Matthew 6:7

KJV1611 – Modern English

But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathens do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Προσευχόμενοι δὲ, μὴ βαττολογήσητε, ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί: δοκοῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολυλογίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰσακουσθήσονται.

Transliteration

Proseuchomenoi de, mē battologēsēte, hōsper the ethnikoi: dokousin gar hoti in the polylogia of them eisakousthēsontai.

Grammar Details

• *Proseuchomenoi de*: present middle participle, nominative, masculine, plural + contrastive particle - but praying
• *mē battologēsēte*: negative particle + aorist subjunctive, 2nd plural - do not use vain repetitions
• *hōsper*: comparative adverb - just as/like
• *ethnikoi*: nominative, masculine, plural - Gentiles/pagans/heathens
• *dokousin gar hoti*: present active indicative, 3rd plural + causal conjunction + declarative conjunction - for they think that
• *polylogia*: dative, feminine, singular - much speaking/wordiness
• *eisakousthēsontai*: future passive indicative, 3rd plural - they will be heard/listened to

Word Meanings

• *Proseuchomenoi*: praying/when praying/as you pray
• *battologēsēte*: use vain repetitions/babble/speak meaninglessly
• *ethnikoi*: Gentiles/pagans/non-Jews/heathens
• *dokousin*: think/suppose/believe
• *polylogia*: much speaking/wordiness/verbosity
• *eisakousthēsontai*: will be heard/will be listened to/will have their request granted

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G1161} in praying{G4336} use{G945} not{G3361} vain repetitions,{G945} as{G5618} the Gentiles{G1482} do: for{G1063} they think{G1380} that{G3754} they shall be heard{G1522} for{G1722} their{G846} much speaking.{G4180}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But{G1161} when ye pray{G4336}{(G5740)}, use{G945} not{G3361} vain repetitions{G945}{(G5661)}, as{G5618} the heathen{G1482} do: for{G1063} they think{G1380}{(G5719)} that{G3754} they shall be heard{G1522}{(G5701)} for{G1722} their{G846} much speaking{G4180}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And whe ye praye bable not moche as the hethe do: for they thincke that they shalbe herde for their moche bablynges sake.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And when ye praye, bable not moch, as ye Hethen do: for they thinke that they shalbe herde, for their moch bablynges sake.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Also when ye pray, vse no vaine repetitions as the Heathen: for they thinke to be heard for their much babbling.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But when ye pray, babble not much, as the heathen do. For they thynke it wyl come to passe, that they shalbe heard, for theyr much bablinges sake.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen› [do]: ‹for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `And -- praying -- ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And in your prayer do not make use of the same words again and again, as the Gentiles do: for they have the idea that God will give attention to them because of the number of their words.

• World English Bible (2000)

  In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.

Referenced Verses

• Eccl 5:2-3 : 2 Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God, for God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.
• Eccl 5:7 : 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also various vanities; but fear God.
• 1 Kgs 18:26-29 : 26 And they took the bull which was given them, and prepared 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. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps, and must be awakened. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded.
• Matt 26:44 : 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
• 1 Kgs 8:26-54 : 26 And now, O God of Israel, let your word, I pray you, be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built? 28 Yet have respect to the prayer of your servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer, which your servant prays before you today: 29 That your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, My name shall be there: that you may listen to the prayer which your servant shall make toward this place. 30 And listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear in heaven your dwelling place: and when you hear, forgive. 31 If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before your altar in this house: 32 Then hear in heaven, and act, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 33 When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray, and make supplication to you in this house: 34 Then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again into the land which you gave to their fathers. 35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them: 36 Then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, that you teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. 37 If there is in the land famine, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or if there is caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; 38 Whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39 Then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;) 40 That they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. 41 Moreover concerning a stranger, who is not of your people Israel, but comes out of a far country for your name's sake; 42 (For they shall hear of your great name, and of your strong hand, and of your outstretched arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 Hear in heaven your dwelling place, and act according to all that the stranger calls to you for: that all people of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as do your people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have built, is called by your name. 44 If your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever you shall send them, and shall pray to the LORD toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house that I have built for your name: 45 Then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46 If they sin against you, (for there is no man that does not sin,) and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47 Yet if they shall come to themselves in the land where they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 48 And so return to you with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, who led them away captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name: 49 Then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 And forgive your people that have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: 51 For they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace: 52 That your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them in all that they call for to you. 53 For you separated them from among all the people of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by the hand of Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD. 54 And it was so, that when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
• Matt 26:39 : 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.
• Matt 26:42 : 42 He 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, your will be done.
• Dan 9:18-19 : 18 O my God, incline Your ear, and hear; open Your eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name: for we do not present our supplications before You for our righteousness, but for Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act; do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God: for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
• Matt 6:32 : 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
• Matt 18:17 : 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church: but if he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen and a tax collector.
• Acts 19:34 : 34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.