Matthew 6:11
The expression τον
αρτον ημων τον επιουσιον, usually translated “our daily bread,”
gave ancient translators and commentators difficulty because the word επιουσιον occurs only here and in Luke 11:3 in the
NT and because it does not appear in other Hellenistic literature (Metzger
1958, 52–54). Origen thought the word was “coined by the evangelist” (BDAG
376). The meaning of the word is sought from its derivation: (1) επι and ουσια, translated as “necessary for existence”
(so Origen, Chrysostom, and Jerome); (2) επι την ουσα, translated as “for this day”; or (3) η επιουσα, rendered as “for the following day.” The
word, found in all NT Greek manuscripts (the earliest being the amulet P.
Antinoopolis 2.54 of the third century), either speaks of what is necessary for
existence or of what meets our day-by-day need. Most modern translators opt for
a translation that addresses the daily need. Some ancient translators did the
same, while others focused on the issue of sustaining existence: (1) cottidianum (“daily”) in Old Latin; (2) supersubstantialem (“that which
substantiates”) in vg; (3) “necessary” in syrh,(); (4) “of tomorrow”
in cop; (5) crastinum (“of tomorrow”)
in copmae(?) copbo; (6) mahar (“tomorrow”) in Gospel
of the Hebrews.
The word could also have eschatological significance, if it is derived
from επειναι, “for the
future.” In his Commentary on Matthew
(6:11) Jerome wrote, “In the Gospel according to Hebrews, for ‘substantial
bread’ I found ‘mahar,’ which means ‘belonging to tomorrow’; so the sense is:
our bread of the morrow, that is, of the future, give us this day.” This means
that “the disciples are to pray for tomorrow’s bread today, since tomorrow
would be the day of the Messiah (cf. Exod 16:22ff.) on which work would not be
possible” (Albright and Mann 1971, 76). This interpretation coincides nicely
with the emphasis in the first part of the prayer on the coming of the kingdom.
However, the other translations mentioned above are also based on solid
exegesis because the Lord’s Prayer does address our need to depend on God for
our everyday existence. (Philip W. Comfort, New Testament Text
and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the Variant Readings of the Ancient
New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate to the Major English Translations
[Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008], 15)
