This article shows how the original Greek of the Lord’s prayer differs from the English translation that we all use in church. Our standard English version bears little resemblance to what Jesus’s listeners heard.
Below I show a more accurate translation of each line of the Lord’s Prayer and how that translation lines up with the original Greek. I then provide a standard ancient Greek definition of that line’s key words. Many of the translation issues here can be explored in other articles on this site. Links are provided.
“Father of ours, that one in the skies,
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς:
Father of ours, that one in the skies,
“Skies“ is the Greek ouranos, which means, in common usage, “sky”, “vault of the sky”, “heaven as the seat of the gods”, “the universe” and “the climate”. It is plural. It does not refer to the afterlife. See this article.
It must be sanctified, this name of yours.
Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου,
It must be sanctified, this name of yours.
The “it must be” is from the form of the verb. It is a “third-party command”, a Greek verb form that works like our “it must”. The verbs in these first three sentences —“be sanctified”, “show up” and “happen”,— are all third-party commands. See this article.
“Be sanctified” is from hagiazo, which means “to separate from profane things and dedicate to God”, “to dedicate people to God”, “to purify” and “to cleanse externally or internally”. It is not an adjective nor the Greek word that means “hallowed”.
It must show up, this realm of yours.
“Show up“ is from erchomai, which means “to start”, “to set out”, “to come”, “to go” and any kind of motion. It means both “to start” on a journey and “to arrive” at a place. Our English word “show up” captures both the “start” and “come” ideas. See this article for more.
It must happen, this will of yours, as in sky also on earth.
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς:
It must happen, this will of yours, as in sky also on earth.
“Happen“ is from ginomai, which means “to become”, “to come into being”, “to happen” and “to be produced”. It means changing into a new state of being. It is the complementary opposite of the verb “to be” (eimi) which indicates existence in the same state. It does not mean “done”. See this article for more.
This bread of ours, the existing upon, give us this day
Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον:
This bread of ours, the existing upon, give us this day.
“Existing upon“ is from epiousios, which first appears here. This word is likely from epi (“upon”) and the gerund form of eimi, (“to be”) meaning literally “upon being” or “being upon”. Some suggest it means “over being” or “above being” from the meaning of epi as “over”, with the sense of meaning “supernatural” or “super-essential”. Discussion about its possible meanings go back to the very early Christian writers. See these two articles discussing its mystery: part one, part two.
Also, let go for us those debts of ours.
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,
Also, let go for us those debts of ours.
“Let go” is from aphiemi, which means “to let fall”, “to send away”, “to discharge”, “to give up”, “hand over”, “to let loose”, “to get rid of”, “to leave alone”, “to pass by”, “to permit” and “to send forth from oneself”. It does not mean “forgive”. See this article.
“Debts” is from opheilema, which means “that which is owed” and “debt”. See this article.
as even we ourselves let go of those debtors of ours.
ὡς κaὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν:
as even we ourselves let go of those debtors of ours.
“We ourselves” is from hemeis, the first person plural pronoun, “we”, “us”. When used as a subject, it has the sense of “we ourselves” because the pronoun is also a part of the verb. See this article.
“Debtors” is from opheiletes, which means “a debtor”, “a person who owes a debt” or “one who is under a bond”.
Also, you might not bring us into a trial.
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
Also, not you might bring us into a trial.
“Might” is from the subjective form of the verb.
“Bring” is eisphero, which means “to carry in”, “to bring in”, “to contribute”, “to bring into”, “to introduce”, “to bring forward”, “to propose”, “to carry with one”, “to bring with”, “to draw a break”, “to drink” [water], “to sweep along” [as a river] and “to nominate”.
“Trial“ is from peirasmos, which means a “trial”, “worry”, “an experiment”, and “an attempt”. The root word is the verb peirazo, which means “make a proof”, “to try”, “to test a person” and “to attempt”.
Instead, rescue us from this worthless one.”
ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
Instead, rescue us from this worthless one.
“Rescue“ is from rhyomai, which means “to draw to oneself”, “to draw out of danger”, “to rescue”, “to save”, “to deliver”, “to save from an illness”, “to shield”, “to guard”, “to protect”, “to draw back”, “to hold back”, “to check” and “to keep off”.
“The…one” is the Greek definite article, hos, (”the”), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of “the one” or, in the plural, “the ones”.
“Worthless ” is from poneros, an adjective, which we discuss on this page. In a moral sense, it means “worthless”, “base” and “cowardly”.
Conclusion
As you can see from the definitions above, these key words can have a variety of meanings, but a useful version is:
Father of ours, that one in the skies,
It must be sanctified, this name of yours.
It must show up, this realm of yours.
It must happen, this will of yours, as in sky also on earth.
Also, let go for us those debts of ours.
as even we ourselves let go of those debtors of ours.
Also, you might not bring us into a trial.
Instead, rescue us from this worthless one.”
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