Lord's Prayer

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For other uses, see Lord's Prayer (disambiguation), Our Father (disambiguation), Pater
Noster (disambiguation), and Hallowed Be Thy Name (disambiguation).

The Lord's Prayer (Le Pater Noster), by James Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father (Latin: Pater Noster), is a central Christian
prayer which, according to the New Testament, Jesus taught as the way to pray:

[1]
Pray then in this way ...

[2]
When you pray, say ...

Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on
the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and a shorter form in the Gospel of Luke when "one of
[3]
his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.'". Lutheran
theologian Harold Buls suggested that both were original, the Matthean version spoken by
Jesus early in his ministry in Galilee, and the Lucan version one year later, "very likely in
[4]
Judea".
The first three of the seven petitions in Matthew address God; the other four are related to
human needs and concerns. Matthew's account alone includes the "Your will be done" and
the "Rescue us from the evil one" (or "Deliver us from evil") petitions. Both original Greek
texts contain the adjective epiousios, which does not appear in any other classical or Koine
Greek literature; while controversial, "daily" has been the most common English-language
translation of this word.

Initial words on the topic from the Catechism of the Catholic Church teach that it "is truly the
[5]
summary of the whole gospel". The prayer is used by most Christian churches in their
worship; with few exceptions, the liturgical form is the Matthean. Protestants usually
conclude the prayer with a doxology, a later addendum appearing in some manuscripts of
Matthew. Although theological differences and various modes of worship divide Christians,
according to Fuller Seminary professor Clayton Schmit, "there is a sense of solidarity in
knowing that Christians around the globe are praying together ... and these words always
[6]
unite us."

Contents

● 1
● Texts
○ 1.1
○ New Revised Standard Version
○
○ 1.2
○ Relationship between the Matthaean and Lucan texts
○
○ 1.3
○ Original Greek text and Syriac and Latin translations
○
○ 1.4
○ Liturgical texts: Greek, Syriac, Latin
○
○ 1.5
○ Greek texts
○
○ 1.6
○ English versions
○
● 2
● Analysis
○ 2.1
○ Introduction
○
○ 2.2
○ First Petition
○
○ 2.3
○ Second Petition
○
 ○ 2.4
○ Third Petition
○
○ 2.5
○ Fourth Petition
○
○ 2.6
○ Fifth Petition
○
○ 2.7
○ Sixth Petition
○
○ 2.8
○ Seventh Petition
○
○ 2.9
○ Doxology
■ 2.9.1
■ Content
■
■ 2.9.2
■ Origin
■
■ 2.9.3
■ Varied liturgical use
■
● 3
● Use as a language comparison tool
●
● 4
● Comparisons with other prayer traditions
●
● 5
● Musical settings
●
● 6
● In popular culture
●
● 7
● Images
●
● 8
● See also
●
● 9
● Notes
●
● 10
● References
○ 10.1
○ Citations
○
○ 10.2
○ Sources
○
● 11
● External links
○ 11.1
 ○ Text
○
○ 11.2
○ Commentary
○
○ 11.3
○ Music
○

Texts[edit]

New Revised Standard Version[edit]

[7] [8]
Matthew 6:9-13 (NRSV) Luke 11:2-4 (NRSV)

Our Father in heaven, Father, [Other ancient authorities read Our father
in heaven]

hallowed be your name. hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come. Your kingdom come.

[A few ancient authorities read Your Holy Spirit

come upon us and cleanse us.]

Your will be done, on earth as it is in [Other ancient authorities add Your will be done,
heaven. on earth as in heaven]

Give us this day our daily bread. [Or our Give us each day our daily bread. [Or our bread
bread for tomorrow] for tomorrow]

And forgive us our debts, as we also have and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive
forgiven our debtors. everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial, [Or And do not bring us to the time of trial. [Or us
us into temptation] but rescue us from the into temptation. Other ancient authorities add but
evil one. [Or from evil] rescue us from the evil one (or from evil)]

[Other ancient authorities add, in some

form, For the kingdom and the power and
the glory are yours forever. Amen.]
Relationship between the Matthaean and Lucan texts[edit]
In biblical criticism, the absence of the Lord's Prayer in the Gospel of Mark, together with its
occurrence in Matthew and Luke, has caused scholars who accept the two-source
hypothesis (against other document hypotheses) to conclude that it is probably a logion
[9]
original to Q. The common source of the two existing versions, whether Q or an oral or
another written tradition, was elaborated differently in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Marianus Pale Hera considers it unlikely that either of the two used the other as its source
and that it is possible that they "preserve two versions of the Lord’s Prayer used in two
different communities: the Matthean in a Jewish Christian community and the Lucan in the
[10]
Gentile Christian community".

If either evangelist built on the other, Joachim Jeremias attributes priority to Luke on the
grounds that "in the early period, before wordings were fixed, liturgical texts were elaborated,
[11]
expanded and enriched". On the other hand, Michael Goulder, Thomas J. Mosbo and Ken
Olson see the shorter Lucan version as a reworking of the Matthaean text, removing
[12]
unnecessary verbiage and repetition.

[13]
The Matthaean version has completely ousted the Lucan in general Christian usage, The
following considerations are based on the Matthaean version.

Original Greek text and Syriac and Latin translations[edit]

Standard edition of Greek Standard edition of Vulgata Clementina

[a] [b] [c]
text Syriac text of Peshitta (1692)
1. πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς 1. ‫ܐܒܘܢ ̇ܕ ݂ܒܫܡܝܐ‬
݂ 1. pater noster qui es in
οὐρανοῖς cælis
(ʾăḇūn d-ḇa-šmayyā)
(páter hēmôn ho en toîs ݁ ‫݂ܢܬ‬ 2. sanctificetur nomen
݂
2. ‫ܫܡܟ‬ ‫ܩܕܫ‬
ouranoîs) tuum
2. ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου (neṯqaddaš šmāḵ) 3. adveniat regnum tuum
(hagiasthḗtō tó ónomá sou) 3. ‫ܘܬ ݂ܟ‬
݂ ‫ܡܠܟ‬ ݂ ‫݁ܬ‬
݁ ‫ܐܬܐ‬
4. fiat voluntas tua sicut in
3. ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου (têṯē malkūṯāḵ) cælo et in terra

(elthétō hē basileíā sou) 4. ‫ܐܝܟܢܐ‬݁ ‫ܝܢܟ‬

݂ ‫ܨܒ‬
݂ ‫ܢܗܘܐ‬ 5. panem nostrum
݁
‫ܐܦ ܒܐܪܥܐ‬ ݂ ‫݂ܕ ݂ܒܫܡܝܐ‬ supersubstantialem da
4. γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου nobis hodie
ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς (nēhwē ṣeḇyānāḵ
ʾaykannā ḏ-ḇa-šmayyā 6. et dimitte nobis debita
(genēthḗtō tó thélēmá sou nostra sicut et nos
hōs en ouranô(i) kaí epí gês) ʾāp̄ b-ʾarʿā)
dimittimus debitoribus
5. τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν 5. ‫ܗܒ ܠܢ ܠܚܡܐ ݂ܕܣܘܢܩܢܢ ܝܘܡܢܐ‬
݂ nostris
ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον (haḇ lan laḥmā ḏ- 7. et ne nos inducas in
sūnqānan yawmānā) tentationem sed libera nos
(tón árton hēmôn tón [d][e]
epioúsion dós hēmîn 6. ‫ܚܘ ݁ܒܝܢ ܐܝܟܢܐ‬
̈ ‫ܘܫܒܘܩ ܠܢ‬
݂ a malo
sḗmeron) ‫ܫܒܩܢ ܠܚܝ̈ ݂ܒܝܢ‬
݂ ‫ܐܦ ܚܢܢ‬
݂ ‫݂ܕ‬
6. καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ (wa-šḇoq lan ḥawbayn
ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν ὡς καὶ ʾaykannā ḏ-ʾāp̄ ḥnan
ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς šḇaqn l-ḥayyāḇayn)
ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν
7. ‫ܘܐܠ ݂ܬܥܠܢ ܠܢܣܝܘܢܐ ܐܐܠ‬
(kaí áphes hēmîn tá ‫݂ܦܨܢ ܡܢ ݁ܒܝܫܐ‬
opheilḗmata hēmôn hōs kaí
hēmeîs aphḗkamen toîs (w-lā ṯaʿlan l-nesyōnā
opheilétais hēmôn) ʾellā p̄aṣṣān men bīšā)
7. καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς
πειρασμόν ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς
ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ
(kaí mḗ eisenénkēis hēmâs
eis peirasmón allá rhûsai
hēmâs apó toû ponēroû)

Liturgical texts: Greek, Syriac, Latin[edit]

The Lord's Prayer (Latin liturgical text) with Gregorian chant annotation

Pater Noster (1:15)

MENU
 0:00

The Lord's Prayer sung in Gregorian chant

[f] Syriac liturgical [16][l]

Patriarchal Edition 1904 Roman Missal
‫ܐܒܘܢ ݁ܕ ݂ܒܫܡܝܐ‬
݂
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς Pater noster qui es in
οὐρανοῖς, (our father who art in cælis:
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, heaven) sanctificétur nomen tuum;
݂
‫ܫܡܟ‬ ݁ ‫݂ܢܬ‬
‫ܩܕܫ‬
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, advéniat regnum tuum;
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς (hallowed be thy name)
fiat volúntas tua, sicut in
ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ‫ܘܬ ݂ܟ‬
݂ ‫ܡܠܟ‬ ݂ ‫݁ܬ‬
݁ ‫ܐܬܐ‬ cælo, et in terra.
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν (thy kingdom come) Panem nostrum
ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον [m]
݁ ‫ܝܢܟ‬
‫ܐܝܟܢܐ ݂ܕ ݂ܒܫܡܝܐ‬ ݂ ‫ܨܒ‬
݂ ‫ܢܗܘܐ‬ cotidiánum da nobis
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ݁
‫ܐܦ ܒܐܪܥܐ‬ hódie;
݂
ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν
τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν. (thy will be done as it is in et dimítte nobis débita
heaven also on earth) nostra,
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς
πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ‫ܗܒ ܠܢ ܠܚܡܐ ݂ܕܣܘܢܩܢܢ ܝܘܡܢܐ‬
݂ sicut et nos dimíttimus
ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. debitóribus nostris;
(give us the bread of our
ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ [g] et ne nos indúcas in
need this day) tentatiónem;
δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς
αἰῶνας ἀμήν. ݁ ‫ܚܘ ݁ܒܝܢ ܘܚܛܗ̈ܝܢ‬
‫ܐܝܟܢܐ‬ ̈ ‫ܘܫܒܘܩ ܠܢ‬
݂ sed líbera nos a malo.
‫ܫܒܩܢ ܠܚܝ̈ ݂ܒܝܢ‬
݂ ‫ܐܦ ܚܢܢ‬
݂ ‫݂ܕ‬
(and forgive us our debts
and our sins as we have
[h]
forgiven our debtors)
‫ܘܐܠ ݂ܬܥܠܢ ܠܢܣܝܘܢܐ ܐܐܠ ݂ܦܨܢ‬
‫ܡܢ ݁ܒܝܫܐ‬
(and bring us not into
temptation but deliver us
[i][15]
from evil)
‫ܘܬܐ ܚܝܐܠ‬
݂ ‫ܡܠܟ‬݁ ‫ܗܝ‬ ݂ ‫ܡܛܠ ݁ܕ ݂ܕ‬
̄ ‫ܝܠܟ‬
‫ܘܚܬܐ ܠܥܠܡ ܥܠܡܝܢ ܐܡܝܢ‬ ݁ ‫ܫܒ‬ ݁ ‫݂ܬ‬

(for thine is the kingdom

the power the glory for an
[j][k]
age of ages amen)

Greek texts[edit]

[17] Codex Vaticanus text [18]

Liturgical text Didache text

πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς πατερ ημων ο εν τοις πατερ ημων ο εν τω

 οὐρανοῖς ουρανοις ουρανω

ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου αγιασθητω το ονομα σου αγιασθητω το ονομα σου

ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου ελθετω η βασιλεια σου ελθετω η βασιλεια σου

γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς γενηθητω το θελημα σου ως εν γενηθητω το θελημα σου ως

ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ουρανω και επι γης εν ουρανω και επι γης

τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν τον αρτον ημων τον επιουσιον τον αρτον ημων τον
ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον δος ημιν σημερον επιουσιον δος ημιν σημερον

καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα και αφες ημιν τα οφειληματα και αφες ημιν την οφειλην
ἡμῶν ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν ημων ως και ημεις αφηκαμεν ημων ως και ημεις αφιεμεν
τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν τοις οφειλεταις ημων τοις οφειλεταις ημων

καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς και μη εισενεγκης ημας εις και μη εισενεγκης ημας εις
πειρασμόν ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς πειρασμον αλλα ρυσαι ημας πειρασμον αλλα ρυσαι ημας
ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ απο του πονηρου απο του πονηρου

ότι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ οτι σου εστιν η δυναμις και η
ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς δοξα εις τους αιωνας
αἰῶνας ἀμήν

English versions[edit]
Main article: History of the Lord's Prayer in English

There are several different English translations of the Lord's Prayer from Greek or Latin,
beginning around AD 650 with the Northumbrian translation. Of those in current liturgical
use, the three best-known are:

● The translation in the 1662 Anglican Book of Common Prayer (BCP) of the
Church of England
[19]
● The slightly modernized "traditional ecumenical" form used in the Catholic and
[20]
(often with doxology) many Protestant Churches
● The 1988 translation of the ecumenical English Language Liturgical Consultation
(ELLC)
The concluding doxology ("For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen") is often added at the end of the prayer by Protestants and, in a slightly
different form, by churches of the Byzantine Rite ("For thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto
[n]
ages of ages. Amen." ), among whom the prayer proper is usually recited by the cantors
and congregation in unison, and the doxology by the priest as the conclusion of the prayer.
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) of the Church of England adds doxology in some
services, but not in all. For example, the doxology is not used in the 1662 BCP at Morning
and Evening Prayer when it is preceded by the Kyrie eleison. Older English translations of
the Bible, based on late Byzantine Greek manuscripts, included it, but it is excluded in critical
editions of the New Testament, such as that of the United Bible Societies. It is absent in the
oldest manuscripts and is not considered to be part of the original text of Matthew 6:9–13.

Latin Rite Roman Catholic usage has never attached the doxology to the end of the Lord's
Prayer. The doxology does appear in the Roman Rite Mass as revised in 1969. After the
conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, the priest says a prayer known as the embolism. In the
official ICEL English translation, the embolism reads: "Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every
evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always
free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our
Saviour, Jesus Christ." This elaborates on the final petition, "Deliver us from evil." The
people then respond to this with the doxology: "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory
are yours, now and forever."

The translators of the 1611 King James Bible assumed that a Greek manuscript they
possessed was ancient and therefore adopted the phrase "For thine is the kingdom, the
power, and the glory for ever" into the Lord's Prayer of Matthew's Gospel. However, the use
of the doxology in English dates from at least 1549 with the First Prayer Book of Edward VI
which was influenced by William Tyndale's New Testament translation in 1526. Later
scholarship demonstrated that inclusion of the doxology in New Testament manuscripts was
actually a later addition based in part on Eastern liturgical tradition.

[21] Traditional Ecumenical [26][27]

1662 Anglican BCP 1988 ELLC
[22][23][24][25]
Version
Our Father, which art in Our Father in heaven,
heaven, Our Father, who art in
hallowed be your
heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name; name,
hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
your kingdom come,
thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
thy will be done your will be done,
in earth, as it is in heaven:
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily on earth as in
bread; Give us this day our daily heaven.
 And forgive us our bread, Give us today our daily
trespasses, bread.
and forgive us our
as we forgive them that trespasses, Forgive us our sins
trespass against us;
as we forgive those who as we forgive those
And lead us not into trespass against us; who sin against us.
temptation,
and lead us not into
Save us from the time of
But deliver us from evil; temptation,
trial
For thine is the kingdom, but deliver us from evil.
and deliver us from
the power, and the glory, Most Protestants evil.
conclude with the
For ever and ever.
doxology: For the kingdom, the
Amen. power, and the glory are
For thine is the kingdom,
yours
and the power, and the
now and for ever.
glory,
Amen.
for ever and ever. Amen.
(or ...forever. Amen.)
At Mass in the Catholic
Church the embolism is
followed by:
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory
are yours,
now and for ever.

King James Version

Although Matthew 6:12 uses the term debts, most older English versions of the Lord's
Prayer use the term trespasses, while ecumenical versions often use the term sins. The
[28]
latter choice may be due to Luke 11:4, which uses the word sins, while the former may be
due to Matthew 6:14 (immediately after the text of the prayer), where Jesus speaks of
trespasses. As early as the third century, Origen of Alexandria used the word trespasses
(παραπτώματα) in the prayer. Although the Latin form that was traditionally used in Western
Europe has debita (debts), most English-speaking Christians (except Scottish Presbyterians
and some others of the Dutch Reformed tradition) use trespasses. For example, the Church
of Scotland, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, as well as
some Congregational heritage churches in the United Church of Christ follow the version
found in Matthew 6 in the King James Version, which in the prayer uses the words "debts"
and "debtors".

King James Version (1611) Slightly Modernized AV/KJV Version

 Our Father which art in heaven, Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name. Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done in earth, Thy will be done on earth,

as it is in heaven. as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors. as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil: but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory, and the power, and the glory,

for ever. Amen. forever. Amen.

All these versions are based on the text in Matthew, rather than Luke, of the prayer given by
Jesus:

[29] [30]
Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV) Luke 11:2-4 (ESV)
"Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, And he said to them, "When you pray,
hallowed be your name. Your kingdom say: 'Father, hallowed be your name. Your
come, your will be done, on earth as it is in kingdom come. Give us each day our daily
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, bread, and forgive us our sins, for we
and forgive us our debts, as we also have ourselves forgive everyone who is
forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into indebted to us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" temptation.'"

Analysis[edit]
 The Lord's Prayer in Greek

St. Augustine gives the following analysis of the Lord's Prayer, which elaborates on Jesus'
words just before it in Matthew's gospel: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask
[31]
him. Pray then in this way" (Mt. 6:8-9):

We need to use words (when we pray) so that we may remind ourselves to consider
carefully what we are asking, not so that we may think we can instruct the Lord or prevail on
him. When we say: "Hallowed be your name", we are reminding ourselves to desire that his
name, which in fact is always holy, should also be considered holy among men. ...But this is
a help for men, not for God. ...And as for our saying: "Your kingdom come," it will surely
come whether we will it or not. But we are stirring up our desires for the kingdom so that it
can come to us and we can deserve to reign there. ...When we say: "Deliver us from evil,"
we are reminding ourselves to reflect on the fact that we do not yet enjoy the state of
blessedness in which we shall suffer no evil. ...It was very appropriate that all these truths
should be entrusted to us to remember in these very words. Whatever be the other words we
may prefer to say (words which the one praying chooses so that his disposition may become
clearer to himself or which he simply adopts so that his disposition may be intensified), we
say nothing that is not contained in the Lord’s Prayer, provided of course we are praying in a
correct and proper way.

This excerpt from Augustine is included in the Office of Readings in the Catholic Liturgy of
[32]
the Hours.
 [33][34][35][36]
Many have written Biblical commentaries on the Lord's Prayer. Contained below
are a variety of selections from some of those commentaries.

Introduction[edit]
This subheading and those that follow use 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) (see above)

Our Father, which art in heaven

"Our" indicates that the prayer is that of a group of people who consider themselves children
of God and who call God their "Father". "In heaven" indicates that the Father who is
[37]
addressed is distinct from human fathers on earth.

Augustine interpreted "heaven" (coelum, sky) in this context as meaning "in the hearts of the
[38]
righteous, as it were in His holy temple".

First Petition[edit]

Hallowed be thy Name;

See also: Names of God in Christianity and Matthew 6:9

Former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams explains this phrase as a petition that
people may look upon God's name as holy, as something that inspires awe and reverence,
and that they may not trivialize it by making God a tool for their purposes, to "put other
people down, or as a sort of magic to make themselves feel safe". He sums up the meaning
of the phrase by saying: "Understand what you're talking about when you're talking about
God, this is serious, this is the most wonderful and frightening reality that we could imagine,
[39]
more wonderful and frightening than we can imagine."

Second Petition[edit]

Thy kingdom come;

See also: Matthew 6:10

"This petition has its parallel in the Jewish prayer, 'May he establish his Kingdom during your
[40]
life and during your days.'" In the gospels Jesus speaks frequently of God's kingdom, but
never defines the concept: "He assumed this was a concept so familiar that it did not require
 [41]
definition." Concerning how Jesus' audience in the gospels would have understood him,
G. E. Ladd turns to the concept's Hebrew Biblical background: "The Hebrew word malkuth
[…] refers first to a reign, dominion, or rule and only secondarily to the realm over which a
reign is exercised. […] When malkuth is used of God, it almost always refers to his authority
[42]
or to his rule as the heavenly King." This petition looks to the perfect establishment of
God's rule in the world in the future, an act of God resulting in the eschatological order of the
[43]
new age.

Some see the coming of God's kingdom as a divine gift to be prayed for, not a human
achievement. Others believe that the Kingdom will be fostered by the hands of those faithful
who work for a better world. These believe that Jesus' commands to feed the hungry and
clothe the needy make the seeds of the kingdom already present on earth (Lk 8:5-15; Mt
25:31-40).

Hilda C. Graef notes that the operative Greek word, basileia, means both kingdom and
kingship (i.e., reign, dominion, governing, etc.), but that the English word kingdom loses this
[44]
double meaning. Kingship adds a psychological meaning to the petition: one is also
praying for the condition of soul where one follows God's will.

Third Petition[edit]

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven:

See also: Matthew 6:10

According to William Barclay, this phrase is a couplet with the same meaning as "Thy
kingdom come." Barclay argues: "The kingdom is a state of things on earth in which God's
will is as perfectly done as it is in heaven. ...To do the will of God and to be in the Kingdom
[45]
of God are one and the same thing."

John Ortberg interprets this phrase as follows: "Many people think our job is to get my
afterlife destination taken care of, then tread water till we all get ejected and God comes
back and torches this place. But Jesus never told anybody – neither his disciples nor us – to
pray, 'Get me out of here so I can go up there.' His prayer was, 'Make up there come down
[46]
here.' Make things down here run the way they do up there." The request that "thy will be

done" is God's invitation to "join him in making things down here the way they are up
[46]
there."
Fourth Petition[edit]

Give us this day our daily [epiousios] bread;

See also: Matthew 6:11

See also: Epiousios

As mentioned earlier in this article, the original word ἐπιούσιος (epiousios), commonly
characterized as daily, is unique to the Lord's Prayer in all of ancient Greek literature. The
word is almost a hapax legomenon, occurring only in Luke and Matthew's versions of the
Lord's Prayer, and nowhere else in any other extant Greek texts. While epiousios is often
substituted by the word "daily," all other New Testament translations from the Greek into
"daily" otherwise reference hemeran (ἡμέραν, "the day"), which does not appear in this
[47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][excessive citations]
usage.

Via linguistic parsing, Jerome translated "ἐπιούσιον" (epiousios) as "supersubstantialem" in

the Gospel of Matthew, but chose "cotidianum" ("daily") in the Gospel of Luke. This wide-
ranging difference with respect to meaning of epiousios is discussed in detail in the current
Catechism of the Catholic Church by way of an inclusive approach toward tradition as well
as a literal one for meaning: "Taken in a temporal sense, this word is a pedagogical
repetition of 'this day', to confirm us in trust 'without reservation'. Taken in the qualitative
sense, it signifies what is necessary for life, and more broadly every good thing sufficient for
subsistence. Taken literally (epi-ousios: "super-essential"), it refers directly to the Bread of
Life, the Body of Christ, the 'medicine of immortality,' without which we have no life within
[58]
us."

[59]
Epiousios is translated as supersubstantialem in the Vulgate Matthew 6:11 and
[60]
accordingly as supersubstantial in the Douay–Rheims Bible Matthew 6:11.

Barclay M. Newman's A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, published

in a revised edition in 2010 by the United Bible Societies, has the following entry:

ἐπι|ούσιος, ον (εἰμί) of doubtful meaning, for today; for the coming day; necessary for
[61]
existence.
It thus derives the word from the preposition ἐπί (epi) and the verb εἰμί (eimi), from the latter
of which are derived words such as οὐσία (ousia), the range of whose meanings is indicated
[62]
in A Greek–English Lexicon.

Fifth Petition[edit]

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us;

See also: Matthew 6:12

The Presbyterian and other Reformed churches tend to use the rendering "forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors". Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists
[63]
are more likely to say "trespasses… those who trespass against us". The "debts" form
appears in the first English translation of the Bible, by John Wycliffe in 1395 (Wycliffe
spelling "dettis"). The "trespasses" version appears in the 1526 translation by William
Tyndale (Tyndale spelling "treaspases"). In 1549 the first Book of Common Prayer in English
used a version of the prayer with "trespasses". This became the "official" version used in
Anglican congregations. On the other hand, the 1611 King James Version, the version
specifically authorized for the Church of England, has "forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors".

After the request for bread, Matthew and Luke diverge slightly. Matthew continues with a
request for debts to be forgiven in the same manner as people have forgiven those who
have debts against them. Luke, on the other hand, makes a similar request about sins being
forgiven in the manner of debts being forgiven between people. The word "debts"
(ὀφειλήματα) does not necessarily mean financial obligations, as shown by the use of the
[64]
verbal form of the same word (ὀφείλετε) in passages such as Romans 13:8. The Aramaic
[65][66]
word ḥôbâ can mean "debt" or "sin". This difference between Luke's and Matthew's
wording could be explained by the original form of the prayer having been in Aramaic. The
generally accepted interpretation is thus that the request is for forgiveness of sin, not of
[67]
supposed loans granted by God. Asking for forgiveness from God was a staple of Jewish
prayers (e.g., Penitential Psalms). It was also considered proper for individuals to be
forgiving of others, so the sentiment expressed in the prayer would have been a common
[citation needed]
one of the time.
Anthony C. Deane, Canon of Worcester Cathedral, suggested that the choice of the word
"ὀφειλήματα" (debts), rather than "ἁμαρτίας" (sins), indicates a reference to failures to use
opportunities of doing good. He linked this with the parable of the sheep and the goats (also
in Matthew's Gospel), in which the grounds for condemnation are not wrongdoing in the
[68][69]
ordinary sense, but failure to do right, missing opportunities for showing love to others.

"As we forgive ...". Divergence between Matthew's "debts" and Luke's "sins" is relatively
trivial compared to the impact of the second half of this statement. The verses immediately
[70]
following the Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:14-15 show Jesus teaching that the forgiveness of
our sin/debt (by God) is linked with how we forgive others, as in the Parable of the
[71]
Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:23-35, which Matthew gives later. R. T. France
comments:

The point is not so much that forgiving is a prior condition of being forgiven, but that forgiving
cannot be a one-way process. Like all God's gifts it brings responsibility; it must be passed
on. To ask for forgiveness on any other basis is hypocrisy. There can be no question, of
course, of our forgiving being in proportion to what we are forgiven, as 18:23–35 makes
[72]
clear.

Sixth Petition[edit]

And lead us not into temptation,

See also: Matthew 6:13

Interpretations of the penultimate petition of the prayer – not to be led by God into peirasmos
– vary considerably. The range of meanings of the Greek word "πειρασμός" (peirasmos) is
[73]
illustrated in New Testament Greek lexicons. In different contexts it can mean temptation,
testing, trial, experiment. Although the traditional English translation uses the word
[74]
"temptation" and Carl Jung saw God as actually leading people astray, Christians
generally interpret the petition as not contradicting James 1:13-14: "Let no one say when he
is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God', for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself

tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own
[75]
desire." Some see the petition as an eschatological appeal against unfavourable Last
Judgment, a theory supported by the use of the word "peirasmos" in this sense in
 [76]
Revelations 3:10. Others see it as a plea against hard tests described elsewhere in
[o]
scripture, such as those of Job. It is also read as: "Do not let us be led (by ourselves, by
others, by Satan) into temptations". Since it follows shortly after a plea for daily bread (i.e.,
material sustenance), it is also seen as referring to not being caught up in the material
[77] [78]
pleasures given. A similar phrase appears in Matthew 26:41 and Luke 22:40 in
[79]
connection with the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane.

Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a
translation of the Holy Bible which was not completed before his death, used: "And suffer us
[80]
not to be led into temptation".

In a conversation on the Italian TV channel TV2000 on 6 December 2017, Pope Francis

commented that the then Italian wording of this petition (similar to the traditional English)
was a poor translation. He said "the French" (i.e., the Bishops' Conference of France) had
changed the petition to "Do not let us fall in/into temptation". He was referring to the 2017
change to a new French version, Et ne nous laisse pas entrer en tentation ("Do not let us
enter into temptation"), but spoke of it in terms of the Spanish translation, no nos dejes caer
en la tentación ("do not let us fall in/into temptation"), that he was accustomed to recite in
Argentina before his election as Pope. He explained: "I am the one who falls; it's not him
[81][82][83]
[God] pushing me into temptation to then see how I have fallen". Anglican
theologian Ian Paul said that such a proposal was "stepping into a theological debate about
[84]
the nature of evil".

In January 2018, after "in-depth study", the German Bishops' Conference rejected any
[85][86]
rewording of their translation of the Lord's Prayer.

In November 2018, the Episcopal Conference of Italy adopted a new edition of the Messale
Romano, the Italian translation of the Roman Missal. One of the changes made from the
older (1983) edition was to render this petition as non abbandonarci alla tentazione ("do not
[87][88]
abandon us to temptation"). The Italian-speaking Waldensian Evangelical Church
maintains its translation of the petition: non esporci alla tentazione ("do not expose us to
[89]
temptation").

In May 2019, Pope Francis officially approved a change to the sixth petition, replacing "lead
[90]
us not into temptation" with "do not let us fall into temptation."
Seventh Petition[edit]

[91] [15]
But deliver us from evil:

See also: Matthew 6:13

Translations and scholars are divided over whether the final word here refers to "evil" in
general or "the evil one" (the devil) in particular. In the original Greek, as well as in the Latin
translation, the word could be either of neuter (evil in general) or masculine (the evil one)
gender. Matthew's version of the prayer appears in the Sermon on the Mount, in earlier parts
of which the term is used to refer to general evil. Later parts of Matthew refer to the devil
when discussing similar issues. However, the devil is never referred to as the evil one in any
known Aramaic sources. While John Calvin accepted the vagueness of the term's meaning,
he considered that there is little real difference between the two interpretations, and that
[92]
therefore the question is of no real consequence. Similar phrases are found in John 17:15
[93][94]
and Thessalonians 3:3.

Doxology[edit]

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,

For ever and ever. Amen.

See also: Matthew 6:13

Content[edit]

The doxology sometimes attached to the prayer in English is similar to a passage in 1

Chronicles 29:11 – "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the
victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the
[95][96]
kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all." It is also similar to the
paean to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in Daniel 2:37 – "You, O king, the king of kings,
to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the
[97][96][98]
glory,"

The doxology has been interpreted as connected with the final petition: "Deliver us from
evil". The kingdom, the power and the glory are the Father's, not of our antagonist's, who is
subject to him to whom Christ will hand over the kingdom after he has destroyed all
dominion, authority and power (1 Corinthians 15:24). It makes the prayer end as well as
begin with the vision of God in heaven, in the majesty of his name and kingdom and the
[99][100][101][102]
perfection of his will and purpose.

Origin[edit]

The doxology is not included in Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer, nor is it present in the
[103]
earliest manuscripts (papyrus or parchment) of Matthew, representative of the
Alexandrian text, although it is present in the manuscripts representative of the later
[104] [105]
Byzantine text. Most scholars do not consider it part of the original text of Matthew.
[106]
The Codex Washingtonianus, which adds a doxology (in the familiar text), is of the early
[107][108] [109]
fifth or late fourth century. New translations generally omit it except as a footnote.
[110]

The Didache, generally considered a first-century text, has a doxology, "for yours is the
[98][111][112]
power and the glory forever", as a conclusion for the Lord's Prayer (Didache, 8:2).
C. Clifton Black, although regarding the Didache as an "early second century" text,
nevertheless considers the doxology it contains to be the "earliest additional ending we can
[111] [p]
trace". Of a longer version, Black observes: "Its earliest appearance may have been in
[96]
Tatian's Diatessaron, a second-century harmony of the four Gospels". The first three
editions of the UBS text cited the Diatessaron for inclusion of the familiar doxology in
[113][specify]
Matthew 6:13, but in the later editions it cites the Diatessaron for excluding it. The
Apostolic Constitutions added "the kingdom" to the beginning of the formula in the Didache,
[114][115][116]
thus establishing the now familiar doxology.

Varied liturgical use[edit]

In the Divine Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite, the priest sings, after the last line of the prayer,
the doxology, "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages."

Adding a doxology to the Our Father is not part of the liturgical tradition of the Roman Rite
nor does the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome contain the doxology that appears in late Greek
manuscripts. However, it is recited since 1970 in the Roman Rite Order of Mass, not as part
of the Lord's Prayer but separately as a response acclamation after the embolism
developing the seventh petition in the perspective of the Final Coming of Christ.

In most Anglican editions of the Book of Common Prayer, the Lord's Prayer ends with the
doxology unless it is preceded by the Kyrie eleison. This happens at the daily offices of
[q]
Morning Prayer (Mattins) and Evening Prayer (Evensong) and in a few other offices.

The vast majority of Protestant churches conclude the Lord's Prayer with the doxology.

Use as a language comparison tool[edit]

Detail of the Europa Polyglotta published with Synopsis Universae Philologiae in 1741; the map gives
the first phrase of the Lord's Prayer in 33 different languages of Europe

In the course of Christianization, one of the first texts to be translated between many
languages has historically been the Lord's Prayer, long before the full Bible would be
translated into the respective languages. Since the 16th century, collections of translations of
the prayer have often been used for a quick comparison of languages. The first such
collection, with 22 versions, was Mithridates, de differentiis linguarum by Conrad Gessner
(1555; the title refers to Mithridates VI of Pontus who according to Pliny the Elder was an
exceptional polyglot).

Gessner's idea of collecting translations of the prayer was taken up by authors of the 17th
century, including Hieronymus Megiserus (1603) and Georg Pistorius (1621). Thomas
[117]
Lüdeken in 1680 published an enlarged collection of 83 versions of the prayer, of which
three were in fictional philosophical languages. Lüdeken quotes as a Barnum Hagius as his
source for the exotic scripts used, while their true (anonymous) author was Andreas Müller.
In 1700, Lüdeken's collection was re-edited by B. Mottus as Oratio dominica plus centum
linguis versionibus aut characteribus reddita et expressa. This edition was comparatively
inferior, but a second, revised edition was published in 1715 by John Chamberlain. This
1715 edition was used by Gottfried Hensel in his Synopsis Universae Philologiae (1741) to
compile "geographico-polyglot maps" where the beginning of the prayer was shown in the
geographical area where the respective languages were spoken. Johann Ulrich Kraus also
[118]
published a collection with more than 100 entries.

These collections continued to be improved and expanded well into the 19th century; Johann
Christoph Adelung and Johann Severin Vater in 1806–1817 published the prayer in "well-
[119]
nigh five hundred languages and dialects".

Samples of scripture, including the Lord's Prayer, were published in 52 oriental languages,
most of them not previously found in such collections, translated by the brethren of the
Serampore Mission and printed at the mission press there in 1818.

Comparisons with other prayer traditions[edit]

The book The Comprehensive New Testament, by T.E. Clontz and J. Clontz, points to
similarities between elements of the Lord's Prayer and expressions in writings of other
religions as diverse as the Dhammapada, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Golden Verses, and
[120][page needed]
the Egyptian Book of the Dead. It mentions in particular parallels in 1
[121][122]
Chronicles.

Rabbi Aron Mendes Chumaceiro says that nearly all the elements of the prayer have
counterparts in the Jewish Bible and Deuterocanonical books: the first part in Isaiah 63
("Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful habitation ... for you are our
[123] [124]
Father ..." ) and Ezekiel 36 ("I will vindicate the holiness of my great name ...") and 38
("I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many
[125]
nations ..."), the second part in Obadiah 1 ("Saviours shall go up to Mount Zion to rule
[126]
Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's") and 1 Samuel 3 ("... It is the LORD.
[127]
Let him do what seems good to him."), the third part in Proverbs 30 ("... feed me with my
[128]
apportioned bread..."), the fourth part in Sirach 28 ("Forgive your neighbour the wrong he
[129]
has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray."). "Deliver us from evil"
[130][131]
can be compared with Psalm 119 ("... let no iniquity get dominion over me.").

Chumaceiro says that, because the idea of God leading a human into temptation contradicts
the righteousness and love of God, "Lead us not into temptation" has no counterpart in the
Jewish Bible/Christian Old Testament. However, the word "πειρασμός", which is translated
as "temptation", can also be translated as "test" or "trial", making evident the attitude of
[132]
someone's heart, and in the Old Testament God tested Abraham, and told David, "Go,
[133]
number Israel and Judah," an action that David later acknowledged as sin; and the
testing of Job in the Book of Job.

Reuben Bredenhof says that the various petitions of the Lord's Prayer, as well as the
doxology attached to it, have a conceptual and thematic background in the Old Testament
[134]
Book of Psalms.

On the other hand, Andrew Wommack says that the Lord's Prayer "technically speaking [...]
[135]
isn't even a true New Testament prayer".

[136]
In post-biblical Jewish prayer, especially Kiddushin 81a (Babylonian). "Our Father which
art in heaven" (‫אבינו שבשמים‬, Avinu shebashamayim) is the beginning of many Hebrew
[137]
prayers. "Hallowed be thy name" is reflected in the Kaddish. "Lead us not into sin" is
echoed in the "morning blessings" of Jewish prayer. A blessing said by some Jewish
communities after the evening Shema includes a phrase quite similar to the opening of the
Lord's Prayer: "Our God in heaven, hallow thy name, and establish thy kingdom forever, and
rule over us for ever and ever. Amen."

Musical settings[edit]
In modern times, various composers have incorporated The Lord's Prayer into a musical
setting for utilization during liturgical services for a variety of religious traditions as well as
interfaith ceremonies. Included among them are:

● 9th–10th century: Gregorian chant

[138]
● 1565: Robert Stone – The Lord's Prayer
● 1573: Orlandus Lassus – Pater Noster a4
● 1592: John Farmer – The Lord's Prayer
[139]
● 1625: Heinrich Schütz – Pater Noster
[140]
● 1783: William Billings – "Kittery" (words from Tate and Brady)
● 1854: Josef Rheinberger – Vater Unser
● 1878: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Otche Nash (Отче наш; Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom, op. 41)
● 1883: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Otche Nash
● 1906: Leoš Janáček – Otče náš
● 1919: Emil von Reznicek – "Vater Unser im Himmel" (A Choral Fantasy with
Mixed Chorus and Organ)
● 1910: Sergei Rachmaninoff – Otche Nash (Отче наш; Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom, op. 31)
● 1926: Igor Stravinsky – Otche Nash (Church Slavonic), arr. Pater Noster (Latin, c.
[141]
1949)
● 1935: Albert Hay Malotte – "The Lord's Prayer"
[142]
● 1961: Bernard Rose – Lord's Prayer (as part of Preces and Responses)
[143]
● 1973: Arnold Strals – "The Lord's Prayer" (performed by Sister Janet Mead)
● 1975: Mark Alburger – The Lord's Prayer, Op. 5
● 1976: Maurice Duruflé – Notre Père
● 1985: Clive Strutt – XIII Paternoster in the Festal Eucharist in honour of Saint
Olaf, King and Martyr
[144]
● 1992: John Serry Sr. – The Lord's Prayer for Organ & Chorus
● 1999: Paul Field and Stephen Deal – "The Millennium Prayer" (performed by Cliff
Richard)
[145]
● 2000: John Tavener – "The Lord's Prayer"