But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Parallel translations
- WEB In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
- BSB And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
- 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.
- NASB “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
- NLT “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Don't pile up empty, repetitive words thinking length earns God's attention. Prayer is heard for its sincerity, not its quantity of words.
Overview
Jesus warns against the pagan practice of heaping up phrases as if God must be worn down or impressed by sheer volume. Such 'vain repetitions' treat prayer as a mechanical technique rather than a trusting appeal to a loving Father. This corrects a false view of God and prepares for the model prayer that follows, which is marked by simplicity and faith rather than verbosity.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Eccl 5:2–3Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
- Eccl 5:7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
- 1 Kgs 18:26–29And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
- Matt 6:32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
- Matt 26:44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
- Dan 9:18–19O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
- Matt 26:42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
- 1 Kgs 8:26–54And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
- Acts 19:34But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
- Matt 26:39And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
- Matt 18:17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 6:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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