Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”
As I seek to understand a new dimension that God is leading me in my prayer life, I am finding myself using the Lord’s prayer more often. In this use of the Lord’s Prayer I am discovering that I haven’t the foggiest idea of what I am saying. One passage I am particularly troubled with is praying that God does not lead me into temptation. Does not James teach in 1:3, “Let no man say he is tempted of God.” Sounds like a contradiction.
One basic rule we need to keep in mind is that Jesus gave us the Lord’s prayer in Aramaic which was later translated into Greek. Something that seems to not be known among Christians is that until 1948 the Classical Hebrew had not been in the vernacular of the Jewish people for over 2,500 years. Classical Hebrew was a dead language only used for ceremonial reasons. No one knows how the Hebrew was pronounced in Biblical times as that has long been lost. We can guess but we can’t be sure. So if anyone tells you that you can purchase a CD with the Psalms being spoken just as David spoke it, watch your pocket book. Unless the rocks can speak, we will never know what the original Hebrew sounded like nor will we know the correct way to pronounce God’s name or the name of Jesus in Hebrew.
By the first century the common language of the Jewish people was Aramaic. The Hebrew script we use today is actually the Aramaic Square Script which Ezra used to replace the Phoenician script which some have called the Ancient Hebrew. It is the Square Script that I play around with and not the so called Ancient Hebrew script.
Greek was the vernacular of the West and the language of commerce for the West. Aramaic was the vernacular of the East and the language of commerce for the East. The people of Israel spoke the Aramaic. There were three main dialects of Aramaic during the time of Jesus, the Northern or Old Galilean dialect which Jesus and his disciples spoke, a Southern dialect which was spoken in Judea and a Western dialect which was spoken in the area of Babylon. Classical Hebrew did remain as the language used for scriptural and scholarly writings. The synagogue readings and recitation of prayers were all in the Classical Hebrew during the 1st Century. Although Jesus spoke Aramaic as the common language, as a rabbi He probably used many Hebrew terms in his teachings. Much of the writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls were in Hebrew but there was also many documents written in Aramaic, Arabic, Greek and Latin.
One such very recent discovery from the Psalms Scroll which shed some light on this very troubling passage in the Lord’s Prayer, Lead us not into temptation. Why would God lead us into temptation? If it was His divine will to lead us into temptation, why would we pray for Him not to lead us into temptation. Was Jesus actually teaching us to pray and tell God to back off? As mentioned earlier, is this in contradiction to the teachings in James 1:3 which tells us that we are not tempted by God?
An identical phrase was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls following a certain rhythmic pattern. Another thing to keep in mind about this culture is that they had no recording devices and most of what was taught by the rabbis was put to a sort of rhythm, meter or rhyme. Although not poetry, it did form a good device to aid in memorization. The rhythm and rhyme of the Lord’s prayer was lost when it was translated into the Greek. However, when transposed into Aramaic and even Hebrew you recapture much of the meter. This is why you will find so many idiomatic expressions. It can be difficult at times to express you thoughts in a rhyme and sometimes the only way to make a thought rhyme is to create an idiomatic expression.
This passage, Lead us not into temptation that has been found in the Dead Sea Scrolls carries such a rhythm. When you transpose the phrase in the Lord’s prayer and the passage in James to Aramaic or Hebrew you get the same meter or rhyme as found with the identical phrase in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This helps to establish this phrase, Lead us not into temptation as an idiomatic expression.
The difficulty now lies in translation of the Aramaic word, the word most likely used by Jesus, for temptation which is nesiona into the Greek word peirasmon. Nesiona in the Dead Sea Scrolls is found in the Hiphal form signifying a causative sense. Hence using the Dead Sea Scrolls rendering as guide we would find a more proper rendering of this phrase: Lead us not into temptation to be: Do not allow us to enter wrongful thinking or testing.
As the Lord’s Prayer is given by Jesus we can assume it is an expression of God’s heart. God wants us to pray that we do not enter into wrong thinking or wrong testing. I just wonder how many of my testings were brought on by myself by my own lack of submission to God’s will or my own wrong thinking?
I know many of us recite the Lord’s Prayer on a daily basis. If you are Catholic you may recite it at every mass. If you find the rendering, Lead us not into temptation a bit troubling, you might want to take advantage of the discoveries found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and offer an alternative rendering of Don’t allow me to enter into wrong thinking or testings.
i often find myself praying it and found that each time i verbalize it, it never comes out the same, because of the inner meanning of each sentence. so i began to look at what the scriptures are saying elsewhere; we tend to take look at the scriptures in such a way that we sometimes fail to see the relevance against other scriptures. i like to follow thru this trail sometimes,if you like my email is vcruz53@eagan.comi enjoy the scriptues and with the help of these devotionals they open even wider as we seek to look into God’s heart and the simplicity of the Word of God.. Chaim Bentorah does makes me think. and that is where we can draw from the scripture. i sure hope that i am not being presumptious victor
The model prayer appeals to me as an intense form of worship. Jesus did say after this manner pray, thus we know it is a model prayer.
Today, we can express the model prayer in the present tense. Jesus has ascended to the Father, and as one who has been redeemed by the sacrifice performed at Calvary and a beneficiary of all the petitions incorporated in the model prayer, so I express it as one who is experiencing the benefits of it and further expressed it in the form of Worship, recognizing the accomplishment upon Cross. I ALSO am a beneficiary of that act. As one who has been redeemed I know of His forgiveness, His protection, in whom has His spirit been placed, one dwelling in the Kingdom of His Son.
This form of prayer does exalt God, giving us the opportunity to raise our voices to him in adoration, in gratitude, in praise, and worship. It does place us in a humble attitude as we recognize Him as our MOST Father, who has begotten us thru His Son into His everlasting light.
Our Father, You, who has gathered us as a hen gathers her chicks. And have forgiven us, even, when we required chastisement. The only One, whose love, is unconditional. Whose only requirement is obedience, because obedience covers all Your mandates, of Your sons and daughters! You have begotten us thru Your son Jesus the Christ, whom it pleased You to sacrifice as a worthy sacrifice for Your creation.
Who art in Heaven
Your, abode is the Heaven, and the earth Your footstool. Where the angels behold Your face at all times, and never ceases to say Holy, Holy, Holy, as the continual praise and worship, adoring the only righteous God, the All Mighty.
Hollowed be Your name
Name that carries authority with an eternal character, worthy of all worship and honor. Jehovah, Elohim The Eternal God, Jehovah Saboah Lord of Host. Who throughout the scriptures Your creation has been called by names expressing who are You based upon Your acts of Love, and demonstration of Your Power, Jehovah Nissi Lord our banner, when our enemies chase after us, we run to You and upon seeing Your standard they fall at Your feet.. Jehovah Jirah, Our provider, who is always willing to have our needs met according to His riches in Christ. Even before I was born, You, established the protection over me. Such protection was even before the foundation of the world and all that is in it. Jehovah Shalom, You are my peace thru which we live confident that no weapon formed against us shall or will prosper; Your angels do encamp round about us always. Jehovah Rohi, Our Eternal Sheppard.
Thy Kingdom come
Thy Kingdom has come, for in such dwells the Son of the Father, The Christ, the Anointed, the everlasting God of whose kingdom there shall be no end. Jesus said that if anyone should tell You the kingdom is here or over there do not go, for Your kingdom is within us. Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within You. [LUK 17:21]
Jesus said; [MAT 12:28] But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto You.]
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Whose will is being done upon the earth as it is in heaven, by those whom You have redeemed, and whom You have sanctified; bought by the shed blood of Your Son! We know that our desire is to walk upright always even though there are times we fail, but we are not habitually sinning, but, striving to do Your will, Oh God!
Give us this day our daily bread.
You have given us each day our daily bread, for our spiritual grown and enrichment. The bread of life, which is Your Son, from which flesh, we have voluntarily partaken, as well as His blood that cleanses us of unrighteousness. Therefore there is no want nor lack in us.
The same You gave to us even before creation. Jesus called himself the Bread, the Manna provided by You Our Father. During the last supper with His disciples it was established that who so ever eat of His body, and drink of His blood, would have eternal life. John 3:16 solidifies this promise.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus did say: [JOHN 6:32] Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto You, Moses gave You not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives You the true bread from heaven. John. 6: 33 * for the bread of God IS HE who cometh down from heaven, and gives life unto the world. [JOH 6:58] This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as Your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever, spiritually.
Forgive our trespasses… as we…
Even when we had gone beyond Your forgiveness You forgave us while we forgive our debtors and those who trespass against us. It is Your directive that we should forgive so that You, our Father, who is in Heaven, forgive us our trespasses. We know that forgiveness bear heavily upon Your answering our prayers. [MAT 6:15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will Your Father forgive Your trespasses. [COL 2:13] And You, being dead in Your sins and the un-circumcision of Your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven You all trespasses;] as we forgive our debtors. [MAT 6:14] for if ye forgive men their trespasses, Your heavenly Father will also forgive You:]
Lead us not into temptation
You have kept us from temptation, as we strive to eschew temptation, for we know that You do not lead or carry us into temptation, because YOU tempt no man, nor are YOU tempted with evil. But if we should fall into temptation You are always ready and willing to forgive us. I know You lead us into the still waters, to be refreshed and be partaker of the peace that is in Your presence.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: [JAM 1:13]
There hath no temptation taken You but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer You to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. [1CO 10:13] [KJV]
But deliver us from evil:
You have indeed delivered us from all evil, for as a born again creation, even thought by my actions was not merited; instead You gave us deliverance thru Your Son and Our Savior. [GAL 1:4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father: GAL 1:5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.]
For Your’s is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Because YOU created all things, and for Your pleasure they were created. And that is good enough for me….
For yours are the Kingdom and the Power and The Glory Forever. To Him, the only true God,
The I Am who I Am is all glory and Power Amen, He Reigns
Selah
In His service,
Victor Cruz
That never made sense to me either. The way you convey it sounds more like what He would say. Good grief! How is the average person supposed to get to the real meaning with the damned Greek superimposed on everything. I find myself angry at this and rather ripped off. Still, I’m so very glad to find these nuggets from your writings.