The Hebrew Source of the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:9-13
The Lord’s Prayer has become so much
a part of the liturgy in most churches that we can easily forget that the
prayer is Jewish in structure, language, and wording. Because He was Jewish,
Jesus founded the Lord’s Prayer on the prayers that He was taught and grew up
praying in the synagogues as was His custom (Luke 4:16-21). Because God is
consistent and dependable, what He requires does not change. (Malachi
3:6; Hebrews 13:8). This essay is intended to give a short overview of the
origins of the Lord’s Prayer.
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our
Father who is in heaven, 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 do not lead us
into temptation but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the
power and the glory forever. Amen.’]” (Matthew 6:9-13).1
This prayer has two parallel
versions, Matthew’s and Luke’s, which are believed to be based on a common
source.2 Because Luke’s version is shorter than Matthew’s, many believe it to be
closer to what Jesus originally said, even though the terminology in Matthew’s
version can be found in rabbinic and pre-rabbinic writings.3
The Lord’s Prayer is composed of three parts: the
first is dedicated to praising the Lord, the second to making requests, and the
third, to thanking and praising God. The structure of the Lord’s Prayer originates
from Jewish tradition, especially the Amidah and Kaddish prayers.
The Hebrew word amidah means “standing” and refers to the Jewish custom of
reciting the prayer’s series of blessings while standing. As is the case with
most Jewish prayers, the Amidah is divided into three sections: praise,
petitions, and thanks. Because Jesus himself was Jewish, He grew up knowing the Amidah
and Kaddish. The first part of the Lord’s Prayer, about sanctifying the
Lord’s name and the arrival of His Kingdom, comes from the Kaddish, one
of the central texts in Jewish liturgy. Both the Kaddish and Amidah
were almost contemporary to the time of Christ. The second part of the prayer
finds its origins in various parts of the Talmud.4 The third is from
the Kaddish, Amidah, Talmud, and Rabbinic writings.
This structure of the prayer reminds
us how we should always approach the Lord in prayer. First, we recognize God’s
holiness, majesty, and power over everything. Second, we ask God to provide
what we need to live physically and spiritually. Third, we recognize God’s
blessings and thank Him for them. We see this as a pattern for prayer because we see these same
three parts in the prayer Jesus taught.
The prayer Jesus taught is very similar to the Jewish Kaddish.
“The Kaddish is in essence a prayer of praise
for Gd…..The title ‘Kaddish’ is a prayer of mourning and its recitation
brings holiness to Gd's name and to all those who respond "Amen"
while it is being recited.” The
Kaddish praises Gd's name and describes His glory, and petitions Gd to give His
people ‘abundant peace, grace, kindness, compassion, long life, ample
sustenance and deliverance, to those who occupy themselves with the Torah, and
to all of Israel.’ “Remarkably, the
Mourner's Kaddish does not mention death, nor make any reference to the
deceased. It is directed, instead, at the living.”5
It was not unusual for the disciples to ask Jesus to
teach them to pray. It was common in that day for disciples to ask their Rabbis
to teach them to pray. Many Rabbis formulated
their own prayers, just as Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, did for his
followers.6 Each prayer incorporated spiritual petitions and
principles that were significant to the individual Rabbi. In this case,
Jesus replied, “Pray, then, in this way…” (Matthew 6:9 N).7
The wording used in Matthew 6:9 leads me to think that Jesus was not
instructing the disciples to pray the prayer verbatim but was instructing them
how they should pray. Using the prayer Jesus gave as an outline for all
our prayers is consistent with the comments of Jesus before He taught them how
to pray.
We will now look at the prayer in
detail by examining each part and how it relates to its Jewish background.
Part 1: Opening and recognizing God’s
sovereignty over all creation.
“The introduction
to the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in heaven . . .”, reflects a distinctly Jewish
concept–that of God as a person who is the Father of his people (as compared to
the Greco-Roman view of god as an abstraction, the impersonal force of nature8
“’Our Father’ emphasizes that we are God's creation and that, as his children,
we have a responsibility to him (Malachi 1:6; Deuteronomy 32:6).”9 Jesus
taught His disciples to use our Father when praying but used My Father when He
prayed or referred to Himself.
Hallowed be your
name would be better translated as “May your name be sanctified.”10 (Ezekiel 36:23) The sense here is God (YHWH) is separate
from all others called god. YHWH is completely holy, just, and merciful. YHWH is
the only true God. As the Shema states “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall
love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am
commanding you today, shall be on your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)11 It cannot be emphasized enough that the Lord is ONE. He
is the only God and creator.
Part 2: Petitions and requests.
Petitions can be
found in earlier Jewish writings such as the Talmud, rabbinic, and other Jewish writings. They recognize that
God is all-powerful and more than able to answer our requests and needs. We must
ask in faith and according to God’s Will. (Matthew 21:22; John 15:7; James 1:6,
4:3; 1 John 5:14-15) In the Lord’s prayer Jesus gave His disciples five petitions
that can be used as a guide.
First: “Thy kingdom
come”
According to Young
“Thy kingdom come” would be better translated as “May you continue establishing
your kingdom.”12 “Thy kingdom come” implies a future action.
The better translation means God’s kingdom is here and continues. This is consistent
with God telling Moses “I AM” God IS now, IS into the future, and IS beyond eternity.
“Your kingdom come.”
is a statement of both hope and faith. Hope in the Lord that He will return and
faith (confidence) that the Lord is here now in the present and will return as promised.
(Hebrews 11:1)13 This petition appears to refer to Christ’s return
to restore everything to what God originally intended (Acts 3:20-21)13
before humankind sinned and rebelled against God.
Second: “Your will
be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
“By His will, He
created the world,” says the Kaddish.”14 In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul assures us
that “faith, hope, love, abide these three;
but the greatest of these is love.” God’s Will is that we live with and in these
three, and the most important is love. God’s Will is an extension of His character
of complete love. God created the world through His love. Satan deceived his way
into the creation through humankind showing a total lack of love. God will restore
His creation of love (Acts 3:20-21).
“In Jewish prayers
known as berakot, or benedictions, every aspect of one’s daily life, no matter
how mundane or earthy, is brought under the domain of the King of the Universe
for all of life is sanctified.”15 We ask that God be in total control
of everything that happens throughout Earth, just as God is in total control of
what happens throughout Heaven. God works through His creation; in the case of Earth,
this means people.
Each person
must allow God to have total control of their life. God never takes away our
free will. By giving God control we are a bond servant, we give God our lives
and He gives us complete love and freedom.
Third “Give us this
day our daily bread.” 16
We often think of
this as our physical needs but we should also look at it as our spiritual needs.
Christ said He is the Bread of Life (Matthew 4:4, 26:26; Luke 4:4; John 6:32-33,
48, 51, 58) We are to pray, therefore,
not only for material support but also for spiritual life in the God. We
are to ask and trust God for both physical and spiritual necessities. God provides
both according to our needs. (John 6:48-51) Christ said that unless we eat
of His flesh and drink of His blood we do not have Him in us. (John 6:53-56)
Just as food enters us and becomes part of us for physical life so Christ must
enter into us and become part of us for spiritual, eternal life.
Fourth: “Forgive
us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” 17
This petition is
all about love. Matthew 5:43-45 tells us to love our enemies so we can be sons of
our father in heaven. True forgiveness comes from love, the Father’s love in us
and working through us. The answer to this petition is conditional, we are asking
God to forgive us to the same extent and with the same standards we use when we
forgive others. God’s forgiveness is complete, it has no qualifiers attached. (Isaiah 55:7)
The word debt is
used here instead of sin or trespass. Debt includes more than just sin or trespass.
Something may not be a sin but should not be done. Trespass implies violating a boundary
or a law (not necessarily God’s law). An example is language. Some words are not
in violation of God’s commandments but are culturally unacceptable. A Christian
using them can cause listeners to question the speaker's faith in God and
perhaps question God. There have been many cases throughout history where keeping
God’s law means violating man’s law. While obeying God instead of the world is not
a sin it is something we should recognize happens and has consequences in this
life. Obeying the world instead of God also has consequences but in eternal
life.
Fifth: “Do not lead
us into temptation but deliver us from evil.” 18
God does not tempt
us with evil. We are tempted by our inner desires and weaknesses. (James 1:13-16)
In every temptation, God provides a way of escape through His word. (Luke 21:36;
1 Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4) “…the word temptation seems to be related
to man’s inclination to sin. To avoid sin, one must not place himself in a position
where he will be put to the test.” (1 Pet.1:6-7, 4:12-13)19
Many people are
concerned with the phrase “lead us not into temptation.” Does God lead us into temptation?
Many people would say no. But why is the phrase in there? There are many prayers
in the Talmud and other Jewish writings that contain a similar phrase. James 1:13-15
tells us “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God
cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is
tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth
death…” 20
Part of people’s confusion
concerns the translation and how we understand it. The word used in the Greek
is peirasmos. Peirasmos can mean temptation, but the more
common meaning is trial, test, or testing.
Jesus was led into the wilderness
to be tested. This was a prophetic event in which Jesus overcame every test that
was/is common to humanity. Where Adam and Eve failed the test Jesus did not fail,
He trusted God and passed every test. God led Abraham to a place where he could
be tested to either sacrifice Isaac or wait for the sacrifice God would provide.
God did not tempt Abraham. He tested him.” (Dr. John D. Garr) 21
God’s
grace is sufficient and we must have faith in God and His grace. The Scriptures
give us two very good examples of relying on God during times of testing. The
first is Judas Iscariot. Satan put in his mind to betray Christ. It was a
temptation to do what Judas thought was the right thing to do. He was tested,
would he decide to follow God’s will or Satan’s will? Judas chose poorly, he
decided to follow Satan’s will. Job was tempted and tested to renounce God. His
wife even encouraged him to do so. Job was severely tested but refused to
renounce God. Job kept his faith in God and God’s grace. He chose well.
Part 3: Thanksgiving and Praise
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.” This final phrase of the prayer is often placed in the margin or completely
deleted from manuscripts. Some scholars feel this was an addition to the prayer
by later scribes.22 At this time we do not and cannot know if either
is true. The benediction is consistent with many Jewish prayers, for example, 1
Chronicles 29:10-13. The entire Lord’s Prayer, including this final phase, bears
a strong resemblance to David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (below). Given
the history of Jewish prayers with similar benedictions, I would respond it is
part of the original prayer.
“So David blessed the Lord
in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and
ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness
and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that
is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over
all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand
is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.
Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”23
David’s prayer was given as his son Solomon was about
to ascend the throne as king of Israel and start building the Temple. David
called the leadership of Israel together, affirmed Solomon as the next king,
and then gave this prayer to God. After the prayer, the leadership committed to
God and Solomon.
When we look at this prayer of David we see all three
parts of the Lord's prayer. We see blessing God and recognizing God as sovereign
over absolutely everything in heaven and earth. This is God’s creation and dominion,
and God is exalted as head over everything. We see anything we ask for comes from
God. Riches and honor come from God. God is ruler over everything, and all the glory,
power, and authority lay in His hand. The final line of David’s prayer is thanksgiving
and praising God and His name.
CONCLUSION:
Too often, the importance
of the Jewish background of the prayers and language Jesus used has been overlooked
or minimized. 24 It is important to remember
Christ, and the disciples, were Jewish. Most of the early church was also Jewish.
Their language, philosophy, paradigms, and culture were all Jewish. There is a great
difference between Jewish and Gentile culture, thinking, and language. There is
also a great difference between ancient and modern Jewish culture, thinking,
and language
We must rely on
the Holy Spirit to lead us in understanding God’s Word. Without the Holy Spirit,
we have little to no chance of understanding the meaning and implications of what
was said 2,000 years ago, half a world away and a very different culture.
END NOTES:
1. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
2. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p2
3. Abrami, L.M. (2016) The Jewish origins of the lord’s prayer,
Academia.edu. Available at:
https://www.academia.edu/27950201/The_Jewish_Origins_of_the_Lords_Prayer?auto=download
(Accessed: 20 June 2024).
4. Abrami, L.M. (2016) The Jewish origins of the lord’s prayer,
Academia.edu. Available at:
https://www.academia.edu/27950201/The_Jewish_Origins_of_the_Lords_Prayer?auto=download
(Accessed: 20 June 2024).
5. What Is
Kaddish. n.d.
Chabad. Chabad.org. Accessed May 23, 2024.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/371079/jewish/What-Is-Kaddish.htm.
6. Lord’s Prayer Jewish Prayer, Messianic Bible, n.d., https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/lords-prayer
jewish-prayer/) Accessed
June 19, 2024
7. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
8. John D. Garr, Hebrew Foundations of New Testament Prayer,
Restore Magazine, August 1995
9. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p4
10. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p4, 7
11. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
12. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p10-11
13. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
14. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
15. Dwight A. Pryor, Principles of Jewish Prayer, Restore
Magazine, August 1995
16. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p23
17. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p28
18. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p31
19. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
20. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
21. John D. Garr Ph.D., J. Anthony Smith, Telephone Interview, June
05, 2024
22. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p37
23. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)
24. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p1
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