SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:9
¶ Vosotros pues, oraris así: Padre nuestro que ests en los cielos, santificado sea tu Nombre.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:9
Verse 9. After this manner therefore pray ye] Forms of prayer were frequent among the Jews; and every public teacher gave one to his disciples. Some forms were drawn out to a considerable length, and from these abridgments were made: to the latter sort the following prayer properly belongs, and consequently, besides its own very important use, it is a plan for a more extended devotion. What satisfaction must it be to learn from God himself, with what words, and in what manner, he would have us pray to him, so as not to pray in vain! A king, who draws up the petition which he allows to be presented to himself, has doubtless the fullest determination to grant the request. We do not sufficiently consider the value of this prayer; the respect and attention which it requires; the preference to be given to it; its fullness and perfection: the frequent use we should make of it; and the spirit which we should bring with it. "Lord, teach us how to pray!" is a prayer necessary to prayer; for unless we are divinely instructed in the manner, and influenced by the spirit of true devotion, even the prayer taught us by Jesus Christ may be repeated without profit to our souls. Our Father] It was a maxim of the Jews, that a man should not pray alone, but join with the Church; by which they particularly meant that he should, whether alone or with the synagogue, use the plural number as comprehending all the followers of God. Hence, they say, Let none pray the short prayer, i.e. as the gloss expounds it, the prayer in the singular, but in the plural number. See Lightfoot on this place.
This prayer was evidently made in a peculiar manner for the children of God. And hence we are taught to say, not MY Father, but OUR Father.
The heart, says one, of a child of God, is a brotherly heart, in respect of all other Christians: it asks nothing but in the spirit of unity, fellowship, and Christian charity; desiring that for its brethren which it desires for itself.
The word Father, placed here at the beginning of this prayer, includes two grand ideas, which should serve as a foundation to all our petitions: 1st.
That tender and respectful love which we should feel for God, such as that which children feel for their fathers. 2dly. That strong confidence in God's love to us, such as fathers have for their children. Thus all the petitions in this prayer stand in strictest reference to the word Father; the first three referring to the love we have for God; and the three last, to that confidence which we have in the love he bears to us.
The relation we stand in to this first and best of beings dictates to us reverence for his person, zeal for his honour, obedience to his will, submission to his dispensations and chastisements, and resemblance to his nature.
Which art in heaven] The phrase ymb wnyba , abinu sheboshemayim, our Father who art in heaven, was very common among the ancient Jews; and was used by them precisely in the same sense as it is used here by our Lord.
This phrase in the Scriptures seems used to express: 1st. His OMNIPRESENCE. The heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. 1 Kings viii. x17: that is, Thou fillest immensity.
2dly. His MAJESTY and DOMINION over his creatures. Art thou not God in heaven, and rulest thou not over all the kingdoms of the heathen? 2 Chron. xx. 6.
3dly. His POWER and MIGHT. Art thou not God in heaven, and in thy hand is there not power and might, so that no creature is able to withstand thee! 2 Chron. xx. 6. Our God is in heaven, and hath done whatsoever he pleased. Psa. cxv. 3.
4thly. His OMNISCIENCE. The Lord's throne is in heaven, his eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men. Psa. xi. 4. The Lord looketh down from heaven, he beholdeth all the sons of men. Psa. xxxiii. 13-15.
5thly. His infinite PURITY and HOLINESS. Look down from thy holy habitation, &c. Deut. xxvi. 15. Thou art the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. Isa. lvii. 15.
Hallowed] agiasqhtw. agiazw? from a negative, and gh, the earth, a thing separated from the earth, or from earthly purposes and employments. As the word sanctified, or hallowed, in Scripture, is frequently used for the consecration of a thing or person to a holy use or office, as the Levites, first-born, tabernacle, temple, and their utensils, which were all set apart from every earthly, common, or profane use, and employed wholly in the service of God, so the Divine Majesty may be said to be sanctified by us, in analogy to those things, viz. when, we separate him from, and in our conceptions and desires exalt him above, earth and all things.
Thy name.] That is, GOD himself, with all the attributes of his Divine nature-his power, wisdom, justice, mercy, &c.
We hallow God's name, 1st. With our lips, when all our conversation is holy, and we speak of those things which are meet to minister grace to the hearers.
2dly. In our thoughts, when we suppress every rising evil, and have our tempers regulated by his grace and Spirit.
3dly. In our lives, when we begin, continue, and end our works to his glory. If we have an eye to God in all we perform, then every act of our common employment will be an act of religious worship.
4thly. In our families, when we endeavour to bring up our children in the discipline and admonition or the Lord; instructing also our servants in the way of righteousness.
5thly. In a particular calling or business, when we separate the falsity, deception, and lying, commonly practised, from it; buying and selling as in the sight of the holy and just God.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye , etc.] That is, in such a concise and short way, without much speaking and vain repetitions; making use of such like words and expressions as the following: not that Christ meant to pin down his disciples to these express words, and no other; for this prayer is not a strict form, but a pattern of prayer, and a directory to it, both as to brevity, order, and matter; for we do not find the disciples ever making use of it in form; and when it is recited by another Evangelist, it is not in the selfsame words as here; which it would have been, had it been designed as an exact form. Besides, Christ does not bid them pray in these very words, but after this manner; somewhat like this: not but that it is very lawful to use the very express words of this prayer in any of the petitions here directed to; and which indeed were no other than what good people among the Jews did frequently make use of; and which were collected and singled out by Christ, as what he approved of, in distinction from, and opposition to, other impertinent expressions, and vain repetitions, which some used; as will appear by a particular consideration of them. Our Father which art in heaven . This may be looked upon as the preface and introduction to the prayer, and regards the object of it, and his character, which is an epithet of God, often to be met with in Jewish writings, and particularly in their prayers; for thus they say, ymb wnyba , our Father which art in heaven, show mercy to us, because thy great name is called upon us.
Again f400 , let the prayers and the requests of all Israel be received by aymb yd whwba , their Father, which is in heaven. They seem to have a regard to this prayer, when they apply that passage in ( Proverbs 3:35) shame shall be the promotion of fools, to the nations of the earth, who, they say f401 , do not consider the glory of the law; and how, say they, our Father which art in heaven, hear our voice, have mercy on us, and receive our prayer?
So in confessions, thanksgivings, and sacrifices of praise, they required, and looked upon it, as the main thing, for a man to direct his heart ymb wybal , to his Father which is in heaven f402 . By father, our Lord means the first person in the Trinity, who is the Father of all men by creation, and of the saints by adoption; who are to address him in prayer under the character of our Father, partly to command a reverential fear of him, and partly to secure boldness and liberty of speech before him; and also to express fiducial confidence in him, faith of interest in him, and relation to him; which arises from some experience of his paternal love, and requires the witnessings of the Spirit of adoption; and inasmuch as the direction is not to say my Father, but our Father; it shows that we should pray for others as well as for ourselves, even for all the dear children of God. It is a rule with the Jews, that a man ought always to join himself in prayer with the church; upon which the gloss says, let him not pray the short prayer ybr wlb ala dyjy wlb , in the singular, but in the plural number, that so his prayer may be heard.
The object of prayer is further described by the place of his residence, in heaven; not that he is included in any place, but that the heaven of heavens is the place where he most eminently displays his glory: and this may teach us to look upwards in prayer, and seek those things which are above; and also, that this earth, on which we dwell, is not our native country, but heaven is, where our Father dwells. Next follows the first petition, hallowed, or sanctified be thy name ; so the Jews in their prayers, m dqty , let thy name be hallowed, or sanctified by us, O Lord our God, before the eyes of all living.
And very often f405 , let his great name be magnified and sanctified in the world, which he hath created according to his will.
And again f406 , let us sanctify thy name in the world, as they sanctify it in the highest heavens.
By the name of God is meant he himself, the perfections of his nature, and the several names by which he is known, and which we are to think and speak of with holy reverence. By sanctifying his name, is not meant a making him holy, but acknowledging, and declaring him to be holy, and a glorifying him, and all his perfections. He is sanctified by himself, by declaring himself to be holy; by glorifying his perfections in his works; by implanting grace and holiness in the hearts of his people; by restoring the purity of his worship; by diffusing the knowledge of himself in the world; and by taking vengeance on the wicked: and he is sanctified by others, when they fear him, believe in him, call upon his name, use it reverently, submit to his will, acknowledge his mercies, regard his commands aud ordinances, and live a holy life and conversation; all which is earnestly desired by truly gracious souls.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-15 - Christ saw it needful to show his disciples what must commonly be the matter and method of their prayer. Not that we are tied up to the us of this only, or of this always; yet, without doubt, it is very good to use it. It has much in a little; and it is used acceptably no furthe than it is used with understanding, and without being needlessl repeated. The petitions are six; the first three relate more expressl to God and his honour, the last three to our own concerns, bot temporal and spiritual. This prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and that all other things shal be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom, and will, we pra for the needful supports and comforts of this present life. Every wor here has a lesson in it. We ask for bread; that teaches us sobriety an temperance: and we ask only for bread; not for what we do not need. We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not as for the bread of others, nor the bread of deceit, Pr 20:17; nor the bread of idleness, Pr 31:27, but the bread honestly gotten. We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divin Providence. We beg of God to give it us; not sell it us, nor lend i us, but give it. The greatest of men must be beholden to the mercy of God for their daily bread. We pray, Give it to us. This teaches us compassion for the poor. Also that we ought to pray with our families We pray that God would give it us this day; which teaches us to rene the desires of our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies ar renewed. As the day comes we must pray to our heavenly Father, an reckon we could as well go a day without food, as without prayer. We are taught to hate and dread sin while we hope for mercy, to distrus ourselves, to rely on the providence and grace of God to keep us from it, to be prepared to resist the tempter, and not to become tempters of others. Here is a promise, If you forgive, your heavenly Father wil also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those wh desire to find mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren Christ came into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but one to another.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουτως 3779 ADV ουν 3767 CONJ προσευχεσθε 4336 5737 V-PNM-2P υμεις 5210 P-2NP 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
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:9 {After this manner therefore pray ye} (houtws oun proseucesqe humeis). "You" expressed in contrast with "the Gentiles." It should be called "The Model Prayer" rather than "The Lord's Prayer."Thus" pray as he gives them a model. He himself did not use it as a liturgy (cf. #Joh 17). There is no evidence that Jesus meant it for liturgical use by others. In #Lu 11:2-4 practically the same prayer though briefer is given at a later time by Jesus to the apostles in response to a request that he teach them how to pray. McNeile argues that the form in Luke is the original to which Matthew has made additions: "The tendency of liturgical formulas is towards enrichment rather than abbreviation." But there is no evidence whatever that Jesus designed it as a set formula. There is no real harm in a liturgical formula if one likes it, but no one sticks to just one formula in prayer. There is good and not harm in children learning and saying this noble prayer. Some people are disturbed over the words "Our Father" and say that no one has a right to call God Father who has not been "born again." But that is to say that an unconverted sinner cannot pray until he is converted, an absurd contradiction. God is the Father of all men in one sense; the recognition of Him as the Father in the full sense is the first step in coming back to him in regeneration and conversion. {Hallowed be thy name} (hagiasqetw to onoma sou). In the Greek the verb comes first as in the petitions in verse #10. They are all aorist imperatives, punctiliar action expressing urgency.
