Hebrew Source of the Lord’s Prayer.

 

 Hebrew Source of the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 6:9-13

As an introduction, a bit of history is in order. The synagogue is called a Beit Knesset (House of Meeting), a Beit Midrash (House of Study), and Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer). Prayer is a primary focus of Jewish community life, especially worship.1 p315 “Prayer is considered so vital to Jewish life that Judaism insists that one must fully concentrate on the prayer for it to be considered of any value. Mindless repetition of words and phrases (a la the mantras chanted by Eastern Monism is entirely worthless in approaching God.”2 p193-194

The early church was made up primarily of Jews and the church reflected the structure of the synagogue. Their emphasis on prayer and community can be seen throughout Acts and many other parts of the Hebraic Scriptures (New Testament). This remained true until about the fourth century when the Gentiles began to dominate the membership of God’s Church. When that happened Greco-Roman structure and practice started replacing the Jewish and much history, belief, practice and tradition was lost.

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 wants and looks for 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).

This prayer has two parallel versions 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 this same structure 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

Prayer is a primary focus of Jewish community life, especially worship.1 p315 “Prayer is considered so vital to Jewish life that Judaism insists that one must fully concentrate on the prayer for it to be considered of any value. Mindless repetition of words and phrases (a la the mantras chanted by Eastern Monism is entirely worthless in approaching God.”2 p193-194 Christians and Jews7 approach prayer differently.

The early church was made up primarily of Jews and the church reflected the structure of the synagogue. Their emphasis on prayer and community can be seen throughout Acts and many other parts of the Hebraic Scriptures (New Testament). This remained true until about the fourth century when the Gentiles began to dominate the membership of God’s Church. When that happened Greco-Roman structure and practice started replacing the Jewish and much history, belief, practice and tradition was lost.

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 prayers, just as Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, did for his followers.3(Lord’s Prayer Jewish Prayer, Messianic Bible, n.d., https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/lords-prayer-jewish-prayer/). Each prayer incorporated spiritual petitions and principles that were significant to the individual Rabbi.¹⁵ In this case, Jesus replied, “Pray, then, in this way…” (Matthew 6:9 N).⁶ 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 of our prayers is consistent with the comments of Jesus just 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 nature⁷ “’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).”⁸ 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.”⁹ This takes us to 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)¹⁰ 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.”¹¹ “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)¹² 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.”² 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.”¹⁴ 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 and all of His creation. 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.” ¹⁵

We often think of this as our physical sustenance but we can also look at it as our spiritual sustenance. 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 the spiritual life of the new age in the Spirit of God. We are to ask and trust God for both physical and spiritual food. 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 Christ 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.” ¹⁶

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 guidelines we use when we forgive others. God’s forgiveness is complete, it has no qualifiers attached. Isaiah 55:7

The word debt is used instead of sin or trespass. The reason for that is 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 and God’s being in them. 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 as well as the consequences.

Fifth: “Do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.” ¹⁷

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)¹⁸

Many people are concerned with the phrase “lead us not into temptation.” Does God lead us into temptation? Many people would (usually immediately) 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…” ¹⁹

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) ²⁰

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? 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.

 

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.²¹ At this time we do not and cannot know if either is true, and it does not matter. 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).

“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.”²²

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. ²³ 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. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

7. John D. Garr, Hebrew Foundations of New Testament Prayer, Restore Magazine, August 1995

8. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p4

9. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p4, 7

10. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

11. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p10-11

12. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

13. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

14. Dwight A. Pryor, Principles of Jewish Prayer, Restore Magazine, August 1995

15. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p23

16. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p28

17. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p31

18. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

19. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

20. John D. Garr Ph.D., J. Anthony Smith, Telephone Interview, June 05, 2024

21. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p37

22. The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, (NASB)

23. Brad H Young, The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Gospel Research Foundation, 1999), p1

 

 

1. John D. Garr, The Church Dynamic  (Atlanta GA. Golden Key Press, 2019) p315

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography:

 

Abrami, Leo Michel. The Jewish Origins of the Lord's Prayer, n.d., https://www.academia.edu/27950201/ The_Jewish_Origins_of_the_Lords_Prayer

 

Chabad. What Is Kaddish, Chabad.org, n.d., https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/371079/jewish/What-Is-Kaddish.htm

 

Hozana, Association. Our Father Origin, n.d., https://hozana.org/en/prayer/our-father/origin

 

International Bible Society. Full Life Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI., Zondervan, 1992

 

Kaufmann, Kohler. LORD’S PRAYER, THE, n.d., JewishEncyclopedia.com,” n.d., https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10112-lord-s-prayer-the.

 

Keller, W. Phillip. 1976. A Layman Looks at the Lord’s Prayer. Moody Publishers.

 

Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, Eliyahu. Does the Lord’s Prayer Have Jewish Liturgical Roots, June 2022. https://weekly.israelbiblecenter.com/lords-prayer-jewish-liturgy

 

Messianic Bible. Lords Prayer Jewish Prayer, Messianic Bible, n.d., https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/lords-prayer-jewish-prayer/

 

New American Standard Bible Updated, Grand Rapids, MI., Zondervan, 1999.

 

Perriman, Andrew. The Lord’s Prayer and its Eschatological Context, April 2007, https://www.postost.net/commentary/ lord-s-prayer-eschatological-context

 

Robinson, Bernard. The Early History of the Lord’s Prayer, 2018. https://www.newman.org.uk/ArticleList/ May%202018%20-%20The%20Early%20History%20of%20the%20Lord's%20Prayer.pdf

 

Smyth, Delores. The Lord's Prayer "Our Father" - Bible Meaning and Application, May 2024, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/breakdown-of-the-lords-prayer.html

 

Smythe, Peter. The Lord’s Prayer Is So Old Testament, n.d.,

            https://petersmythe.com/journal/the-lords-prayer-is-so-old-testament

 

Snow, Donna. Is the Lord’s Prayer In the Old Testament, August 2023. https://www.artesianministries.org/prayer/is-the-lords-prayer-in-the-old-testament/

 

Tverberg, Lois with Okkema, Bruce. 2006. Listening to the language of the Bible. Holland MI

 

Thompson, Nick. The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer, Prophecy Today, August 2023. https://prophecytoday.uk/study/teaching-articles/item/2894-the-jewish-background-to-the-lord-s-prayer.html

 

Young, Brad. 1984. The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer. Center Judaic Christian Stds.

 

 

 

Appendix 1

Kaddish

May the great name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which He has created according to His will. May His kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and into the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say Amen. May His great name be blessed, forever and ever. Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, elevated and lauded be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He- above and beyond any blessings and hymns; praises, and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen. May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say Amen.

He who creates peace in his high holy places, may He bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel, and say Amen.

https://bethabrahammemorialchapel.com/kaddish-prayer/  (5/4/24)

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/text-of-the-mourners-kaddish/  (5/4/24)

 

Appendix 2

Shema

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.”

—Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The crux of the prayer is the opening verse. It is our declaration of allegiance to God, and our belief that He is one. The rest of the paragraph explains how that allegiance manifests in our daily lives.

https://www.letterstojosep.com/2014/12/26/on-the-doorposts-of-your-home-all-about-mezuzot/  (5/4/24)

 

Appendix 3

The Amidah is a Jewish prayer of 18 Benedictions and is said daily. It is provided here for information.

 

Call to prayer:

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall tell your praise. Psalm 51:15

Acknowledging God's Character

1. The God of Creation and Giver of Love	Blessed are you, O Lord our God and god of our ancestors, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty, and revered God, the most high God, who graciously gives loving-kindness. You create all things; You remember the pious actions of the patriarchs, and in love will bring a redeemer for their children's children for Your Name's sake. O King, Helper, Savior, and Shield. Blessed are You, O Lord, the Protector of Abraham.
2. The God who Works Miracles	You are Lord, are all-powerful forever. You resurrect the dead, You are mighty to save. You sustain the living with loving-kindness, resurrect the dead with great mercy, support the falling, heal the sick, release the prisoners, and uphold Your faithfulness to them that sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Lord of mighty acts, and who resembles You, O King, who orders death and restores life, and causes salvation to come forth? And You are faithful to resurrect the dead. Blessed are You, O Lord, who resurrects the dead.
3. "Holiness" and the Name of God	We will sanctify Your Name in the world even as they sanctify it in the heavens, as it is written by the hand of Your prophet: And they called one unto the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. Those over against them say, Blessed; blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place. And in Your holy Words it is written, saying, The Lord reigns for ever, your God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise you the Lord. Unto all generations we will proclaim Your greatness, and to all eternity we will tell of Your holiness. Your praise, O our God, shall not cease from our mouth for ever, for You are a great and holy God and King. Blessed are You, O Lord, the holy God. You are holy, and Your Name is holy, and the holy ones praise You every day. Blessed are You, O Lord, the holy God.

Seeking Spiritual Insight and Awakening

4. Request for Understanding	You favor people with knowledge, and teach human beings understanding. O favor us with knowledge, understanding, and applied wisdom from You. Blessed are You, O Lord, gracious Giver of knowledge.
5. Returning to God for Repentance	Make us return, O our Father, unto Your Torah. Draw us near, O our King, back into Your service, and bring us again in perfect repentance into Your presence. Blessed are You, O Lord, who delights in repentance.
6. Request for forgiveness	Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed, because You do pardon and forgive. Blessed are You, O Lord, who is gracious and forgives a multitude of wrongs.