Matthew 6:9–13 (ESV)
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:9–13 (ESV)
Septuagint (LXX) / Greek New Testament:
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς,
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,
ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς·
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,
ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
Line-by-Line Reflection
“Our Father in heaven”
Matthew 6:9a
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς
Jesus invites us to address the Creator of the universe as Abba — Father. This is not merely formal address; it is the language of adoption and belonging. The Hebrew Av (Father) conveys identity, inheritance, and covenant relationship. We approach God not as a distant judge, but as beloved children. The plural “our” places us immediately within God's family household.
“Hallowed be your name”
Matthew 6:9b
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου
The Hebrew Shem (Name) and Greek Onoma (Name) both carry the weight of identity, character, and authority. To hallow God's name is to set it apart as holy — to live in a way that honours who God truly is: love, mercy, holiness, and grace. See Exodus 20:7 (LXX: οὐ λήμψῃ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ ματαίῳ).
“Your kingdom come, your will be done”
Matthew 6:10
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου
This petition surrenders our agenda to God's. The kingdom of God is not a future escape — it is the reign of God breaking into the present. On earth as it is in heaven is a call to participation: we pray for and work toward the alignment of this world with God's purposes of justice, peace, and reconciliation.
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Matthew 6:11
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον
The Greek word ἐπιούσιον (epiousios) is rare and richly debated — it may mean “for this day,” “for tomorrow,” or even “supernatural.” In every reading, this petition is an act of daily dependence. It echoes the manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16) — God provides sufficiently, day by day. We are not self-sufficient; we are sustained.
“Forgive us our debts”
Matthew 6:12
ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν
The word ὀφειλήματα (debts/trespasses) acknowledges the moral weight of sin. Forgiveness here is not merely legal — it is relational restoration. Critically, our receiving of forgiveness is linked to our extending it. This is not earning forgiveness; it is evidence that we have truly received it. Grace received flows outward.
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”
Matthew 6:13
μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ
This closing petition is a cry for divine protection. It acknowledges our vulnerability and God's power. The Greek πονηροῦ may refer to evil in general or to the Evil One specifically. Either way, we do not fight alone. God is our deliverer — the One who rescued Israel from Egypt (LXX: ῥύσασθαί με, Psalm 6:4) and who rescues us still.
Context & Historical Background
The Lord's Prayer appears in two forms in the New Testament: the fuller version in Matthew 6:9–13 (within the Sermon on the Mount) and a shorter version in Luke 11:2–4 (given in response to the disciples' request, “Lord, teach us to pray”).
Jesus gave this prayer as a model, not a rigid script. The Aramaic-speaking community in which Jesus taught would have understood this as a structured outline for prayer: praise, surrender, petition, forgiveness, and protection.
The Didache (c. AD 80–120), one of the earliest Christian documents, instructed believers to pray this prayer three times daily, and added the doxology: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.” While this doxology is not found in the oldest Greek manuscripts, it became central to Christian liturgy worldwide.
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