LORD 'S PRAYER STUDY


[MATTHEW 6:6-13]








" One thing leads to another," As the old saying goes. It seems like every time I start a study, it leads to other studies. If I learned a particular study tool, soon that tool opens the door to other information.

Early on in my Christian walk, I started using Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to get behind the English words to the original language of scripture. At one point I wanted to clarify some of the words in Chapter 6 of the book of Matthew. Especially, I wanted to double-check the Greek words that are translated "alms". I had been taught that "alms" in verse 1 was different than "alms" in verse 3..

Sure enough, my Diaglot interliniary showed two different Greek words, dikaiosunen and eleemosunen. The first word has the root "dika" which means righteousness, while the second, in verse three, has the root "ele-emo". Yyou'll notice that the "sunen" is the same for both words.

The"dika" root means righteousness, whereas the "ele-emo" root relates to money. From just reading the English, one would conclude that money, the word we usually hear for "alms" was meant in both places. This is not true. Jesus was saying, in verse one, that we should do our righteous acts privately, not openly. He then goes on to list three major acts of righteousness, giving, prayer and fasting.

One thing leads to another, and this clarification of the word "alms", led to the study below. The method I like to use, is to look up the key words in a passage, then substitute the meanings of the Greek words for the English words. I call this process Trans-Subsititution. This is what I've done below.

First you'll find the key words in each verse, along with their Strong's number, followed by Strong's definition of that word. That section is followed by the "new" version, the TransSubstitution of the text. You'll also notice small letters after the Strong's numbers. These letters denote the frequency with which these Greek words have been used in the whole New Testament.

Here's the key: q=unique; u=uncommon; r=regular; x=exclusively; p.v.(r.)=primary verb or root. Also note that some of the English words are composites of two Greek words. This will be shown by the two numbers that appear under the meanings.

I feel that this Trans-Substitution process gives me a better understanding of what I'm reading. I know that it cleared up a few questions I had about the Lord's Prayer. It never made sense to me, for instance, that God would deliberately lead me into some temptation. I was much relieved to find that in another manuscript the Greek word meant "leave" or "abandon". I'm glad I didn't have to change Gods. :-)

Lastly, I must remind you that what we have come to call the Lord's Prayer is more accurately the Disciple's Prayer. Jesus never prayed this prayer. He surely didn't need forgiveness for his debts/sins. He didn't have any.




Verse 6
PRAYEST
4336x
pray to God
ENTER
1525x
to enter
CLOSET
5009
storage chamber
SHUT
2808x
to close
FATHER
3962x
parent/father
SECRET
2927(private)
concealed
SEETH
991p.v.
to look
REWARD
591
give away
OPENLY
1722(in)+5318(apparent)
fixed position


Verse 7
REPETITIONS
945q(stutter)
prate tediously
SPEAKING
4180q
verbosity/diffusiveness


Verse 8-None

Verse 9
MANNER
3779u
in this way
HEAVEN
3772x(sky)
heaven/eternity
HALLOWED
37x(venerate
to make holy
NAME
3686x(a name)
authority


Verse 10
KINGDOM
932x(royalty)
realm
COME
2064r
to come/go
WILL
2307x
a determination
EARTH
1093x(region)
soil/globe


Verse 11
GIVE
1325x(grant)
bestow
DAILY
1967q
needful for subsistence
BREAD
740x(a loaf)
bread


Verse 12
FORGIVE
863x(discharge)
to send forth
DEBTS [Luk 11=sins]
3783(moral fault)
something owed
FORGIVE DEBTS
(same)
one who owes


Verse 13
LEAD*
1533Q
carry inward
TEMPTATION
3986x(put to proof)
adversity-evil
DELIVER
4506r
rescue for oneself
EVIL
4190r(malice)
hurtful-evil
POWER
1411r
dynamite/force
GLORY
1391x
apparent glory
AMEN
281x(firm)H543 sure
so be it


*LEAD: Strong's has the word, eisphero, which means "inward carry". My Diaglot version has the Greek word, eisenegkes, and is translated "abandon." I prefer this translation. It reconciles nicely with ICor 10:13 which says God will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we're able; and with the temptation make a way of escape. It also fits with John 17:15, where Jesus is praying for his disciples, "....that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.




Trans-substitution



To help you remember the keyword meanings I've Italicized them.

6-But when you pray to God go in a storage chamber, and when you've shut the door, pray to your heavenly parent which is concealed; and your Father who looks at the concealed will give away to you in a fixed apparent place.

7-But when you pray to God prate not tediously like the Gentiles;
for they think they will be heard because of their excessive talk.

9-Pray to God in this way: Our parent which is in the eternal sky, venerated and holy be your authority and character.

10-Please establish your realm. Let your determination govern the earth, as it does the heavenly eternity.

11-Bestow and grant us today our needed subsistence; bread.

12-And discharge our dues/faults, as we discharge that owed to us by others.

13-And don't leave/abandon us in the times of our proving or adversity, but rescue us, for yourself from hurtful culpability and malice (the Evil One). You are the ruler, with the force and apparent glory forever. Surely, so be it.









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