Matthew 6:7

Monday, 30 December 2024

 

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. Matthew 6:7

 

“And praying, not you shall stammerer-speak just as the ethnicities. For they think that in their verbosity they will be heard” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus spoke about the appropriate way to pray, meaning by doing it in secret. Now, He provides another example of how not to pray, beginning with, “And praying, not you shall stammerer-speak.”

 

It is a word found only here in Scripture, battalogeó. The word is said to be from battos, a proverbial stammerer, and logos, word or speech. As such, it signifies to stutter or prate tediously. Some identify the first half of the word as coming from the Aramaic word battah, meaning idle or vain. Thus, translations will say something like the NKJV, “vain repetitions.”

 

Either way, the point is made. People are not to just babble out prayers as if they become more important by the many words or repetitions that come forth. As Jesus says, this is “just as the ethnicities.”

 

He uses the word ethnikos, ethnicities. Of this word, Strong’s Lexicon says –

 

“In the first-century Greco-Roman world, the term ‘ethnikos’ was used to distinguish between Jews and non-Jews. The Jewish people were set apart by their covenant with God, marked by practices such as circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath observance. Gentiles, or ‘ethnikos,’ were those who did not follow these practices and were often seen as outsiders to the faith community. The early Christian church grappled with the inclusion of Gentiles, as seen in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), which addressed how Gentile converts should be integrated into the predominantly Jewish Christian community.”

 

Thus, the word refers to any of the ethnic groups of the nations separate and distinct from the Jewish nation. Hence, it is translated at times as pagans, heathen, nations, Gentiles, etc. The word ethnicities is a direct translation into modern English, the word being the etymological ancestor of our modern word. Of these people, Jesus next says, “For they think that in their verbosity they will be heard.”

 

Here is another word found only this one time in Scripture, polulogia. It is a singular noun derived from polus, much or many, and logos, word or speech. The word verbosity rightly translates this word. However, by using the two Greek words as a basis for a new word, someone could be inventive and say polylog or the plural polylogs.

 

Such a word would be a nice addition to the English language to describe many in the church today. Charismatics and Pentecostals are famous for such prayers. But this type of behavior is not exclusive to them. It is fashionable in many other churches and denominations to continuously repeat words and phrases. Watching Christian TV might lead someone to think their video was broken because the same thing is repeated ad nauseam at times.

 

Because Jesus says, “For they think that in their verbosity they will be heard,” He is indicating that this type of prayer is perfectly pointless. If something is prayed to God only once, it will be received by Him. Babbling repetition has no more effect than the first prayer that was uttered to Him.

 

Life application: Repetition can be a good thing for learning and memorizing. However, if something is continuously repeated too often or in too short of a time, it can become an annoying distraction. And yet, for some reason, when people pray, that principle is tossed out the window.

 

It is as if shouting out repetitive words or phrases somehow makes people think they will be perceived as more holy than others or maybe more in tune with God. However, Jesus says that just the opposite is true when He equates this conduct to the ethnicities.

 

As the church is now the focal point for proper worship of God, why would we bring the bad habits of the past into our worship of the Lord now? Instead, there should be an attitude of respect, honor, and glorification of God when we speak to Him. To inanely babble off repetitions to Him is actually demeaning because we make it seem as if He is too dull to get our prayers the first time.

 

Let us not find ourselves with this type of attitude. Instead, all things should be done in proper order and in a manner that acknowledges His ability to adequately receive and process our prayers without overloading the spiritual airwaves with our polylogs.

 

Lord God, may the words of our mouth be pleasing and acceptable to You at all times. May our prayers to You be respectful and honoring of You. Help us in this, O God. Amen.