I received a King James Study Bible when I was a teen, and once in a while I like to dig deep into some passages and really study the meaning behind the words that the authors so carefully selected. Our church was doing a sermon series on “The Lord’s Prayer”, so I started looking up the Greek version of some of the key words in Matthew 6:9-13.
Our Father (Pater): Parent, forefather, origin. Spiritual father who guides us to faith. Person worthy of respect and dignity.
Which art in Heaven (Ouranos): The physical heaven above the earth and also the residence of God, where the angels are and to where Jesus ascended.
Hallowed (Hagiazo) be: To sanctify, to be distinguished, held above what is common, to be separated from what is filthy, and to withdraw from the world and selfishness.
Thy Name (Onama): To attribute character described by a name. Fame, reputation, implying authority and dignity. Name as substitute or representative of a person. Identifying with the character or purpose, authority or delegated power. “Whatever you ask in my Name..” means whatever we conformable to His character and His purpose, He will do, not simply what we ask.
Thy Kingdom (Basileia) come: The Kingdom of God/Heaven signifies God’s rule within us while we are on this earth + the state of Glory. The word is related to Basileias, meaning: royal, belonging to, appointed, priesthood, called to a royal dominion.
Thy will be done (Ginomai): To be created or formed from nothing. To be done, performed, fulfilled or accomplished.
On earth (Ge): The part of creation that denotes man’s domain. Independent from heaven which is the dwelling place of God. Associated with the idea of emptiness, weakness, sinfulness, and does not correspond with the wisdom and power of God.
As it is in heaven (See Ouranos)
Give us today our daily bread (Epiousios): This word occurs only in the Lord ’s Prayer. It means substance, special or particular (need). The bread needed for daily support of life, our being, our sustenance.
And forgive (Apihemi) us: First, the grammatical form of the verb (forgive) implies: “ a command for doing something in the future that is a simple action”. Then the meaning of the word itself is: To send away, dismiss, to emit, to yield, voluntarily give up a ghost, to forsake, leave alone, to permit, to suffer, to allow. Forgive debts, sin and offenses. To liberate from the power of sin through the grace and power of Jesus.
Our debts (Opheiletes) as we forgive our debtors (Opeilema): That which is owed or strictly due. Also offenses or trespasses which obliges to reparation or punishment. One who is indebted to another.
And lead us not into temptation (Peirasmos): From the noun “Piera” meaning an experience, as related to testing, trying, to know by experience, to be acquainted with. If God tempts – the purpose is to prove someone, but never to cause him to fall. If the devil tempts – his purpose is always to make man fall.
But deliver (Rhuomai) us: to physically draw, drag or pull someone with force or violence. To deliver someone from danger or calamity. To liberate!
From evil (Poneros): evil in the moral or spiritual sense, wicked, malicious, and mischievous. From noun “Ponos” meaning labor, sorrow, pain. “Poneros” is Satan as the first author of all mischief in the world. From it is derived “Poneria” meaning aptness to make shrewd turns, delight in mischief and tragedies, and perverseness.
Who knew that this short prayer actually packed SO much meaning beyond the few English syllables that we use as we utter our Lord’s own words? A prayer so simple, even a child can understand, yet so complex, it can keep scholars busy for weeks, trying to figure it out.
Bøggeløgga 