LUK 11:1-4

The Lordʼs Prayer

1And it came to pass, while he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his learners said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his learners.' [11:2] And he said to them, 'When you pray, say: Father, let your name be hallowed; let your kingdom come; let your will be done, as in heaven, so also upon the earth; [11:3] give us our sufficient bread each day; [11:4] and forgive us our failures, for we ourselves also forgive everyone indebted to us; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Jewish practice, prayer was deeply tied to communal identity and ritual purity. The disciples' request to be taught to pray reflects their desire to align with Jesus' spiritual authority, much as John the Baptist's disciples had their own distinct practices. The invocation 'Father' would have resonated with Jewish listeners as an intimate address to God, echoing the covenantal relationship in texts like Isaiah 63:16. The petition for God's name to be 'hallowed' reflects the Jewish emphasis on the sanctity of God's name, central to synagogue worship. The request for 'daily bread' highlights reliance on God's provision in a subsistence economy where food scarcity was a daily concern. Forgiveness of sins aligns with Jewish practices of repentance and reconciliation, particularly during communal fasts and festivals. The prayer's brevity and focus on communal needs contrast with the lengthy, formulaic prayers of some Jewish sects and the public displays of piety common in Greco-Roman religious practices.

›See the receipts

How other translations render this

LUK 11:1

KJV: And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
BSB: One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Koinōnos: And it came to pass, while he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his learners said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his learners.

LUK 11:2

KJV: And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
BSB: So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Koinōnos: And he said to them, 'When you pray, say: Father, let your name be hallowed; let your kingdom come; let your will be done, as in heaven, so also upon the earth;

LUK 11:3

KJV: Give us day by day our daily bread.
BSB: Give us each day our daily bread.
Koinōnos: give us our sufficient bread each day;

LUK 11:4

KJV: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
BSB: And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Koinōnos: and forgive us our failures, for we ourselves also forgive everyone indebted to us; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.1.2

›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.1.2

“The Jews had for a great while had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves; the sect of the Essens, and the sect of the Sadducees, and the third sort of opinions was that of those called Pharisees”

Cited to ground: The prayer's brevity and focus on communal needs contrast with the lengthy, formulaic prayers of some Jewish sects

Translator's notes

LUK 11:1

disciples:The word translated 'disciples' refers to a learner or pupil, someone who actively follows and imitates the teachings and way of life of their master, not just a passive student.

LUK 11:2

of us:The term used here for 'hallowed' or 'sanctified' means to set something apart as sacred, to treat it as holy and worthy of reverence, distinguishing it from the common or profane.

LUK 11:3

daily:The word translated 'daily' is quite rare and debated, but it likely means either 'for the coming day' or 'sufficient for the present day,' emphasizing immediate need rather than a general daily routine.

LUK 11:4

sins:The word translated 'sins' originally carried the sense of 'missing the mark' or 'a failure,' often in archery, and later came to mean a moral or religious transgression.