Lessons in Greek
By Elisabeth Duckworth
The Lord's Prayer III
Our Father, which 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, the power and
the glory for ever and ever. Amen.]
– Matthew 6:9-13;
Luke 11:2-4
Today we continue our series of articles on words and phrases from the “Lord's Prayer”. We'll go line by line for fresh insights into these familiar words.
Thy kingdom (basileia; η βασιλεια) – The first thing to note is that the Greek word for thy or your is singular in all instances here. It is a very personal, familiar term. Usually, the plural form of personal adjectives is used when addressing or referring to a person of higher status, much like a queen or king refers to themself in the first person plural. The use of the singular form here makes God our Father extraordinarily personal and approachable.
The word basileia (kingdom or empire) comes into English in words like basil and basilica. It's grammatical form here is feminine singular. It refers to the office or status of royal ruler or sovereign. Its abstract meaning is royalty, sovereignty, royal power, or the royal family. Basileia may also indicate the royal territory or the breadth of an empire. It also indicates a system of royal governship. The common theme, of course, is the reference to royalty. Jesus is asking us to pray for the appearance of God's royal presence, power, and rulership in our midst.
Come (eltheto; ελθετω) – The grammatical form used for come is the second person singular active imperative; it is a command or request. It says “You God! Let [allow, cause] Your kingdom to come!” This imperative call for action is directed to God as the initiator of the action: Let Thy kingdom come! The word come has both a literal, physical meaning as well as an abstract meaning wherein a certain condition, epoch, or circumstance reaches its desired fulfillment.
Thy will (thelama; η θελημα) – The noun for will means that which is willed: i.e. a will, wish, a desire, and an intention. Here God is asked to bring His own will and desires to fruition.
Be done (genathato; γενηθητω) – Like the verb come seen above, the grammatical form for done is also an active imperative: “You God! Cause Thy will to be done!” The Greek root gene- has come into English in many forms e.g. genesis, genealogy, generate, gene, etc. These familiar English words offer insight into what be done means in this context. Jesus is saying we should pray that God would cause His will to come into being, to create or bring His will into active existence and function in our midst.
As it is in Heaven, so let it be on Earth (os en ourano kai epi gas; ως εν ουρανω και επι γης) – How and where are God's kingdom and will to play out? In Heaven and on Earth.
The word Earth (gaia) is very literal, it refers to the soil and dust of this planet of ours. Heaven (ouranos) is the sky above the Earth. The “sky” is the place where God dwells, as opposed to the dust of the Earth where we mortals exist. The nature of the “sky” was not fully understood by the people of Jesus' day, however it was considered the place of utmost height and breadth, the abode of divinity and the source from which the divine is manifested on the earth. “Sky” and “Earth” are quite literally worlds apart, yet Jesus asks us to pray that God would bridge that gap and that His kingdom and His will would exist as equally and as fully on this Earthly globe of ours as it is in God's Heavenly abode. Jesus fulfilled this prayer through His own death and resurrection as Emmanuel “God with us”.
~ Next time we'll look at Give us this day our daily bread (τον αρτον ημων τον επιουσιον, δοσημιν σημερον); Forgive us (αφες ημιν); Trespasses (τα οφειληματα, ως και ημεις)
