Linguistic Context

Words matter. The Bible wasn’t written in English. The Old Testament came to us in Hebrew (with parts of Ezra and Daniel in Aramaic), and the New Testament in Greek. That’s why we have so many translations—because no single English word can always capture the full depth of the original language.

But sometimes the difference isn’t in a word, but in the grammar. For example, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he didn’t say “My Father” or “Give me today my daily bread.” He said:

Our Father.
Give us.
Forgive us.
Deliver us.

The entire prayer is in the plural because faith isn’t a solo project. It’s a communal way of life. But that doesn’t come naturally to those of us who live in Western cultures that prize individualism and self-reliance. In her book Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg writes, “English speakers have a habit of reading every you in the Bible as if it’s addressed to ‘me all by myself’ rather than ‘me within God’s larger community.’”

Jesus teaches us to pray in the plural on a daily basis so that we remember there’s no such thing as following Jesus on your own. This prayer re-centers us in community—reminding us that our story is tied to the flourishing of others.

Practice for Today: Each time you pray the Lord’s Prayer, think of at least one person in your life who needs daily bread, forgiveness, or deliverance. As you say us, imagine their face. Pray as if their need is bound up with your own, because in God’s kingdom, it is.