Matthew 06:09-15 What did Jesus Really Say in The Lord’s Prayer?

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus creates a Hebrew poem centered on the word “forgive.” The poem is created by using the letters from the Hebrew word for “forgive” and rearranging the letters to form new words by either adding a letter or subtracting a letter. The Hebrew letters for the sounds “k,” “ch,” and “h” are considered somewhat equivalent sounds and are interchanged for each other throughout the poem. The letter that is added is normally the “t” sound. The letter that is subtracted is normally the Hebrew letter vav which is a vowel. For instance, if you reverse the letters in the Hebrew word “forgive” you create the Hebrew word for “bread” if you drop the Hebrew letter vav. The next time you hold a remembrance of the Lord’s Supper you might want to consider the poetic connection between “bread” and “forgive.”

Matthew 6:9 Pray, then, in this way:

                        Our Father in heaven,

                        hallowed be your name.

10                    Your kingdom {“Kingdom” (מלכות) mal'khut} come.

                        Your will be done

                                    on earth as it is in heaven.

11                    Give us this day our daily bread {“Bread” (לחם) lechem}.

12                    And forgive {“Forgive” (מחול) machul} us our debts,

as we also have forgiven {“Forgive” (מחול) machul} our debtors {“Sinners” (לחוטאים) l’chotam}.

13                    And lead us not into temptation,

                                    but deliver us from {“From all” (מכל) mikal} the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive {Absolve (תמחלו) t’mahlo} men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive {“Forgive” (מחול) machul} you. 15 But if you do not forgive {Forgive (תמחול) t’machul} men {“Them” (להם) lehem}, neither will your Father forgive {“Forgive” (מחול) machul} {“You” (לכם) lekem} {“Your” (לכם) lekem} your trespasses.

Note: Most scholars believe that Jesus spoke a Semitic language either Aramaic or Hebrew or both.

Based on the book, “The Passion: The Poetry of God”