The Lord's Prayer in Hebrew

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	The Lord's Prayer

	The Lord's Prayer in Hebrew - Part 3


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	"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)

"Ten lanu...," Give to us!

It might seem odd that Jesus taught us to use the imperative of the verb "give!" when addressing the Father, but it is undeniably part of the text, and might best be understood as the appeal of a child who is utterly dependent upon his father to provide for his needs. God Himself has created in us all the hunger and thirst for life, and a child without such desire would be a sickly child indeed.

"Haiyom..," this day

The appeal, however, is qualified by the need for "this day." The Father's manna is given to us one day at a time. "Each one is to gather as much as he needs... No one is to keep any of it until morning" (Exodus 16:16,19). We are to live as the birds of the air or the lilies of the field, taking no thought for the morrow, trusting in God's provision for the needs of our lives.

"Lechem chukeinu," our daily bread.

This phrase likewise occurs in Proverbs 30:8, where it is written, "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but provide me with my daily bread (lechem chuki)." The Hebrew here suggests food that is given by ordinance (chok), but the verb might also derive from a related Hebrew verb (chakok) meaning "to engrave." Since God has created us with an "engraved" hunger and thirst, we must ultimately look to Him for our sustenance and life.

"Kingdom bread" is the really the Bread of Life, which Jesus said truly satisfies our inner hunger. As we seek first His Kingdom ("Thy Kingdom come") and His Righteousness ("Thy will be done"), we are assured that the needs for this day of kingdom life will indeed be met (Matthew 6:33-34).




		Challot


	Transliteration:






		Ten-lanu haiyom lechem chukeinu.


	Simplified Practice Reading


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