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Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Matthew 6:8

Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   Gentiles;   God;   God Continued...;   Motive;   Pharisees;   Prayer;   Religion;   Thompson Chain Reference - God's;   Knowledge;   Knowledge, Divine;   Knowledge-Ignorance;   The Topic Concordance - Prayer;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Wisdom of God, the;   Works, Good;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Prayer;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Sermon on the mount;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hear, Hearing;   Humility;   Know, Knowledge;   Motives;   Prayer;   Reward;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Lord's Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Father;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adoption;   Mark, the Gospel According to;   Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - False Worship;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Omniscience;   Prayer;   Sermon on the Mount;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Ethics;   Lord's Prayer;   Mss;   Prayer;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Children;   Communion (2);   Consciousness;   Error;   Gospel (2);   Heaven ;   Holiness Purity;   Ideas (Leading);   Immanence ;   Law of God;   Lord's Prayer (Ii);   Lord's Supper. (I.);   Luke, Gospel According to;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Omnipresence;   Organization (2);   Personality;   Pleasure;   Popularity;   Prayer (2);   Presence (2);   Religion (2);   Retribution (2);   Sermon on the Mount;   Simple, Simplicity ;   Trinity (2);   Vain;   Worldliness (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Father;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of christ of heaven;   Kingdom of god;   Kingdom of heaven;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Alms;   Ask;   Omniscience;   Prayer;   Sermon on the Mount, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Alms;   New Testament;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for October 25;   Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for June 30;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.
King James Version (1611)
Be not yee therefore like vnto them: For your father knoweth what things yee haue neede of, before yee aske him.
King James Version
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
English Standard Version
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
New American Standard Bible
"So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Amplified Bible
"So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Be ye not like them therefore: for your Father knoweth whereof ye haue neede, before ye aske of him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Contemporary English Version
Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Darby Translation
Be not ye therefore like them, for your Father knows of what things ye have need before ye beg [anything] of him.
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore, do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need, before you ask him.
Good News Translation
Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.
Lexham English Bible
Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Literal Translation
Then do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.
American Standard Version
Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Bible in Basic English
So be not like them; because your Father has knowledge of your needs even before you make your requests to him.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
International Standard Version
Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Etheridge Translation
Be you not like them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you before that you ask him.
Murdock Translation
Therefore, be not like them; for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before ye ask him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Be not ye therfore lyke vnto them. For your father knoweth, what thynges ye haue nede of, before ye aske of hym.
English Revised Version
Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
World English Bible
Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Be not therefore like them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Weymouth's New Testament
Do not, however, imitate them; for your Father knows what things you need before ever you ask Him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor nyle ye be maad lich to hem, for your fadir woot what is nede to you, bifore that ye axen hym.
Update Bible Version
Therefore don't be like them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore be ye not like them: for your Father knoweth what things ye need before ye ask him.
New English Translation
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
New King James Version
"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
New Living Translation
Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
New Life Bible
Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
New Revised Standard
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
do not, therefore, make yourselves like them, for Godyour Father knoweth of what things ye have, need, before ye ask him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Be not you therefore like to them for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him.
Revised Standard Version
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Be ye not lyke them therfore. For youre father knoweth wherof ye haue neade before ye axe of him.
Young's Literal Translation
be ye not therefore like to them, for your Father doth know those things that ye have need of before your asking him;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Be not ye lyke them therfore. For youre father knoweth where of ye haue nede, before ye axe of him.
Mace New Testament (1729)
don't therefore imitate them: for your father knows what you want, before you ask him.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't be like those kinds of guys, 'cause the Boss knows exactly what you need before you ever open your mouth!

Contextual Overview

5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will see them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. 6 When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you. 7 "And when you pray, don't be like those people who don't know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words. 8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

your: Matthew 6:32, Psalms 38:9, Psalms 69:17-19, Luke 12:30, John 16:23-27, Philippians 4:6

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 3:19 - Thou shalt Matthew 23:9 - for Mark 10:51 - What John 16:19 - Jesus Romans 1:7 - God Romans 8:27 - And he 1 Thessalonians 3:11 - God

Cross-References

Genesis 6:12
When God saw that everyone on the earth did only evil,
Genesis 6:17
I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy all living things that live under the sky, including everything that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will die.
Genesis 19:19
You have been merciful and kind to me and have saved my life. But I can't run to the mountains. The disaster will catch me, and I will die.
Psalms 84:11
The Lord God is like a sun and shield; the Lord gives us kindness and honor. He does not hold back anything good from those whose lives are innocent.
Psalms 145:20
The Lord protects everyone who loves him, but he will destroy the wicked.
Proverbs 3:4
Then you will be respected and will please both God and people.
Proverbs 8:35
Those who find me find life, and the Lord will be pleased with them.
Proverbs 12:2
The Lord is pleased with a good person, but he will punish anyone who plans evil.
Jeremiah 31:2
This is what the Lord says: "The people who were not killed by the enemy's sword found help in the desert. I came to give rest to Israel."
Luke 1:30
The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has shown you his grace.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be not ye therefore like unto them,..... Do not be imitators of them, and follow their ways, who have only the dim light of nature to guide them; it would be shameful in you to do as they do, when you have a divine revelation for your direction; and especially, because

your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him; and therefore have no need to make use of many words, or much speaking, or long prayers. The omniscience of God is a considerable argument, and a great encouragement to prayer; he knows our persons and our wants before hand; and as he is able to help us, we have reason to believe he will; especially since he stands in the relation of a Father to us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 6:8. 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. Matthew 6:5.

2ndly. DISSIPATION. Enter into thy closet. Matthew 6:6.

3rdly. MUCH SPEAKING, or UNMEANING REPETITION, Be not like the heathens. Matthew 6:7.


 
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