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Contemporary English Version
Matthew 6:7
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- ChipParallel Translations
When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.
But when yee pray, vse not vaine repetitions, as the heathen doe. For they thinke that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
"And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
"And when you pray, don't be like those people who don't know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words.
"And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
Also when ye pray, vse no vaine repetitions as the Heathen: for they thinke to be heard for their much babbling.
"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
"And when you pray, don't babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as those who are of the nations: for they think they shall be heard through their much speaking.
"And when you pray, don't be like the people who don't know God. They say the same things again and again. They think that if they say it enough, their god will hear them.
And when you pray, do not repeat your words like the pagans, for they think that because of much talking they will be heard.
"When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.
"But when you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard.
But when you pray, do not be babbling vain words, as the nations; for they think that they shall be heard in their much speaking.
And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
And in your prayer do not make use of the same words again and again, as the Gentiles do: for they have the idea that God will give attention to them because of the number of their words.
In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Goyim do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
"When you are praying, don't say meaningless words like the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their wordiness.1 Kings 18:26,29; Ecclesiastes 5:2;">[xr]
And when thou art praying, be not wordy, like the profane; for they think that in much speaking they are heard.
And when ye pray, be not garrulous like the heathen; for they expect to be heard for their abundance of words.
But when ye pray, babble not much, as the heathen do. For they thynke [it wyl come to passe,] that they shalbe heard, for theyr much bablinges sake.
And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathens; for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.
"And when praying, do not use needless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they expect to be listened to because of their multitude of words.
But in preiyng nyle yee speke myche, as hethene men doon, for thei gessen that thei ben herd in her myche speche.
And in praying don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
"When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
When you pray, do not say the same thing over and over again making long prayers like the people who do not know God. They think they are heard because their prayers are long.
"When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
And, being at prayer, use not vain repetitions, just like the nations, - for they think, that, in their much speaking, they shall be hoard;
And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.
"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
And whe ye praye bable not moche as the hethe do: for they thincke that they shalbe herde for their moche bablynges sake.
`And -- praying -- ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard,
And when ye praye, bable not moch, as ye Hethen do: for they thinke that they shalbe herde, for their moch bablynges sake.
When you pray, be not verbose, as the heathen are: for they think they shall be heard for their loquaciousness.
"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what's best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.
"When you talk to the Boss, don't run your mouth off like an auctioneer who don't know when to say 'Sold!' Just repeatin' the same words over and over and over again don't get your prayers answered.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
use: 1 Kings 18:26-29, Ecclesiastes 5:2, Ecclesiastes 5:3, Ecclesiastes 5:7, Acts 19:34
repetitions: Matthew 26:39, Matthew 26:42, Matthew 26:44, 1 Kings 8:26-54, Daniel 9:18, Daniel 9:19
the heathen: Matthew 6:32, Matthew 18:17
Reciprocal: Job 35:13 - God Isaiah 1:15 - make many prayers Jeremiah 10:3 - customs Mark 7:7 - in vain Mark 12:40 - long Mark 14:39 - he went
Cross-References
More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings came down and married the ones they wanted.
Then the Lord said, "I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years."
The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later.
Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.
Wicked people are enemies of the Lord and will vanish like smoke from a field on fire.
If you respect the Lord , you will live longer; if you keep doing wrong, your life will be cut short.
The Lord has a reason for everything he does, and he lets evil people live only to be punished.
And so your land is a desert. Every living creature is dying— people and wild animals, birds and fish.
people and animals, birds and fish. Everyone who is evil will crash to the ground, and I will wipe out the entire human race.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions,.... 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 ×תפ××× × ×¢× ×
××ר××, that multiplies prayer is heard" h; and whoever prolongs his prayer, his prayer does not return empty; and he that is long in prayer, his days are prolonged i: 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.
h T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 67. 3. i Zohar in Exod. fol. 104. 4.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Use not vain repetitions - The original word here is supposed to be derived from the name of a Greek poet, who made long and weary verses, declaring by many forms and endless repetitions the same sentiment. Hence, it means to repeat a thing often; to say the same thing in different words, or to repeat the same words, as though God did not hear at first. An example of this we have in 1 Kings 18:26; âThey called on Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us!â It may serve to illustrate this passage, and to show how true is the description here of prevailing modes of prayer, to refer to the forms and modes of devotion still practiced in Palestine by the Muslims. Dr. Thomson (âThe Land and the Bookâ) gives the following description of what actually occurs: âSee those men on that elevated terrace. One has spread his cloak, other their Persian rugs toward the south. They are Muslims, preparing to say prayers - rather perform them, in this most public place, and in the midst of all this noise and confusion.
âLet us stop and watch the ceremony as it goes on. That man next us raises his open hands until the thumbs touch the ears, exclaiming aloud, âAllah-hu-akbarâ - âGod is great.â After uttering mentally a few short petitions, the hands are brought down and folded Together near the girdle, while he recites the first chapter of the Koran, and two or three other brief passages from the same book. And now he bends forward, rests his hands upon his knees, and repeats three times a formula of praise to âGod most great.â Then, standing erect, he cries âAllah-hu-akbar,â as at the beginning. Then see him drop upon his knees, and bend forward until his nose and forehead touch the ground directly between his expanded hands. This he repeats three times, muttering all the while the same short formulas of prayer and praise. The next move will bring him to his knees, and then, settling back upon his heels, he will mumble over various small petitions, with sundry grunts and exclamations, according to taste and habit. He has now gone through one regular Rek'ah; and, standing up as at the first, and on exactly the same spot, he will perform a second, and even a third, if specially devout, with precisely the same genuflections.
âThey are obliged to repeat some expressions thirty times, others many hundred times. Would that these remarks did not apply to nominal Christians in this land as well as to Muslims!â
The heathen do - The original word is that which is commonly translated âGentile.â The world was divided into two parts, the Jews and the Gentiles; that is, in the original, the ânations,â the nations destitute of the true religion. Christ does not fix the length of our prayers. He says that we should not repeat the same thing, as though God did not hear; and it is not improbable that he intended to condemn the practice of long prayers. His own supplications were remarkably short.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Matthew 6:7. Use not vain repetitions — μη βαÏÏολογηÏηÏε, Suidas explains this word well: "ÏÎ¿Î»Ï Î»Î¿Î³Î¹Î±, 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 Daniel 9:3-20; 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." Matthew 6:8. 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:-
[--------------------Arabic--------------------]
[--------------------Arabic--------------------]
[--------------------Arabic--------------------]
[--------------------Arabic--------------------]
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 Ï ÏοκÏιÏαι, like the hypocrites. Unmeaning words, useless repetitions, and complimentary phrases in prayer, are in general the result of heathenism, hypocrisy, or ignorance.
