Matthew 6:17
New International Version
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

New Living Translation
But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.

English Standard Version
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Berean Standard Bible
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Berean Literal Bible
But you fasting, anoint your head and wash your face,

King James Bible
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

New King James Version
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

New American Standard Bible
But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

NASB 1995
“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

NASB 1977
“But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face

Legacy Standard Bible
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

Amplified Bible
But when you fast, put oil on your head [as you normally would to groom your hair] and wash your face

Christian Standard Bible
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,

American Standard Version
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

Contemporary English Version
Instead, comb your hair and wash your face.

English Revised Version
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When you fast, wash your face and comb your hair.

Good News Translation
When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair,

International Standard Version
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

Majority Standard Bible
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

NET Bible
When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

New Heart English Bible
But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

Webster's Bible Translation
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

Weymouth New Testament
But, whenever you fast, pour perfume on your hair and wash your face,

World English Bible
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
But you, fasting, anoint your head, and wash your face,

Berean Literal Bible
But you fasting, anoint your head and wash your face,

Young's Literal Translation
'But thou, fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face,

Smith's Literal Translation
And thou fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

Catholic Public Domain Version
But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

New American Bible
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

New Revised Standard Version
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But you, when you fast, wash your face and anoint your head;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But you whenever you fast, wash your face and anoint your head.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But do you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face;

Godbey New Testament
But thou, fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

Haweis New Testament
But when thou keepest a fast, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

Mace New Testament
but whenever you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face:

Weymouth New Testament
But, whenever you fast, pour perfume on your hair and wash your face,

Worrell New Testament
But, when fasting, anoint your head, and wash your face,

Worsley New Testament
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Proper Fasting
16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.…

Cross References
Isaiah 61:3
to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Daniel 10:3
I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.

Ruth 3:3
Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.

2 Samuel 12:20
Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate.

Ecclesiastes 9:8
Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.

Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Psalm 45:7
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you above your companions with the oil of joy.

Exodus 30:23-25
“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, / 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. / Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.

Leviticus 16:31
It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, that you may humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute.

Joel 2:12-13
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” / So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

1 Samuel 16:13
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

2 Kings 4:2-7
“How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” / “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. / Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.” ...

1 Kings 19:16
You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.

2 Chronicles 28:15
Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

Esther 2:12
In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.


Treasury of Scripture

But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

anoint.

Ruth 3:3
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

2 Samuel 14:2
And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

Ecclesiastes 9:8
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Jump to Previous
Anoint Clean Face Fast Fasting Food Hair Head Oil Perfume Pour Thou Wash Whenever
Jump to Next
Anoint Clean Face Fast Fasting Food Hair Head Oil Perfume Pour Thou Wash Whenever
Matthew 6
1. Giving to the Needy
5. The Lord's Prayer
16. Proper Fasting
19. Store up Treasures in Heaven
25. Do Not Worry
33. but seek God's kingdom.














But when you fast
The phrase "when you fast" implies an expectation rather than a command. Fasting is assumed to be a regular part of the believer's spiritual discipline. The Greek word for fast, "nēsteuō," means to abstain from food for spiritual purposes. Historically, fasting was a common practice among the Jews, often associated with mourning or repentance. However, Jesus redefines fasting as a personal devotion to God, not for public display. This aligns with the broader context of Matthew 6, where Jesus emphasizes sincerity in religious practices.

anoint your head
The act of anointing the head, from the Greek "aleiphō," was a customary practice in ancient times, often associated with joy and celebration. In the context of fasting, it serves as a counter-cultural act. Instead of displaying signs of deprivation, Jesus instructs His followers to maintain their appearance, symbolizing inner joy and contentment. This instruction challenges the hypocritical practices of the Pharisees, who sought public recognition for their fasting. Anointing the head signifies a focus on the inward relationship with God rather than outward appearances.

and wash your face
Washing the face, a simple act of personal hygiene, further emphasizes the theme of normalcy and discretion in fasting. The Greek word "niptō" means to cleanse or wash. In the cultural context, washing was a daily routine, signifying purity and readiness. By instructing His followers to wash their faces, Jesus underscores the importance of maintaining a normal outward appearance, ensuring that fasting remains a private matter between the individual and God. This act of washing symbolizes spiritual cleansing and renewal, aligning with the inward focus of true fasting.

(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 (Ecclesiastes 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.

Verse 17. - But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face. If both these were, among the Jews, done daily, Christ's command would mean - make no external sign of fasting; dress and appear as usual. But as anointing, at least, cannot be proved to have been a daily habit (though expressly forbidden during the stricter kinds of fasts, see Schurer, II. 2:212), especially with the mixed classes whom our Lord was addressing, and as it was with the ancients rather a symbol of special joy, it is safer to take it in this sense here. Thus our Lord will mean - so far from appearing sad, let your appearance be that of special joy and gladness. "By the symbols of joy and gladness he bade us be joyful and glad when we fast" (Photius, in Suicer, 1:186).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[when] you
σὺ (sy)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

fast,
νηστεύων (nēsteuōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3522: To fast, abstain from food. From nestis; to abstain from food.

anoint
ἄλειψαί (aleipsai)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 218: To anoint: festivally, in homage, medicinally, or in anointing the dead. To oil.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

head
κεφαλὴν (kephalēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2776: From the primary kapto; the head, literally or figuratively.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

wash
νίψαι (nipsai)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3538: To wash; mid. I wash my own (hands, etc.). To cleanse; ceremonially, to perform ablution.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

face,
πρόσωπόν (prosōpon)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4383: From pros and ops; the front, i.e. The countenance, aspect, appearance, surface; by implication, presence, person.


Links
Matthew 6:17 NIV
Matthew 6:17 NLT
Matthew 6:17 ESV
Matthew 6:17 NASB
Matthew 6:17 KJV

Matthew 6:17 BibleApps.com
Matthew 6:17 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 6:17 Chinese Bible
Matthew 6:17 French Bible
Matthew 6:17 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 6:17 But you when you fast anoint your (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 6:16
Top of Page
Top of Page