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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:5-8

In prayer we have more immediately to do with God than in giving alms, and therefore are yet more concerned to be sincere, which is what we are here directed to. When thou prayest (Matt. 6:5). It is taken for granted that all the disciples of Christ pray. As soon as ever Paul was converted, behold he prayeth. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. For this shall every one that is godly pray. If prayerless, then graceless. ?Now, when... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:9-15

When Christ had condemned what was amiss, he directs to do better; for his are reproofs of instruction. Because we know not what to pray for as we ought, he here helps our infirmities, by putting words into our mouths; after this manner therefore pray ye, Matt. 6:9. So many were the corruptions that had crept into this duty of prayer among the Jews, that Christ saw it needful to give a new directory for prayer, to show his disciples what must ordinarily be the matter and method of their... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:1-18

When we study the opening verses of Matthew 6:1-34 , we are immediately confronted with one most important question-- What is the place of the reward motive in the Christian life? Three times in this section Jesus speaks of God rewarding those who have given to him the kind of service which he desires ( Matthew 6:4 ,; Matthew 6:18 ). This question is so important that we will do well to pause to examine it before we go on to study the chapter in detail. It is very often stated that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:8

Be not ye therefore like unto them ,..... Do not be imitators of them, and follow their ways, who have only the dim light of nature to guide them; it would be shameful in you to do as they do, when you have a divine revelation for your direction; and especially, because your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him ; and therefore have no need to make use of many words, or much speaking, or long prayers. The omniscience of God is a considerable argument, and a great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye ,.... 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:10

Thy kingdom come ,.... The form of expression used by the ancient Jews, relating to this article, before the coming of Christ, doubtless was, as it now stands in their prayers F18 Seder Tephillot, fol. 128. 2. Ed. Basil. , מלכות משיחך יבא , "the kingdom of thy Messiah come". Christ alters the expression, leaves out the word "Messiah", and puts it thus, "thy kingdom come", to let them know that the Messiah was come; and that it was the kingdom of the Father, in the power of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:11

Give us this day our daily bread. The Arabic version reads it, "our bread for tomorrow"; and Jerom says, that in the Hebrew Gospel, used by the Nazarenes, he found the word מחר , which signifies "tomorrow": but this reading and sense seem to be contradicted by Christ, Matthew 6:34 were it not that it may be observed, that this signifies the whole subsequent time of life, and so furnishes us with a very commodious sense of this petition; which is, that God would give us, "day by day", as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:12

And forgive us our debts ,.... Nothing is more frequent in the Jewish writings than to call sins חובי , "debts"; and the phrase, of forgiving, is used both of God and men. Thus the prayer of Solomon is paraphrased F25 Targum in 2 Chron. vi. 21. by the Targumist: "and hear thou the petition of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make before this place; and do thou receive it from the place of the house of thy Shekinah, from heaven; and do thou accept their prayer... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:13

And lead us not into temptation ,.... Such a petition as this is often to be observed in the prayers of the Jews F1 Seder Tephillot, fol. 3. 1. Ed. Basil. fol. 4. 2. Ed. Amstelod. Shaare Zion, fol. 73. 1. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 60. 2. , אל תביאני , "do not lead me" neither into sin, nor into transgression and iniquity, ולא לידי נסיון , "nor into temptation", or "into the hands of temptation";' that is, into the power of it, so as to be overcome by it, and sink under it; in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 6:8

Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of - Prayer is not designed to inform God, but to give man a sight of his misery; to humble his heart, to excite his desire, to inflame his faith, to animate his hope, to raise his soul from earth to heaven, and to put him in mind that There is his Father, his country, and inheritance. In the preceding verses we may see three faults, which our Lord commands us to avoid in prayer: - 1st. Hypocrisy. Be not as the hypocrites. Matthew 6:5 . ... read more

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