Matthew 6:7

Matthew 6:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
• New International Version (NIV)And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Matthew 6:7

5‘Also, you must not pray in the way that the hypocrites pray. They like to stand and pray in their meeting places. They like to do it on the corners of the busy streets. Then many people will see them and they will praise them. I tell you this. They have already received their gift from people. God will not give them anything more. 6But this is how you should pray. Go to a place in your house where you can be alone. You can shut the door and you can pray to God your Father. He is in that secret place. He sees what you do there. He will give you good things in return. When you pray, do not say the same words many times. People who do not believe in God do that. They use many words that mean nothing. They think that when they pray like that, their gods will hear them. 8Do not pray like they do. God your Father already knows what you need. He knows this even before you ask him. 9So this is how you should pray: “God, our Father who is in heaven, we want people to give honour to you.

Matthew 6:7 word by word

προσευχόμενοι δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί· δοκοῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολυλογίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰσακουσθήσονται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• when ye prayπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
• useβαττολογέωbattologeō · to babbleG945
• notμήmē · notG3361
• asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
• the heathenἐθνικόςethnikos · Gentile-likeG1482
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• they thinkδοκέωdokeō · to thinkG1380
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• they shall be heardεἰσακούωeisakouō · to listen toG1522
• forἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• much speakingπολυλογίαpolulogia · wordinessG4180

Cross-references for Matthew 6:7

• 1 Kings 18:26So Baal's prophets took a bull as Elijah had told them. They prepared it and they put it on the altar that they had made. Then they prayed to Baal all the time, from morning until noon. They shouted, ‘Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice that answered them. They jumped and they danced around the altar.
• Ecclesiastes 5:2You should not speak too soon. Think carefully before you make a promise to God. God is in heaven and you are here on the earth. So do not say too much.
• Acts 19:34But the crowd knew that Alexander was a Jew. So they continued to shout the same words for about two hours. All together they shouted, ‘Our god Artemis of Ephesus is very great!’
• Matthew 26:39Jesus went a short way beyond them. He went down with his face on the ground. He prayed, ‘Father, if it is possible, please save me from this time of great pain. But Father, I do not ask you to do what I want. Do what you want to do.’
• 1 Kings 8:26So now, God of Israel, please cause what you promised to my father, your servant David, to happen.
• Daniel 9:18Listen to us, my God. Our towns have become heaps of stones. See what has happened to the city that belongs to you. We do not ask you to do this because we are righteous people. We ask you because you are very kind.
• Matthew 6:32People who do not know God are always trying to get these things. But as for you, your Father in heaven knows that you need them.
• Matthew 18:17If your friend still will not agree that he has done something wrong, then go and tell the church leaders. If he does not agree with the leaders, stop being his friend. He is like somebody who refuses to obey God.

Commentaries on Matthew 6:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Use not vain repetitions - , Suidas explains this word well: ", 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 fervor. 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Use 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; “They called on Baal from morning until noon, saying, O…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-8Verses 5-8 It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to so poor a thing as the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8God cannot be persuaded by repeating words over and over. The Lord’s Prayer is a simple and authoritative model (Matthew 6:9–13), unlike the lengthy prayers of pagans.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions--"Babble not" would be a better rendering, both for the form of the word--which in both languages is intended to imitate the sound--and for the sense, which expresses not so much the repetition of the same words as a senseless multiplication of them; as appears from what follows. as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking--This method of heathen devotion is still…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 6:7

• Commandments
• Gentiles
• Motive
• Pharisees
• Prayer
• Religion
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Appear
• Closet
• Consider
• Corrupt
• Countenance
• Despise
• Fast
• Forgive
• Glory

Commentaries on Matthew 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings