. Hypocrisy and false asceticism reverse the maxim.)
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 17
Anoint thine head; that is, as usual; this being then customary among the Jews. The meaning is, do nothing to make an outward display of penitence and mortification.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Jesus assumed His disciples would fast as He assumed they would give alms and pray. He said nothing to discourage them from fasting (cf. Mat 9:14-17). He only condemned ostentatious fasting. To avoid any temptation to pander to the adulation of onlookers Jesus counseled His disciples to do nothing that would attract attention to the fact that they were fasting when they fasted. Again, the Father who sees the worship that His children offer in secret will reward them.
The three major acts of Jewish worship-alms-giving, prayer, and fasting-were only representative of many other acts of worship that Jesus’ disciples performed. His teaching in this section of the Sermon (Mat 6:1-18) stressed lessons they should apply more broadly. In His teaching about each of these three practices, Jesus first warned His disciples not to do the act for man’s praise. Then He assured them that if they disregarded His warning they would get human praise but no more. Third, He taught them how to do the act secretly. Finally, He assured them that the Father who sees in secret would reward their righteous act openly. He thereby explained what it means to seek first the kingdom and its righteousness (Mat 6:33).