SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:7
Y orando, no seis prolijos, como los mundanos que piensan que por su palabrería sern oídos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:7
Verse 7. Use not vain repetitions] mh battologhshte, Suidas explains this word well: "polulogia, much speaking, from one Battus, who made very prolix hymns, in which the same idea frequently recurred."A frequent repetition of awful and striking words may often be the result of earnestness and fervour. See Dan. ix. 3-20; but great length of prayer, which will of course involve much sameness and idle repetition, naturally creates fatigue and carelessness in the worshipper, and seems to suppose ignorance or inattention in the Deity; a fault against which our Lord more particularly wishes to secure them." See "ver. 8". This judicious note is from the late Mr. Gilbert Wakefield, who illustrates it with the following quotation from the Heautontimorumenos of Terence: Ohe! jam decine Deos, uxor, gratulando OBTUNDERE, Tuam esse inventam gnatam: nisi illos ex TUO INGENIO judicas, Ut nil credas INTELLIGERE, nisi idem DICTUM SIT CENTIES "Pray thee, wife, cease from STUNNING the gods with thanksgivings, because thy child is in safety; unless thou judgest of them from thyself, that they cannot UNDERSTAND a thing, unless they are told of it a HUNDRED TIMES." Heaut. ver. 880. Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue. The eloquence of prayer consists in the fervency of desire, and the simplicity of faith. The abundance of fine thoughts, studied and vehement motions, and the order and politeness of the expressions, are things which compose a mere human harangue, not an humble and Christian prayer. Our trust and confidence ought to proceed from that which God is able to do in us, and not from that which we can say to him. It is abominable, says the HEDAYAH, that a person offering up prayers to God, should say, "I beseech thee, by the glory of thy heavens!" or, "by the splendour of thy throne!" for a style of this nature would lead to suspect that the Almighty derived glory from the heavens; whereas the heavens are created, but God with all his attributes is eternal and inimitable. HEDAYAH, vol. iv. p. 121.
This is the sentiment of a Mohammedan; and yet for this vain repetition the Mohammedans are peculiarly remarkable; they often use such words as the following:-[ A] O God, O God, O God, O God!-O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord!-O living, O immortal, O living, O immortal, O living, O immortal, O living, O immortal!-O Creator of the heavens and the earth!-O thou who art endowed with majesty and authority! O wonderful, &c. I have extracted the above from a form of prayer used by Tippo Sahib, which I met with in a book of devotion in which there were several prayers written with his own hand, and signed with his own name.
Of this vain repetition in civil matters, among the Jews, many instances might be given, and not a few examples might be found among Christians.
The heathens abounded with them: see several quoted by Lightfoot.-Let the parricide be dragged! We beseech thee, Augustus, let the parricide be dragged! This is the thing we ask, let the parricide be dragged! Hear us, Caesar; let the false accusers be cast to the lion! Hear us, Caesar, let the false accusers be condemned to the lion! Hear us, Caesar, &c. It was a maxim among the Jews, that "he who multiplies prayer, must be heard." This is correct, if it only imply perseverance in supplication; but if it be used to signify the multiplying of words, or even forms of prayer, it will necessarily produce the evil which our Lord reprehends: Be not as the heathen-use not vain repetition, &c. Even the Christian Churches in India have copied this vain repetition work; and in it the Roman Catholic, the Armenian, and the Greek Churches strive to excel.
As the heathen] The Vatican MS. reads upokritai, like the hypocrites.
Unmeaning words, useless repetitions, and complimentary phrases in prayer, are in general the result of heathenism, hypocrisy, or ignorance.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions , etc.] Saying the same things over and over again, as the Heathens do , as the worshippers of Baal, from morning till noon, ( 1 Kings 18:26). This our Lord observes, to dissuade from such practices, because the Gentiles, who were odious to the Jews, used them, and the Jews were guilty of the same; had they not, there would not have been any need of such advice: for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking ; as did the Jews, who, under pretence of long prayers, devoured widows houses; and with whom it is an axiom, that everyone hn[n hlyptb hbrmh , that multiplies prayer is heard f397 ; and whoever prolongs his prayer, his prayer does not return empty; and he that is long in prayer, his days are prolonged f398 : and, according to their canons, every day a man ought to pray eighteen prayers. Moreover, their prayer books abound in tautologies, and in expressing the same things in different words, and by a multiplicity of them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-8 - It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. Yo may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a livin Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to so poor a thing as the praise of men, it is just that is should be all our reward. Yet there is not a secret, sudden breathin after God, but he observes it. It is called a reward, but it is of grace, not of debt; what merit can there be in begging? If he does no give his people what they ask, it is because he knows they do not nee it, and that it is not for their good. So far is God from being wrough upon by the length or words of our prayers, that the most powerfu intercessions are those which are made with groanings that cannot be uttered. Let us well study what is shown of the frame of mind in whic our prayers should be offered, and learn daily from Christ how to pray.
Greek Textus Receptus
προσευχομενοι 4336 5740 V-PNP-NPM δε 1161 CONJ μη 3361 PRT-N βαττολογησητε 945 5661 V-AAS-2P ωσπερ 5618 ADV οι 3588 T-NPM εθνικοι 1482 A-NPM δοκουσιν 1380 5719 V-PAI-3P γαρ 1063 CONJ οτι 3754 CONJ εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF πολυλογια 4180 N-DSF αυτων 846 P-GPM εισακουσθησονται 1522 5701 V-FPI-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. Use vain repetitions (battaloghshte). A word formed in imitation of the sound, battalogein: properly, to stammer; then to babble or prate, to repeat the same formula many times, as the worshippers of Baal and of Diana of Ephesus (1 Kings xviii. 26; Acts xix. 34) and the Romanists with their paternosters and aves.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:7 {Use not vain repetitions} (me battalogesete). Used of stammerers who repeat the words, qen mere babbling or chattering, empty repetition. The etymology is uncertain, but it is probably onomatopoetic like "babble." The worshippers of Baal on Mount Carmel (#1Ki 8:26) and of Diana in the amphitheatre at Ephesus who yelled for two hours (#Ac 19:34) are examples. The Mohammedans may also be cited who seem to think that they "will be heard for their much speaking" (en ti polulogiai). Vincent adds "and the Romanists with their _paternosters_ and _avast_." The Syriac Sinaitic has it: "Do not be saying idle things." Certainly Jesus does not mean to condemn all repetition in prayer since he himself prayed three times in Gethsemane "saying the same words again" (#Mt 26:44). "As the Gentiles do," says Jesus. "The Pagans thought that by endless repetitions and many words they would inform their gods as to their needs and weary them ('_fatigare deos_') into granting their requests" (Bruce).
