Matthew 6:11

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

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Matthew 6:11 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 6:11

Give us this day our daily bread.
] The Arabic version reads it, "our bread for tomorrow"; and Jerom says, that in the Hebrew Gospel, used by the Nazarenes, he found the word (rxm) , which signifies "tomorrow": but this reading and sense seem to be contradicted by Christ, ( Matthew 6:34 ) were it not that it may be observed, that this signifies the whole subsequent time of life, and so furnishes us with a very commodious sense of this petition; which is, that God would give us, "day by day", as Luke expresses it, ( Luke 11:3 ) that is, every day of our lives, to the end thereof, a proper supply of food: or the meaning of it is, that God would give us, for the present time, such food as we stand in need of; is suitable to us, to our nature and constitution, state and condition, and is sufficient and convenient for us: to which agrees the petition of the ^F21 Jews:

``The necessities of thy people are great, and their knowledge short; let it be thy good will and pleasure, O Lord, our God, that thou wouldst give to everyone (wtonrp) (ydk) , "what is sufficient for his sustenance", and to every one's body what it wants.''

``Says R. Jose ^F23, all the children of faith seek "every day" (whyynwzm alavl) , "to ask their food" of the Lord, and to pray a prayer for it.''

By "bread" is meant all the necessaries of life, and for the support of it: it is called "our's"; not that we have a right unto it, much less deserve it, but to distinguish it from that of beasts; and because it is what we need, and cannot do without; what is appointed for us by providence, is our's by gift, and possessed by labour. It is said to be "daily" bread, and to be asked for "day by day"; which suggests the uncertainty of life; strikes at all anxious and immoderate cares for the morrow; is designed to restrain from covetousness, and to keep up the duty of prayer, and constant dependence on God; whom we must every day ask to "give" us our daily bread: for he is the sole author of all our mercies; which are all his free gifts; we deserve nothing at his hands: wherefore we ought to be thankful for what we have, without murmuring at his providences, or envying at what he bestows on others. All kind of food, everything that is eatable, is with the Jews called (Mxl) , "bread" ^F24.

FOOTNOTES:

F21 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 29. 2.
F23 Zohar in Exod. fol. 26. 2.
F24 Jarchi in Job, vi. 7.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible