Matthew 6:15

King James Version

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Contextual Overview

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 50:17 - Forgive Exodus 22:9 - for all manner of trespass Exodus 34:7 - forgiving Deuteronomy 15:2 - exact it Deuteronomy 15:15 - General Joshua 22:15 - General Proverbs 11:17 - merciful Malachi 1:6 - if then Matthew 5:7 - are Matthew 6:12 - as Matthew 7:24 - whosoever Matthew 18:22 - but Matthew 18:35 - do Mark 11:25 - forgive Luke 6:37 - forgive Luke 11:4 - for Luke 17:4 - I repent Ephesians 4:32 - forgiving Colossians 3:13 - forgiving 1 Timothy 2:8 - without Philemon 1:12 - thou James 2:13 - he James 5:9 - lest

Cross-References

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Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if you forgive not men their trespasses,.... On the other hand, where men are not of a forgiving temper to their fellow creatures and fellow Christians, how can they expect forgiveness at the hands of God? or what sense of pardoning grace can there be upon their minds? Had they any right apprehensions of the grace and goodness of God, in the forgiveness of their sins, this would influence their minds, and engage their hearts to forgive such who have offended them: wherefore, where this is wanting, it may be concluded of, and said to such persons,

neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. It is a plain case, that your Father has not given you a true sense of the pardon of your sins, nor can you be certain that he will; nor have you any reason to expect it, when you are so cruel and revengeful to others. There is a considerable emphasis lies upon the word "men", to which "heavenly Father" is opposed, and the sense, according to it, is, that if men, who are upon an equal foot with each other, should not forgive one another, how should it be expected that our Father which is in heaven, who is so much above, and no ways obliged to us, should forgive us?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if ye forgive men their trespasses - If ye forgive others when they offend or injure you.

Your heavenly Father will also forgive you - This is constantly required in the Bible. See the notes at Matthew 6:12. Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy times seven times, Matthew 18:22. By this is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and forever to pardon the offence; we are to declare our willingness to forgive him. If he does not ask forgiveness, yet we are still to treat him kindly; not to harbor malice, not to speak ill of him, to be ready to do him good, and be always prepared to declare him forgiven when he asks it, and if we are not ready and willing to forgive him; we are assured that God will not forgive us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 6:15. But if ye forgive not — He who does not awake at the sound of so loud a voice, is not asleep but dead. A vindictive man excludes himself from all hope of eternal life, and himself seals his own damnation.

Trespasses — παραπτωματα, from παρα and πιπτω, to fall off. What a remarkable difference there is between this word and οφειληματα, debts, in Matthew 6:12! Men's sins against us are only their stumblings, or fallings off from the duties they owe us; but our's are debts to God's justice, which we can never discharge. It can be no great difficulty to forgive those, especially when we consider that in many respects we have failed as much, in certain duties which we owed to others, as they have done in those which they owed us. "But I have given him no provocation." Perhaps thou art angry, and art not a proper judge in the matter; but, however it may be, it is thy interest to forgive, if thou expectest forgiveness from God. On this important subject I will subjoin an extract from Mason's Self-knowledge, page 248, 1755.

"Athenodorus, the philosopher by reason of his old age, begged leave to retire from the court of Augustus, which the emperor granted. In his compliments of leave, he said, 'Remember, Caesar, whenever thou art angry, that thou say or do nothing before thou hast distinctly repeated to thyself the twenty-four letters of the alphabet.' On which Caesar caught him by the hand, and said, 'I have need of thy presence still:' and kept him a year longer. This was excellent advice from a heathen; but a Christian may prescribe to himself a wiser rule. When thou art angry, answer not till thou hast repeated the fifth petition of our Lord's prayer-Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: and our Lord's comment upon it-For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses."

PRAYER to God is considered among the Mohammedans in a very important point of view. It is declared by the Mosliman doctors to be the corner stone of RELIGION, and the pillar of FAITH. It is not, say they, a thing of mere form, but requires that the heart and understanding should accompany it, without which they pronounce it to be of no avail. They direct prayer to be performed five times in the twenty-four hours.

1. Between day-break and sun-rise;

2. Immediately after noon;

3. Immediately before sun-set;

4. In the evening before dark; and

5. Before the first watch of the night.

They hold the following points to be essentially requisite to the efficacy of prayer: -

1. That the person be free from every species of defilement.

2. That all sumptuous and gaudy apparel be laid aside.

3. That the attention accompany the act, and be not suffered to wander to any other object.

4. That the prayer be performed with the face toward the temple of MECCA. HEDAYAH. Prel. Dis. pp. 53, 54.

There are few points here but the follower of Christ may seriously consider and profitably practise.