The Jewish Background to the Lord’s Prayer (Part IV)
22 Sep 2023
Thy Will be Done, on Earth as In Heaven (Ye’ase r’tzoncha Bashamayim uva’eretz)
We continue our journey into the heart of the Lord’s prayer. For earlier parts in the series, see here.
‘Thy Will Be Done’ is a parallelism to ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ but it should be noted that it is set within the context of God’s desire for all humankind to repent and become part of the Kingdom of Heaven. ‘May Your Will Be Done’ is a definite affirmation of that desire.
May it be
I believe the key to this line is teasing out the Hebrew that Jesus would have studied (though he spoke Aramaic as a matter of course). It appears as the Greek word, ‘genathato’ (‘may it be’), the Hebrew word for which could have been ‘hayah’ – ‘to be’; in which case the fuller translation would be: ‘Let it be your will in heaven and earth’, or alternatively, ‘Let your will prevail in heaven and earth’.
Having said that, the construct in Hebrew is somewhat clunky and a better structure using the verb ‘to be’ would be translated ‘May it be pleasing before you’ or ‘May it be that’. Either of these forms would be best followed by a request, yet this is missing. The words simply say, ‘On earth as in heaven’.
Doing His will
The Greek ‘genathato’ can also align with the Hebrew word ‘asah’ – ‘to do’, and this will translate into ‘May your will be done in heaven and earth’. Translating in this manner also buys into the idiomatic frequently used in Hebrew; ‘to do His will’. Yes, the thrust is slightly different but directionally it is in keeping with the Hebraic mindset around God’s will. Indeed, we could stretch things a little and say that this plea for God’s will to be accomplished finds rationale in the idea of repentance and obedience to God.
this plea for God’s will to be accomplished finds rationale in the idea of repentance and obedience to God.
There is an early Rabbinic prayer, dating to around 100 CE, that taps a similar vein requesting that God’s will be accomplished. It is a traveller’s prayer, especially for people travelling in travelling through tough areas, most likely infested with bandits. The prayer reads; ‘Do your will in heaven and grant satisfaction to those who fear you on earth’.
On earth as in heaven
The Hebrew word ‘asah’ is used in this prayer and seemingly stands behind the Greek ‘genathato’ in the Disciples’ Prayer. It is also noteworthy that the second element of this prayer seems to reflect an intention that is contained within the phrase ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. The Greek word ‘has’ which is used here for ‘as’ does not appear in several New Testament manuscripts, including the Codex Beza Cantabrigiensis, which many scholars rate as particularly better at retaining Hebraisms than many other texts.
Some argue that ‘has’ is a scribal addition resulting from ‘As we also have forgiven’. It is true that with ‘has’ removed, the phrase becomes very close to the Hebrew idiom ‘in heaven and in earth’ (see Joel 2:30 & Psalm 113:6). Assuming that this is the case, the imagery behind this phrase can be seen to delineate God’s majesty. He is supernatural and all-powerful in heaven, but He is also active and intimately involved in humanity’s affairs on earth. The Holy One of Israel intervenes on behalf of humans and for the benefits of His Kingdom here on earth.
Submitting to Him
Looking at this through Hebraic spectacles, we can see that this prayer is not about discerning God’s will in our lives but submitting to the doing of His will. This is entirely consistent with the sentiment of scripture as demonstrated repeatedly in the Psalms. For example, Psalm 40:8, which says, ‘I delight to do Thy will O my God; thy Torah is within my heart’.
The holy One of Israel intervenes on behalf of humans and for the benefits of His Kingdom here on earth.
Rabbinic teaching consistently emphasises the need for a man to place God’s will before his own desires. The greatest example of this was found with Jesus at Gethsemane. He knew full well the brutality of Roman crucifixion. I have little doubt that He would have witnessed a good number himself. Jesus is effectively saying ‘Father, this is horrendous; it is excruciating, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless thy will be done’. Jesus over-rode His own volition to do God’s will.
The term ‘May your will be done’ is connected to the idea of man’s need to live in accordance with God’s will as detailed in scripture. A prayer by Rabbi Alexandri captured this sentiment with his prayer:
‘Sovereign of the Universe, it is revealed and known to you that our will is to do your will. What prevents us? The leaven in the dough and the enslavement to the kingdoms. May it be pleasing to You to save us from their hands and may we repent and begin to do Your laws according to your will with a perfect heart”.
Internal yearning
The term ‘leaven in the dough’ is a clear reference to our evil inclinations or sinful nature, and it spells out that it is this tendency towards sin that stands between us and our desire to do God’s will. This is emphasised by the term ‘enslavement to the kingdoms’, which alludes to the tension between faith and the world.
‘enslavement to the kingdoms’, which alludes to the tension between faith and the world.
Seen in this light, ‘May your will be done’ forms a powerful request that expresses an intense internal yearning. Praying this prayer is pleading with God to continue to be involved and accomplish His divine will on earth. It runs parallel with the idea that we must overcome our will to do His.
Repentance is a commitment to overcome our inherent sin and live in line with God’s authority, thus positioning the rest of the Disciples’ Prayer.
Nick Thompson worked extensively in national newspaper marketing teams in the 80s and 90s. He currently lives in North Lincolnshire and works in software development and football. He is a Trustee of Prayer for Israel and a member of the Prophecy Today Editorial Board.
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Nick Thompson