verse simply of a metaphor explaining the rules already laid out in the previous two verse. Fowler agrees with this second interpretation, and believes that Matthew 6:4 bears it out. Lewis takes a third approach, arguing the proverb is a metaphor for secrecy, and that it was earlier used as such by the Stoics. By this interpretation the left hand not knowing what the right is doing is a metaphor for how covert the proper donor should be. Harrington believes that the verse is based on an ancient proverb whose exact meaning is not known. His guess is that it referred to close friendship, and that this verse implies that friends that are even as close as one's left hand should not be made aware of donations. Commentary from Church Fathers Chrysostom: Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, is said as an extreme expression, as much as to say, If it were possible, that you should not know yourself, and that your very hands should be hid from your sight, that is what you should most strive after. Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Apostles in the book of the Constitutions, interpret thus; The right hand is the Christian people which is at Christ's right hand; the left hand is all the people who are on His left hand. He means then, that when a Christian does alms, the unbeliever should not see it. Uses Cited in the Didascalia Apostolorum (230 AD) in Chapter 15 about the jealousy of false widows towards one another. References 06:03 Hand Alms in Christianity