FOOTNOTES:

^a Traditionally, ‘righteousness.’ The word dikaiosune literally means ‘aligned.’ It signifies being aligned with God’s standards described in Torah and elaborated and demonstrated by Jesus. ‘Justice’ and ‘justness’ are often appropriate words to convey the idea as most of what Jesus showed to be the focus is about how people treat each other, especially the vulnerable, like people in poverty, widows, orphans, immigrants, prisoners, people who are sick or disabled and others.

^b Traditionally, ‘reward.’ The language here is explicitly monetary, the term used for a worker’s payment that was earned from their work. It is not an unearned gift; it is explicitly the payment due for completing work, whether used literally about manual labor and money or figurately about effort required in the spiritual life and the earned compensation for that effort.

^c The verb form is more active than just “don’t let them know,” making it about actively drawing attention. It’s not so much about hiding it and more about not announcing it.

^d Traditionally, ‘reward.’ The language here is explicitly monetary, the term used for a worker’s payment that was earned from their work. It is not an unearned gift; it is explicitly the payment due for completing work, whether used literally about manual labor and money or figurately about effort required in the spiritual life and the earned compensation for that effort.

^e The Greek term battalogēsēte (from battalogeō) suggests speaking in a verbose or repetitious manner without substance, often with an implication of empty or meaningless words. This term, sometimes translated as "babble" or "heap up empty phrases," implies speech that lacks sincere thought or purpose.

^f Or ‘understood’ or ‘come to know’

^g Literally, ‘may your name,’ with the point being serving as a representative of God, not simply speaking the word ‘God’ or ‘Father.’

^h ‘Sanctified’ would probably be the most literal translation here. ‘Purified’ would also be accurate. It’s about ensuring that the use of God’s authority or claiming to represent God remains aligned with God’s character. Also, the particular verb form has no equivalent in English. It’s a 3rd person mandative form (English only has a 2nd person mandative); “let _____ be….” or “may _______ be….” are common ways to translate it, but those don’t carry quite the strength of a mandative.

ⁱ The phrase ‘in the heavens’ is the literal translation. The word can be used to refer to the sky, or to the highest level of social hierarchy, or to where God is present. It’s not being used to refer to a location or to afterlife. The idea is that God’s vision is carried out everywhere, that just as God intends it and acts on it, the people carry it out in practice.

^j The term epiousion appears only in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3) and lacks a clear equivalent in other Greek literature, making its exact meaning difficult to determine. Scholars have proposed various interpretations, including “daily,” “necessary,” or “sufficient for existence.” The phrase “we rely on” is meant to take the context into account, which for the rest of Matthew 6 emphasizes ongoing reliance on God rather than a pursuit of self-sufficiency that disregards communal needs or is focused on personal security and wealth.

^k The word here, traditionally translated as “forgive,” is never directed toward a person but always directed toward what the person owes. For example, it would not be accurate to phrase it as “forgive us for our debts” but rather “forgive our debts for us.” It’s about sending away, distancing, releasing, letting go, separating from oneself, abandoning or disconnecting from something.

^l The word traditionally translated as ‘temptation.’ However, periasmos is about ‘testing’ or ‘evaluation’ and is typically used about hardship or suffering that tests people’s ability to remain faithful to their values. It is testing whether they will choose to rely on force to meet their needs or if they will rely on trusting God and God’s ways.

^m Traditionally, ‘evil,’ but it doesn’t mean ‘wickedness’ but rather ‘evil’ in the sense of ‘hardship,’ along the lines of the outdated phrase from 2 Samuel 19:7 in the King James Version here: “that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.” It can refer to the experience of hardship or oppression, or it can refer to being the cause of hardship or oppression and use a word more like ‘harmfulness’ or ‘oppressiveness.’

ⁿ The word often translated here as ‘sins’ or ‘transgressions’ or (historically) ‘trespasses’ is not the same Greek word usually used for ‘sin’ (hamartia). Instead, it is paraptomata, and It literally means ‘falls to the side.’ In the context of all the other money-related imagery and concepts, ‘shortfall’ seems to fit the range of meaning.

^o Compare this section with Isaiah 59.

^p Skythrōpoi is often translated as "disfigure their faces" or "look somber." The Greek term, however, directly conveys an expression of gloominess, sadness, or a downcast demeanor. Translating it as "gloomy" emphasizes the visible display of sorrow implied by the word, highlighting the performative sadness intended to draw attention.

^q Traditionally translated as "hypocrites," the Greek hupocrites was commonly used to describe stage actors or people playing a role, emphasizing pretended or performed actions. Translating it as “fakers” clarifies the original Greek sense of someone who outwardly displays devotion for attention, rather than genuine faithfulness—a meaning similar but not identical to the English "hypocrite," which now primarily implies moral inconsistency.

^r Literally, ‘put oil on your head’

^s Compare this section with Isaiah 58.

^t Perhaps a translation that would capture the idea is ‘don’t stockpile assets with people’ and ‘stockpile assets for yourself with God. Compare with Matthew 6:4, 6:6; 6:18.

^u While not a word-for-word translation, “what you set your heart on” captures the meaning of the Greek phrase ekeî éstai kaì hē kardía sou, the idea of setting one’s attention and priorities on either wealth or God’s values. In the biblical context, “heart” (Greek kardía) represents the driving force behind one’s desires and decisions.” The more word-for-word translation is ‘there your heart will be also.’

^v This phrase ‘lamp of the body’ did not originate with Jesus. It is found in the Mishnah, and it refers to greed vs. appropriate priorities.

^w Traditionally, ‘good’

^x See Matthew 20:15. This is about greed, which is also clear from the context here.

^y Or ‘enslave themselves to’

^z Traditionally, ‘masters’

^aa The word doulein is ‘to serve as a slave’ or ‘indentured service.’ It’s a shocking word to use of faithfulness to God, intentionally contrasting what it’s like to be enslaved by pursuit of wealth and the respect and support involved in ‘enslavement’ to God. God is loving and faithful; whereas wealth uses up those who serve it and leads only to harm for everyone involved. This passage is about how faithfulness to the Path of God leads to freedom and having needs met without anxiety, scarcity, and competition. Leviticus 25 reads: 39 “‘If your brother becomes impoverished with regard to you so that he sells himself to you, you must not subject him to slave service. 40 He must be with you as a hired worker, as a resident foreigner; he must serve with you until the Year of Jubilee, 41 but then he may go free, he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors. 42 Since the Israelites are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale. 43 You must not rule over them harshly, but you must fear your God.” That’s the standard God teaches regarding the people of God being “enslaved.”

^bb The word mamonas is taken from Aramaic and means ‘wealth’ or ‘possessions.’ The context makes it clear that it’s about more than just whether you have money or possessions but about its role in your mind and life. Jesus is making it clear that, even without physical idols, people were still at risk of serving false gods—in this case, the god of wealth, whose power could take over their loyalty and devotion.

^cc The Greek word here is psuche, the root of the English ‘psyche’ and ‘psychology,’ and traditionally translated as ‘soul.’ A better single word might be ‘being.’ Like the Hebrew nephesh, it refers to the ‘living being’—a unity of body, breath, and life-force. Depending on context, other appropriate translations include ‘life’ and ‘self.’ In this case, it’s about preserving one’s life, or continuing to have a self or being.

^dd The phrase ‘in the heavens’ is the literal translation. The word can be used to refer to the sky, or to the highest level of social hierarchy, or to where God is present. It’s not being used to refer to a location or to afterlife. The idea is that God’s vision is carried out everywhere, that just as God intends it and acts on it, the people carry it out in practice.

^ee Or ‘study’

^ff This phrase is a single word in Greek, oligopistoi, used as a form of address meaning ‘little-trusters’ or ‘you who barely trust.’ Throughout Jesus’ teachings, there’s a strong connection between trusting God and being trustworthy or faithful in following God’s Path. The Greek word pistis holds both meanings, though it’s challenging to capture both in English, so each instance emphasizes one or the other based on context. Here, the word oligopistoi combines oligos (‘little’) and pistos (‘one who trusts’ or ‘is faithful/trustworthy’).

^gg The Greek phrase ta ethne, traditionally translated as “the Gentiles,” literally means “the nations” or “the peoples.” Here, it refers broadly to those outside of not participating in a covenant relationship with God, rather than simply non-Jews. Translating this as “all people groups” emphasizes the focus, underscoring that Jesus' message addresses universal human concerns about material security. This phrasing captures the broader theme of misplaced trust in material pursuits, a tendency seen across cultures and communities, rather than implying a limited insider-outsider distinction.

^hh The Greek word here, kakía, can mean “trouble,” “evil,” or “hardship,” and emphasizes the inherent difficulties and challenges each day brings. In contrast, traditional translations that use “worry” or “concern” shift the focus to internal feelings or mental states. “Trouble” in this context reflects the external challenges and struggles that each day contains, reinforcing Jesus’ encouragement to focus on the present rather than stress about the future.