Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 6].
Greek obscures the gender. We have no way of knowing whether it
is \ho pon•ros\ (the evil one) or \to pon•ron\ (the evil thing).
And if it is masculine and so \ho pon•ros\, it can either refer
to the devil as the Evil One _par excellence_ or the evil man
whoever he may be who seeks to do us ill. The word \pon•ros\ has
a curious history coming from \ponos\ (toil) and \pone•\ (to
work). It reflects the idea either that work is bad or that this
particular work is bad and so the bad idea drives out the good in
work or toil, an example of human depravity surely.
The Doxology is placed in the margin of the Revised Version. It
is wanting in the oldest and best Greek manuscripts. The earliest
forms vary very much, some shorter, some longer than the one in
the Authorized Version. The use of a doxology arose when this
prayer began to be used as a liturgy to be recited or to be
chanted in public worship. It was not an original part of the
Model Prayer as given by Jesus.
6:14 {Trespasses} (\parapt•mata\). This is no part of the Model
Prayer. The word "trespass" is literally "falling to one side," a
lapse or deviation from truth or uprightness. The ancients
sometimes used it of intentional falling or attack upon one's
enemy, but "slip" or "fault" (Ga 6:1) is the common New
Testament idea. \Parabasis\ (Ro 5:14) is a positive violation,
a transgression, conscious stepping aside or across.
6:16 {Of a sad countenance} (\skuthr•poi\). Only here and Lu
24:17 in the N.T. It is a compound of \skuthros\ (sullen) and
\ops\ (countenance). These actors or hypocrites "put on a gloomy
look" (Goodspeed) and, if necessary, even "disfigure their faces"
(\aphanizousin ta pros•pa aut•n\), that they may look like they
are fasting. It is this pretence of piety that Jesus so sharply
ridicules. There is a play on the Greek words \aphanizousi\
(disfigure) and \phan•sin\ (figure). They conceal their real
looks that they may seem to be fasting, conscious and pretentious
hypocrisy.
6:18 {In secret} (\en t•i kruphai•i\). Here as in 6:4,6 the
Textus Receptus adds \en t•i phaner•i\ (openly), but it is not
genuine. The word \kruphaios\ is here alone in the New Testament,
but occurs four times in the Septuagint.
6:19 {Lay not up for yourselves treasures} (\m• th•saurizete
humin th•saurous\). Do not have this habit (\m•\ and the present
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