ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ αυτοις 846 P-DPM οταν 3752 CONJ προσευχησθε 4336 5741 V-PNS-2P λεγετε 3004 5720 V-PAM-2P πατερ 3962 N-VSM ημων 2257 P-1GP ο 3588 T-NSM εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPM ουρανοις 3772 N-DPM αγιασθητω 37 5682 V-APM-3S το 3588 T-NSN ονομα 3686 N-NSN σου 4675 P-2GS ελθετω 2064 5628 V-2AAM-3S η 3588 T-NSF βασιλεια 932 N-NSF σου 4675 P-2GS γενηθητω 1096 5676 V-AOM-3S το 3588 T-NSN θελημα 2307 N-NSN σου 4675 P-2GS ως 5613 ADV εν 1722 PREP ουρανω 3772 N-DSM και 2532 CONJ επι 1909 PREP της 3588 T-GSF γης 1093 N-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. From ejpi and oujsia, being. Hence, a. For our sustenance (physical), and so necessary.b. For our essential life (spiritual).
c. Above all being, hence pre-eminent, excellent.
d. Abundant.
It would be profitless to the English reader to go into the discussion. A scholar is quoted as saying that the term is "the rack of theologians and grammarians." A satisfactory discussion must assume the reader's knowledge of Greek. Those who are interested in the question will find it treated by Tholuck ("Sermon on the Mount"), and also very exhaustively by Bishop Lightfoot ("On a Fresh Revision of the New Testament"). The latter adopts the derivation from ejpienai, to come on, and concludes by saying, "the familiar rendering, daily, which has prevailed uninterruptedly in the Western Church from the beginning, is a fairly adequate representation of the original; nor, indeed, does the English language furnish any one word which would answer the purpose so well." The rendering in the margin of Rev. is, our bread for the coming day. It is objected to this that it contradicts the Lord's precept in Matt. vi. 34, not to be anxious for the morrow. But word does not necessarily mean the morrow. "If the prayer were said in the evening, no doubt it would mean the following day; but supposing it to be used before dawn, it would designate the day then breaking" (the coming day). "And further, if the command not to be anxious is tantamount to a prohibition against prayer for the object about which we are forbidden to be anxious, then not only must we not pray for tomorrow's food, but we must not pray for food at all; since the Lord bids us (Matt. vi. 25) not to be anxious for our life" (Lightfoot, condensed).
