The prayer have often been used for a
quick comparison of languages,
primarily because most earlier
philologists were Christians, and
very often priests. Due to missionary
activity, one of the first
texts to be translated between many
languages has historically
been the Bible, and
so to early scholars the most readily available
text in any particular language would most
likely be a partial or
total translation of the Bible. For
example, the only extant
text
in Gothic, a
language crucial in the history of Indo-European
languages, is Codex Argenteus, the incomplete Bible translated by
Wulfila. This tradition has been opposed recently
from both the
angle of religious neutrality and of
practicality: the forms used
in the Lord's Prayer (many commands)
are not very representative
of common discourse. Philologists
and language enthusiasts have
proposed other texts such as the
Babel text
(also part of the
Bible) or the story of the North Wind and the Sun. In Soviet
language sciences the complete works of
Lenin were often used for
comparison, as they were translated to
most languages in the
20th century.
Our Father, which art in
Heaven"
Together, the first two words — Our
Father — are a title used
elsewhere in the New Testament, as well as
in Jewish literature,
to refer to God.The opening pronoun of Matthew's version of the
prayer — our — is plural, which
would be a strong indication that
the prayer was intended for communal,
rather than private, worship.
"Hallowed be thy
Name"
Having opened, the prayer begins in the
same manner as the Kaddish,
hallowing
the name of God, and then going on to
express hope that God's will and kingdom
will happen. In Judaism
the name of God is of extreme importance, and
honouring the name central to
piety. Names were seen not simply as labels,
but as true reflections of the nature and
identity of what they referred to.
So, the prayer that God's name be hallowed
was seen as equivalent to hallowing
God himself. "Hallowed be" is in the
passive voice and so does not indicate
who is to do the hallowing. One
interpretation is that it is a call for all
believers to honour God's name. Those who
see the prayer as primarily
eschatological understand the prayer to be an expression of desire for the
end times, when God's name, in the view of
those saying the prayer, will be
universally
honoured.
"Thy kingdom
come"
The request for God's kingdom to come is usually
interpreted as a reference to the belief, common at the time, that a Messiah figure would
bring about a Kingdom of God. Some
scholars have argued that this prayer is pre-Christian and was not designed for
specifically Christian interpretation. Many evangelicals see it as quite the opposite — a command to spread
Christianity.
"Thy will be done, in
earth as it is in heaven"
The prayer follows with an expression of
hope for God's will to be done. Some see the expression of hope as
an addendum to assert a request for earth to be under direct and manifest divine
command. Others see it as a call on people to submit to God and his teachings.
In the Gospels, these requests have the added clarification in earth, as it
is in heaven, an ambiguous phrase in Greek which can either be a
simile (i.e., make earth like heaven), or a couple
(i.e., both in heaven and earth), though simile is the most significant
common interpretation.
"Give us this day our
daily bread"
The more personal requests break from the
similarity to the Kaddish. The first concerns daily bread. The meaning of
this is slightly obscure, the word that is normally translated as daily —
ἐπιούσιος epiousios — is almost a
hapax legomenon, occurring only in Luke and Matthew's versions of the Lord's
Prayer, and once thought to be in an Egyptian accounting book, with no other
surviving written citations. Daily bread appears to be a reference to the
way God provided manna to the Israelites each day while they were in the
wilderness, as in Exodus
16:15–21. Since they
could not keep any manna overnight, they had to depend on God to provide anew
each morning. Etymologically epiousios seems to be related to the Greek
word ousia,
meaning substance. Early writers connected this to Eucharistic transubstantiation. Some modern Protestant scholars tend to reject this connection
on the presumption that Eucharistic practise and the doctrine of
transubstantiation both developed later than Matthew was written.
Epiousios can also be understood as existence, i.e., bread that
was fundamental to survival. In the era, bread was
the most important food for survival. However, scholars of linguistics consider
this rendering unlikely since it would violate standard rules of word formation.
Koine Greek had several far more common terms for the same idea. The usage of
epiousios in the Egyptian papyrus is in the sense of for tomorrow.
That is more clearly stated in the wording used by the Gospel of the Nazoraeans for the prayer. Therefore, the common translation is
daily, a translation conveniently close in meaning to the other two
possibilities as well. Those Christians who read the Lord's Prayer as
eschatological view epiousios as referring to the second coming — reading for tomorrow (and bread)
in a metaphorical sense. Most scholars disagree, particularly since Jesus is
portrayed throughout Luke and Matthew as caring for everyday needs for his
followers, particularly in the bread-related miracles that are
recounted.
"And forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us"
After the request for bread, Matthew and
Luke diverge slightly. Matthew continues with a request for debts to
be forgiven in the same manner as people forgive those who have debts against
them. Luke, on the other hand, makes a similar request about sins being
forgiven in the manner of debts being forgiven between people. The word "debts"
(ὀφειλήματα) does not necessarily mean
financial obligations as shown by the use of the verbal form of the same word
(ὀφείλετε) in passages such as
Romans
13:8. In
Aramaic
the word for debt is also used to mean sin. This difference
between Luke's and Matthew's wording could be explained by the original form of
the prayer having been in Aramaic. The generally accepted interpretation is thus
that the request is for forgiveness of sin, not of supposed loans granted by
God. But some groups read it as a condemnation of all forms of lending. Asking
for forgiveness from God was a staple of Jewish prayers. It was also considered
proper for individuals to be forgiving of others, so the sentiment expressed in
the prayer would have been a common one of the time.
"And lead us not into
temptation"
Interpretations of the penultimate
petition of the prayer — not to be led by God into peirasmos — vary
considerably. Peirasmos can mean temptation, or just test of
character. Traditionally it has been translated temptation. Since this
would seem to imply that God leads people to sin, individuals uncomfortable with
that implication read it as test of character. There are generally two
arguments for this reading. First, it may be an eschatological appeal against
unfavourable Last Judgment, though nowhere in literature of the time, not even in the New
Testament, is the term peirasmos connected to such an event. The other
argument is that it acts as a plea against hard tests described elsewhere
in scripture, such as those of Job. Yet, this would depart heavily from Jewish practice of the time
when pleas were typically made, during prayer, to be put through such tests. It
can also be read as: "LORD, do not let us be led (by ourselves, by others, by
Satan) into temptations". Since it follows shortly after a plea for daily bread
(i.e. material sustenance), it can be seen as referring to not being caught up
in the material pleasures given.
"But deliver us from
evil"
Translations and scholars are divided over
whether the evil mentioned in the final petition refers to
evil in general or the devil in
particular. The original Greek, as well as the Latin version, could be either of
neuter (evil in general) or masculine (the evil one) gender. In earlier parts of
the Sermon on the Mount, in which Matthew's version of the prayer appears, the term is
used to refer to general evil. Later parts of Matthew refer to the devil when
discussing similar issues. However, the devil is never referred to as the
evil one in any Aramaic sources. While John Calvin accepted the vagueness of the term's meaning, he considered that
there is little real difference between the two interpretations, and that
therefore the question is of no real consequence.
"For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
"
The doxology
of the prayer is not contained in Luke's version, nor is it present in the
earliest manuscripts of Matthew. The first known use of the doxology, in a less
lengthy form ("for yours is the power and the glory forever"), as a conclusion
for the Lord's Prayer (in a version slightly different from that of Matthew) is
in the Didache,
8:2. There are at least ten different versions of the doxology in early
manuscripts of Matthew before it seems to have standardised. Jewish prayers at
the time had doxological endings. The doxology may have been originally appended
to the Lord's Prayer for use during congregational worship. If so, it could be
based on 1 Chronicles
29:11. Most scholars do
not consider it part of the original text of Matthew, and modern translations do
not include it, mentioning it only in footnotes. Latin Rite Roman Catholics do not use it when reciting the Lord's Prayer, but it has been
included as an independent item, not as part of the Lord's Prayer, in the
1970 revision of the Mass. It
is attached to the Lord's Prayer in Eastern Christianity (including Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches) and Protestantism. A minority, generally fundamentalists,
posit that the doxology was so important that early manuscripts of Matthew
neglected it due to its obviousness, though several other quite obvious things
are mentioned in the Gospels.
Matthew 6:9–13
(KJV)
- After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which
art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the
- power and the glory, for ever. Amen.
|
Luke 11:2–4
(KJV)
- And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father
which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
as in Heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us
our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not
into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
|
Other English translations are also used. The Eastern
Orthodox Churches use a modified version in their English services. Some
non-Christian groups, such as religious science, sometimes use
the prayer also, often with modified wording, such as replacing the word "evil"
with "error". Though Matthew 6:12
uses the term debts, the older English versions of the Lord's Prayer uses
the term trespasses, while ecumenical versions often use the term
sins. The latter choice may be due to Luke 11:4, which
uses the word sins, while the former may be due to Matthew 6:12
(immediately after the text of the prayer), where Jesus speaks of
trespasses. As early as the third century, Origen used the word
trespasses (παραπτώματα) in
the prayer. Though the Latin form that was traditionally used in Western Europe
has debita (debts), most English-speaking Christians (except
Presbyterians and others of the Reformed tradition), use
trespasses. The Established Presbyterian Church of Scotland follows the
version found in Matthew 6 in the Authorized Version (known also as the
King James Version), which in the
prayer uses the words "debts" and "debtors". Roman
Catholics usually do not add the doxology, "For Thine is the kingdom, power, and
glory, forever and ever." However, this doxology, in the form "For the kingdom,
the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever", is used in the Catholic
Mass, separated from the Lord's
Prayer by a prayer, spoken or sung by the priest, that elaborates on the final
petition, "Deliver us from evil." In the 1975 ICEL translation, this prayer
reads: "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In
your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in
joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."All these versions are based on the text in Matthew, rather than
Luke, of the prayer given by Jesus:There are several
different translations of the Lord's Prayer. One of the first texts in English
is the Northumbrian translation from
around 650. The three best-known in English are
These are given here along with the Greek text of
Matthew 6:9-13
and the Latin version used in the Roman Catholic Church In four of
the texts given below, the square brackets indicate the doxology with which the prayer is
often concluded. This is not included in critical editions of the New Testament,
such as that of the United Bible Societies, as not
belonging to the original text of Matthew 6:9–13,
nor is it always part of the Book of Common Prayer text. The
Roman Catholic form of the Lord's Prayer never ends with it
- ELLC (1988)
- Our Father in heaven,
- hallowed be your name,
- your kingdom come,
- your will be done,
- on earth as in heaven.
- Give us today our daily bread.
- Forgive us our sins
- as we forgive those who sin against us.
- Save us from the time of trial
- and deliver us from evil.
- [For the kingdom, the power, and the
glory are yours
- now
- 1928 BCP
- Our Father, who art in heaven,
- Hallowed be thy Name.
- Thy kingdom come.
- Thy will be done,
- on earth as it is in heaven.
- Give us this day our daily bread.
- And forgive us our trespasses,
- As we forgive those who trespass against
us.
- And lead us not into temptation,
- But deliver us from evil.
- [For thine is the kingdom,
- and the power, and the glory,
- for ever and ever.
- Amen.]
- 1662 BCP
- Our Father, which art in heaven,
- hallowed be thy name;
- thy kingdom come;
- thy will be done,
- in earth as it is in heaven.
- Give us this day our daily bread.
- And forgive us our trespasses,
- as we forgive them that trespass against
us.
- And lead us not into temptation;
- but deliver us from evil.
- [For thine is the kingdom,
- the power, and the glory,
- For ever and ever.
- Amen.]
Although the Latin term
oratio dominica is of early date, the phrase "Lord's Prayer" does not seem to have been generally
familiar in England before the Reformation. During the Middle Ages the "Our Father" was always said in Latin, even by the
uneducated. Hence it was then most commonly known as the Pater noster.
The name "Lord's prayer" attaches to it not because
Jesus Christ used the prayer Himself (for to ask forgiveness of sin
would have implied the acknowledgment of guilt) but because He taught it to His
disciples. Many points of interest are suggested by the history and employment of the Our Father. With regard to the English text now in
use among Catholics, we may note that this is derived not from the Rheims Testament but from a version imposed upon England in the reign of Henry VIII, and employed in the 1549 and 1552 editions of the "Book of Common Prayer". From this our present Catholic text differs only in two very slight particulars: "Which art" has been
modernized into "who art", and "in earth" into "on earth".
The version itself, which
accords pretty closely with the translation in Tyndale's New Testament, no doubt owed its general acceptance to an ordinance of
1541 according to which "his Grace perceiving now the great diversity of the
translations (of the Pater noster etc.) hath willed them all to be taken up, and
instead of them hath caused an uniform translation of the said Pater noster, Ave,
Creed, etc. to be set forth, willing all his loving subjects to learn and use
the same and straitly commanding all parsons, vicars and curates to read and teach the same to their parishioners". As a result the
version in question became universally familiar to the nation, and though the Rheims Testament, in 1581, and King James's translators, in 1611, provided somewhat different renderings of
Matthew 6:9-13, the older form was retained for their prayers both by Protestants and Catholics alike. As for the prayer itself the version in St. Luke 11:2-4, given by Christ in answer to the request of His disciples, differs in some minor details from the form which St. Matthew (6:9-15) introduces in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, but
there is clearly no reason why these two occasions should be regarded as
identical. It would be almost inevitable that if Christ had taught this prayer to His disciples He should have repeated it more than once. It seems probable, from the
form in which the Our Father appears in the
"Didache", that the version in St. Matthew was that which the Church adopted from the beginning for liturgical purposes. Again, no great importance can be attached to the resemblances
which have been traced between the petitions of the Lord's prayer
and those found in prayers of Jewish origin which were current about the time
of Christ There is certainly no reason for treating the Christian formula as a plagiarism, for in the first place the resemblances are but
partial and, secondly we have no satisfactory evidence that the
Jewish prayers were really anterior in date. Upon
the interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, much has been written,
despite the fact that it is so plainly simple, natural, and spontaneous, and as
such preeminently adapted for popular use. In the quasi-official "Catechismus ad
parochos", drawn up in 1564 in accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent, an elaborate commentary upon the Lord's Prayer is provided which forms the basis of the
analysis of the Our Father found in all Catholic catechisms. Many points worthy of notice are there emphasized, as, for
example, the fact that the words "On earth as it is in Heaven" should be understood to qualify not only the petition "Thy will be done", but also the two preceding, "hallowed be Thy name" and "Thy Kingdom come". The meaning of this last
petition is also very fully dealt with. The most conspicuous difficulty in the
original text of the Our Father concerns the interpretation of
the words artos epiousios which in accordance with the Vulgate in St. Luke we translate "our daily bread",
St. Jerome, by a strange inconsistency, changed the pre-existing word
quotidianum into supersubstantialem in St. Matthew but left quotidianum in St. Luke. The opinion of
modern scholars upon the point is sufficiently indicated by the fact that the Revised Version still prints "daily" in the text, but suggests in
the margin "our bread for the coming day", while the American Committee wished
to add "our needful bread". Lastly may be noted the generally received opinion
that the rendering of the last clause should be "deliver us from the evil one", a change which justifies the use of "but" in stead of
"and" and practically converts the two last clauses into one and the same
petition. The doxology "for Thine is the Kingdom", etc., which appears in the
Greek textus receptus and has been adopted in the later editions of the
"Book of Common Prayer", is undoubtedly an interpolation.
In the
liturgy of the Church the Our Father holds a very conspicuous place. Some
commentators have erroneously supposed, from a passage in the writings of St. Gregory the Great (Ep., ix, 12), that he believed that the bread and wine of the Eucharist were consecrated in Apostolic times by the recitation of the Our Father alone. But
while this is probably not the true
meaning of the passage, St. Jerome asserted (Adv. Pelag., iii, 15) that "our Lord Himself taught His disciples that daily in the Sacrifice of His Body they should make bold to say 'Our Father'
etc." St. Gregory gave the Pater its present place in the Roman Mass
immediately after the Canon and before the fraction, and it was
of old the custom that all the congregation should make answer in the words "Sed libera
nos a malo". In the Greek liturgies a reader recites the Our Father aloud while the
priest and the people repeat it silently. Again in the ritual of
baptism the recitation of the Our Father has from the earliest
times been a conspicuous feature, and in the Divine Office it recurs repeatedly besides being recited both at the beginning
and the end. In many
monastic rules, it was enjoined that the lay brothers, who knew
no Latin, instead of the Divine office should say
the Lord's Prayer a certain number of times (often amounting to
more than a hundred) per diem. To count these repetitions they made use
of pebbles or beads strung upon a cord, and this apparatus was commonly known as a
"pater-noster", a name which it retained even when such a string of
beads was used to count, not Our Fathers, but
Hail Marys in reciting Our Lady's Psalter, or in other words in saying the rosary.
- ELLC (1988)
-