Lessons in Greek
By Elisabeth Duckworth
The Lord's Prayer V
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 complete our five-part look at the Lord's Prayer. Matthew 6:9-13 is found in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In this prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray – not with many words or public displays, but with sincerity, simplicity, and a Kingdom-focused heart.
- And lead us not (me eisenegkes μη εισενεγκες) This verb indicates movement into somewhere, someplace, or something; to enter, arrive, to engage in, to face, or have occur to someone. Here we ask God: Please do not allow us to face or have happen to us something undesirable i.e. a temptation or trial we may not be able to endure.
- Into temptation (peirasmos πειρασμός) This Greek term can mean a trial, testing, proposition, or a temptation to either choose to do something or to resist it. It is the sort of trial that the serpent used to test the strength of faith of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God does not tempt (James 1:13), so this request is not asking God to not entice us to sin – God never does that. Instead, it is a plea: Lord, do not allow us to enter or fall into situations that would overwhelm our faith. It is a humble recognition of our spiritual weakness and a cry for God's protective guidance: Keep us from the places or circumstances where we would be likely to fall.
- But deliver us (alla rusai emas αλλα ρυσαι ημας) There are so many nuances to this Greek verb: keep safe from harm, guard, protect; save, rescue; watch out for, be on guard for; safeguard, maintain, uphold; make secure; keep off, avert, keep back, keep hidden; control, hinder, check, stop; redeem, atone for.
- From evil (apo tou ponērou από τοῦ πονηροῦ) Poneros may be translated as evil (general sense) or “the evil one” (i.e., Satan). Evil is not necessarily moral or dangerous wickedness. It can also be used to describe hard toil or suffering; wretchedness; pitiableness; dire or grievous straits; in a sorry state; unreliable; faulty or misguided. But it does also mean something or someone which is bad, wicked, base or evil; worthless, no good; or dishonourable. Our prayer can be translated as “Keep us safe from facing a tempting trial, but protect us, and keep us safe from evil, misguided wretchedness.” It is a request for spiritual protection, not just from sin or trouble, but from the power and influence of Satan and evil systems. It acknowledges that we are in a spiritual battle and in need of God's rescue.
- Doxology: “For Thine is the kingdom…” The doxology “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” is a later addition to the Lord's Prayer at the end of Matthew 6:13. While it is not found in the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts of the Book of Matthew, it has a rich and meaningful history in both Jewish liturgy and early Christian worship. The earliest Greek manuscripts of Matthew (e.g., Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, 4th Century) do not include the doxology. Church Fathers like Origen (3rd Century) do not reference it when commenting on the Lord's Prayer. This suggests that the doxology was not originally part of Matthew's Gospel, but likely added during liturgical use.
Doxologies were common in Jewish prayers, especially in synagogue and temple worship. A similar ending appears in I Chronicles 29:11 (KJV): “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty…” Early Christians, many of whom were Jewish, naturally extended prayers with doxologies modelled after Old Testament worship. The phrase became part of the Lord's Prayer in early Christian liturgy, particularly in the Didache (circa AD 50–120), a church manual that includes the doxology: “For yours is the power and the glory forever.” (Didache 8.2) This is the earliest Christian document outside the New Testament to include the doxology in a form of the Lord's Prayer. As the prayer was used in public worship, this liturgical conclusion may have been added to provide a fitting close.
The doxology appears in some later Greek manuscripts, especially those from the Byzantine tradition. As a result, it was included in the Textus Receptus, the Greek text underlying the KJV (1611). Modern translations based on earlier manuscripts (e.g., NIV, ESV, NASB) omit the doxology or include it in brackets or footnotes. Even though it is not original to Matthew, the doxology:
- Affirms God's sovereignty and glory, reinforcing the spirit of the entire prayer.
- Fits the structure of Biblical prayers by ending with praise.
- Has been part of Christian worship and memorization for centuries, especially in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant traditions.
~ Next time, we'll look at paraklete or “helper” παρακλητος.
