Matthew 6:11
11
Give us today our daily bread.
Give
didōmi
us
hēmeis
today
sēmeron
·
ho
our
hēmeis
daily
epiousios
bread
artos
ho
ἐπιούσιος (epiousios) – This word occurs nowhere else in Greek literature except in the context of the Lord’s prayer.
The noun ουσια (ousia), literally means “being” in the sense of substance. Together with the preposition επι (epi) meaning on or upon or repetition: the adjective επιουσιος (epiousios), literally describes a “continued being”. This word occurs in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer (“give us this day our epiousion bread”) and scores of commentators throughout history have tried to explain it. The Greek noun απουσια (apousia), means “absence” implying that επιουσιος means in some sense “Presence.” Jesus indeed prayed for everybody’s daily food (Necessities of life), but perhaps meant more “Give us this day our bread of Presence”, the Showbread of the Tabernacle — called להם הפנים (lehemhapanim). The Showbread comprising 12 loaves each representative of the 12 Tribes symbolized in simple fashion the fact that God was the source in Israel’s strength and nourishment. The showbread is said to have reminded the people of God’s supply of daily need for bread and their continued dependence on God’s provision for spiritual as well as physical needs.
Jesus has taught you to pray “Give us this day our bread of Presence.” The Roman Catholic Church take the word επιουσιος to mean “super-substantial” or “super-essential” The connection with the Eucharist is obvious, but before we dismiss such an interpretation consider Jesus’s tough teaching in John 6:33-35. It is something to reflect on.
For
gar
the
ho
bread
artos
of
ho
God
theos
is
eimi
that
ho
which
comes
katabainō
down
from
ek
·
ho
heaven
ouranos
and
kai
gives
didōmi
life
zōē
to
the
ho
world
kosmos
.”
So
oun
they
said
legō
to
pros
him
autos
, “
Sir
kyrios
,
give
didōmi
us
hēmeis
this
houtos
bread
artos
from
now
pantote
on
!”
·
ho
Jesus
Iēsous
said
legō
to
them
autos
,
·
ho
“
I
egō
am
eimi
the
ho
bread
artos
of
ho
life
zōē
