Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

PROSEUCHOMAI* - Part 16 - εχηγεομαι (Strong's #1834)
To pray

Please note that all Biblical quotes, in this and all other lessons posted to Greek Thoughts, are from The Literal English Translation of the Bible produced by BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America.

We continue today with our study of the word προσεὺχομαι (Strong's #4336, pronounced prō'sūk-ō-mī**), which means "to pray." It is a word compounded from the preposition pro/v (Strong's #4314, pronounced prōs**) meaning "to" or "toward," and the word εὔχομαι (Strong's #2172, pronounced ū' kō-mī**) meaning "to wish, to desire."

From the beginning of this study, we have seen that the simple combination of these two Greek words does not give a complete understanding of prayer; and it has been necessary to biblically define the kind of desires and heart-condition required of believers as they address God. To this end, we first looked at teachings from the disciples and then focused on the foundational teachings of Jesus, as found in Matthew 6:5-14. We are now in the process of studying seven principles of prayer, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13.

We found that the first three principles involve how we are to approach the Father; with an appreciation for who He is, asking for His name to be honored, desiring for His kingdom to come and for His will to be done "as in heaven also upon the earth."

The next three are distinguished from the previous group because they have to do with asking for our needs. To date, we have studied the first two principles in this group; the need of daily bread, and forgiveness of our debts against God. In this lesson, we are going to study the third principal applicable to praying for our needs, how we are to pray in light of temptations from the evil one. It is the sixth principle of prayer, found in Matthew 6:13, and instructs us to depend upon the Lord, in order to keep from being drawn away from Him into temptation.

Matthew 6:9-13: The Principles of Prayer

9)

In this way therefore you pray (προσεὺχομαι); Our Father, the One in the heavens, sanctify Your name;

10)

Your kingdom come; Your will happen, as in heaven also upon the earth.

11)

Give to us today our daily bread;

12)

and forgive us our debts as we also are forgiving our debtors.

13)

And do not allow us to be led (εἰσφὲρω) into temptation (πειρασμὸς), but deliver us from the evil one.

The first part of this prayer principal is to ask that the Lord not allow us to be led away. The Greek verb for "allow us to be led" is εἰσφὲρω (Strong's #1533, pronounced ās phĕr' ō), which means "to be led into" or "to be carried into." Since the mood of a verb is an important factor in translating and understanding how a word is translated, it is important to know that this verb is in the subjunctive mood, which designates a possibility or probability. When used with the negative particle^F1 in a prayer, this subjunctive is called the permissive subjunctive. The petitioner is asking of the one to whom he/she is praying that He not allow or permit him/her (the petitioner) to be led or carried away into temptation.

The Greek word for temptation is πειρασμὸς (Strong's #3986, pronounced pā răs mōs') and means "temptation" or "trial." Its root word, πεῖρα (Strong's #3984, pronounced pā' ră), means "to experience" and is used for both good and bad experiences. Therefore, πεῖρα is used for either a temptation or for a trial, and its appropriate meaning within a verse must be determined by its context and agreement with other scripture.

Viewing Matthew 6:13 in light of other scripture, we turn to James. Although he uses the same word earlier, in James 1:2, to teach that God does design trials (as correctly translated in the NKJV) for His disciples to go through, James' subsequent verses clearly show that God tempts no one:

James 1:13-14
13) Let no one while being tempted say, 'I am being tempted of God.' For God is without capacity to be tempted by evils, and He Himself is tempting no one;
14) but each one is being tempted by his own lusts by being drawn out and being seduced."

Later in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, Luke records that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as was His custom and His disciples followed Him. Luke 22:40 says, "And after having arrived at the place, He said to them, 'Pray in order that you should not enter^F2 into temptation.'" Here, before Jesus went to the cross, He reiterates the teaching He had given to the disciples as Matthew recorded in Matthew 6:13—they must continue to pray so that they will not enter into temptation. In light of these scriptures, Jesus, in Matthew 6, would not have been teaching His disciples that God was the one responsible for leading them into temptation and that they should be asking Him not to do it.

Now we need to consider the context of πειρασμὸς within Matthew 6:13 itself. We have only to consider the next line of the text wherein Jesus instructs the petitioner to pray that the Father deliver him/her from the evil one. This tells us that the allurement originates from the evil one. Therefore, πειρασμὸς is translated "temptation" because it is clearly not referring to a trial designed by God; but is instead referring to temptation originating from the evil one, which has the design of drawing one away from God.

The Lord teaches this principal of prayer to emphasize that believers must realize they are unable to control themselves when in temptation and that they are to pray to the Father, confessing their dependence upon Him, asking that He not permit them to be carried away by temptation when it comes. It is a prayer of confessed spiritual weakness and total dependence upon the Father.

Next week, we will continue to examine Jesus' teaching as we study the seventh principle of prayer, from Matthew 6:9-13.

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* PROSEUCHOMAI is the English font spelling of the Greek word [gree]proseu/xomai[/greek].

**English pronunciation guide for Greek words: āle, ăm, ärm; ēve, ĕnd; īce, ǐll; ōld, ǒdd, whö; ūse, ŭp

F1: In grammar, a particle is a short, indeclinable part of speech.

F2: The infinitive of purpose used with the negative μὴ͂εἰσελθεῖν, "not to enter," is translated by διὰ͂νὰ͂μὴ͂εἰσὲλθητε, "in order that you should not enter."

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