Peter of Laodicea on the Lord's Prayer

Peter of Laodicea (7th or 8th century?) created a commentary on Matthew that, as far as I have been able to determine, has been published only in Greek (link to 1905 publication, or at least, not in English).  As I'm compiling patristic commentaries on the Lord's Prayer, I was pointed to this work. I now offer my amateur attempt at a transcription and translation of his commentary on Matthew 6:9-13. 

Τότε πατὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ θεὸς χρηματίζει, ὅτε διὰ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιφοιτήσεως τῆς υἱοθεσίας Χριστοῦ ἀξιωθῶμεν. ὁ γὰρ πατέρα καλῶν τὸν θεὸν ὀφείλει καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κληρονόμος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν· θρασὺς δὲ ὁ μορφωθεὶς πρὸς τὸν διάβολον, λέγων πατέρα τὸν θεὸν, ὃν οὐ δοξάζει. εἰπὼν δὲ τὸ ἡμῶν ἕνα τοὺς πολλοὺς δείκνυσιν ὡς ἑνὸς σώματος, μιᾶς ἁπάντων οὔσης κεφαλῆς τοῦ θεοῦ· ὑπεμφαίνει δὲ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων εὔχεσθαι ὡς ὅτι πάντες ἀδελφοί ἐσμεν. 

Then God is called our Father, when through the visitation of the Spirit we have been deemed worthy of the adoption of Christ. For the one calling God Father ought to be clean from sins and an heir of the kingdom of the heavens; but bold is the one who has been formed toward the devil, saying that God is Father, whom he does not glorify. And by saying the “our,” he shows the many to be one, as of one body, God being the one head of all; and he also intimates the praying for one another, since we are all brothers.

τὸ δὲ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ὅταν εἴπῃ, οὐκ ἐκεῖ τὸν θεὸν συγκλείων τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς γῆς ἀπάγων τὸν εὐχόμενον καὶ τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς προσηλῶν. τὸ δὲ ἁγιασθήτω οὐ προστακτικῶς, εὐκτικῶς δέ, οἷον ἁγιασθείη, οὐχ ἵνα ἐκ βεβήλου ἁγιασθῇ, ἀλλ’ ἵνα ἡμῖν ἀποκαλυφθείσης τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ ἀξίως αὐτοῦ διδῶμεν ἁγιότητα ὀνομάζοντες θεόν. βασιλείαν δὲ θεοῦ ἢ τὴν μέλλουσαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπόλαυσιν φησὶν ἢ τὴν διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος δωρεὰν ἢ τὴν δευτέραν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ φύσει θεὸς ὢν ὁ Χριστὸς οἰκονομικῶς καλεῖται βασιλεὺς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἐπεύχονται οἱ πιστοὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀπίστους ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα εἰς Χριστὸν πιστεύσαντες βασιλέα ἴδιον ἐπιγράφωνται αὐτόν. 

And whenever he says the “in the heavens,” he says this not as shutting God up there, but as leading away the one praying from the earth and nailing him to the things on high.

And the “let it be hallowed” is not imperatively, but optatively, as, “may it be hallowed”; not so that it may be hallowed from being profane, but so that, his goodness having been revealed to us, we may fittingly give holiness to him, naming him God.

And by “kingdom of God” he means either the future enjoyment of good things, or the gift through the Holy Spirit, or his second coming. And since Christ, being God by nature, is called King economically as man, the faithful pray also that this may come upon the unbelievers, so that, having believed in Christ, they may inscribe him as their own King.

τὸ δὲ γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου τοῦτο δηλοῖ· ὥσπερ ἐν οὐρανῷ καθαρῶς καὶ ἀμέμπτως πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι πολιτεύονται, οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐν τῇ γῇ ποίησον. ἢ οὕτως· ὥσπερ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἰσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀξίωσον ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τοῦ πνευματικοῦ καὶ καθαροῦ σώματος. Ἐπιούσιον δὲ ἄρτον ἢ τὸν συνιστῶντα τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν φησι, τουτέστι τὸν ἐφήμερον, ἤτοι τὸν ἐπιόντα καὶ προσδοκώμενον τοῦ πνεύματος ζωοποιὸν ἄρτον, τουτέστι τὸν μέλλοντα. ὠνοματοπεποίηται τοίνυν τὸ ἐπιούσιον ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐπιέναι καὶ ἐπέρχεσθαι, ἢ τὸν μὴ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος οἰκεῖον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀποδοθησόμενον ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι τοῖς ἁγίοις δὸς ἡμῖν ἤδη· ἢ ἐπείπερ οὐσία κυρίως ἐστὶν ἡ ἑστῶσα καὶ βέβαιος, οἷα ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν φύσις φοροῦσα τὸ κατ’ εἰκόνα τοῦ ἀοράτου θεοῦ, κατὰ τοῦτο λέγοιτ’ ἂν ὁ τῇ κυρίως οὐσίᾳ ὁμιλῶν ἄρτος, ἐπιούσιος θεὸς ὢν, λόγος, ζῶν ἄρτος. 

And the “Let your will be done” makes this clear: just as in heaven all the angels conduct themselves purely and blamelessly, so also make human beings on the earth [to do so].

Or thus: just as the angels are in the heavens, so also count us worthy, in the resurrection, of the spiritual and pure body.

And by “supersubstantial bread” he means either the bread that sustains our body, that is, the bread for the day; or else the coming and expected life-giving bread of the Spirit, that is, the future bread. Therefore the word “supersubstantial” has been named either from “to come on” and “to approach,” or [it means]: “Give us already the bread that is not proper to the present age, but that which is going to be given in the future to the saints.”

Or, since “substance” in the proper sense is that which stands firm and is sure, such as the nature of our soul, bearing that which is according to the image of the invisible God, according to this the bread that has dealings with the substance in the proper sense might be called “supersubstantial,” being God, Word, living bread.

εἶτα δυσωπῶν ὁ λόγος ἀμνησικακεῖν, συνειδότας ἑαυτοῖς ἁμαρτίας μετριάζειν διδάσκει τὸ τῶν ἴσων θέλειν τυχεῖν. φησὶ γάρ· καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν. πᾶν δὲ ἁμάρτημα ὀφείλημά ἐστιν· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐνδύσηταί τις τὴν τῆς ἀμνησικακίας ἀρετήν, οὐ δύναται τυχεῖν ἀφέσεως. εἶτα διδάσκει μὴ παραιτεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀγῶνας, πλὴν μὴ ἐπιρρίπτειν ἑαυτούς· εἰ δὲ ἀνάγκη καλέσοι, δεῖ εὔχεσθαι τοῦ ῥυσθῆναι· ὁ γὰρ ἐν τῇ πάλη νικῶν καὶ μὴ ἐγκαταλειπόμενος οὐκ εἰσέρχεται εἰς πειρασμόν. πειρασμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἧττα καὶ ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου πλάνη· ὁ δὲ μὴ εἰσελθὼν εἰς δίκτυα πειρασμοῦ ἐρρύσθη ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. πονηρὸς δέ ἐστιν ὁ διάβολος οὐ φύσει, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσει·οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἐκ φύσεως ἐστὶν ἡ πονηρία, ἀλλ’ ἐξ αὐτεξουσίου κακίας καὶ πονηρίας γίνεται· κατ’ ἐξοχὴν δὲ οὗτος καλεῖται διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κακίας. τὸ δὲ ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις ἐν τισιν οὐ κεῖται μέχρι τοῦ ἀμήν.

Then, the Word, importuning [us] to be without remembrance of wrongs, teaches those conscious to themselves of sins to be moderate, by wishing to obtain equal things. For he says: “And forgive us our debts.”

And every sin is a debt; for unless someone puts on the virtue of not remembering wrongs, he is not able to obtain forgiveness.

Then he teaches not to decline the contests, yet not to throw ourselves upon them; but if necessity should call, it is necessary to pray to be delivered. For the one conquering in the wrestling and not being abandoned does not enter into temptation. For temptation is defeat and the deception from the devil; but the one who has not entered into the nets of temptation has been delivered from the evil one.

And the devil is evil, not by nature, but by choice; for wickedness is not among the things from nature, but comes to be from self-chosen evil and wickedness. And he is called this preeminently because of the excess of his wickedness.

And the “For yours is the kingdom and the power” is not found in some [copies] as far as the “Amen.”

What is particularly interesting here is that Peter recognizes the division among the Greek copies, with some including a doxology and others not including it.  Peter opts not to comment on this portion, possibly suggesting that he does not think it is original.  However, since he does not say that it is not original, we can only be confident that he was aware that there was, at his time, a textual variant in the Greek copies on this particular point.

Cyril of Jerusalem, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Jacob of Serugh on the Lord's Prayer

Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386), Catechetical Lecture XXIII, On the Mysteries V, Section 11-18 (as provided here, with at least some corrections and notes by the present author):

11. Then, after these things, we say that Prayer which the Saviour delivered to His own disciples, with a pure conscience entitling God our Father, and saying, Our Father, which art in heaven. O most surpassing loving-kindness of God! On them who revolted from Him and were in the very extreme of misery has He bestowed such a complete forgiveness of evil deeds, and so great participation of grace, as that they should even call Him Father. Our Father, which art in heaven; and they also are a heaven who bear the image of the heavenly (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:49), in whom is God, dwelling and walking in them.

12. Hallowed be Thy Name. The Name of God is in its nature holy, whether we say so or not; but since it is sometimes profaned among sinners, according to the words, Through you My Name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles (Ezekiel 36:22 as quoted in Romans 2:24; Cf. Isaiah 52:5), we pray that in us God's Name may be hallowed; not that it comes to be holy from not being holy, but because it becomes holy in us, when we are made holy, and do things worthy of holiness.

13. Thy kingdom come. A pure soul can say with boldness, Thy kingdom come; for he who has heard Paul saying, Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body (Romans 6:12), and has cleansed himself in deed, and thought, and word, will say to God, Thy kingdom come.

14. Thy will be done as in heaven so on earth. God's divine and blessed Angels do the will of God, as David said in the Psalm, Bless the Lord, all ye Angels of His, mighty in strength, that do His pleasure. (Psalm 103:21; cf. Psalm 148:2) So then in effect thou meanest this by thy prayer, "as in the Angels Thy will is done, so likewise be it done on earth in me, O Lord."

15. Give us this day our substantial bread. This common bread is not substantial bread, but this Holy Bread is substantial, that is, appointed for the substance of the soul. For this Bread goeth not into the belly and is cast out into the draught (cf. Mark 7:19 or Matthew 15:17), but is distributed into thy whole system for the benefit of body and soul. But by this day, he means, "each day," as also Paul said, While it is called to-day. (Heb. 3:15)

16. And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. For we have many sins. For we offend both in word and in thought (cf. James 3:2), and very many things we do worthy of condemnation; and if we say that we have no sin, we lie (1 John 1:8), as John says.  And we make a covenant with God, entreating Him to forgive us our sins, as we also forgive our neighbours their debts. Considering then what we receive and in return for what, let us not put off nor delay to forgive one another. The offences committed against us are slight and trivial, and easily settled; but those which we have committed against God are great, and need such mercy as His only is. Take heed therefore, lest for the slight and trivial sins against thee thou shut out for thyself forgiveness from God for thy very grievous sins.

17. And lead us not into temptation, O Lord [TF note: I haven't italicized "O Lord," though perhaps he includes such in his quotation.]. Is this then what the Lord teaches us to pray, that we may not be tempted at all? How then is it said elsewhere, "a man untempted, is a man unproved;" [TF note: From Schaff's printing, we find the following footnote: "Tertull. De Bapt. c. 20: “For the word had gone before ‘that no one untempted should attain to the celestial kingdoms.’” Apost. Const. II. viii.: “The Scripture says, ‘A man that is a reprobate (ἀδόκιμος) is not tried (ἀπείραστος) by God.’” Resch, Agrapha, Logion 26, p. 188, quotes allusions to the saying in Jas. i. 12, 13; 2 Cor. xiii. 5, 6, 7, and concludes that it was recorded as a saying of our Lord in one of the un-canonical gospels (Luke i. 1), where it occurred in the context of the incident narrated in Matt. xxvi. 41, Mark xiv. 38.") and again, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations? (James 1:2) But does perchance the entering into temptation mean the being overwhelmed by the temptation? For temptation is, as it were, like a winter torrent difficult to cross. Those therefore who are not overwhelmed in temptations, pass through, shewing themselves excellent swimmers, and not being swept away by them at all; while those who are not such, enter into them and are overwhelmed. As for example, Judas having entered into the temptation of the love of money, swam not through it, but was overwhelmed and was strangled both in body and spirit (Cf. Matthew 27:5). Peter entered into the temptation of the denial; but having entered, he was not overwhelmed by it, but manfully swam through it, and was delivered from the temptation (Cf. Luke 22:31-34). Listen again, in another place, to a company of unscathed saints, giving thanks for deliverance from temptation, Thou, O God hast proved us; Thou hast tried us by fire like as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; Thou layedst afflictions upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; and thou broughtest us out into a place of rest. Thou seest them speaking boldly in regard to their having passed through and not been pierced. But Thou broughtest us out into a place of rest (Psalm 66:10-12); now their coming into a place of rest is their being delivered from temptation.

18. But deliver us from the evil. If Lead us not into temptation implied the not being tempted at all, He would not have said, But deliver us from the evil. Now evil is our adversary the devil, from whom we pray to be delivered. Then after completing the prayer thou sayest, Amen; by this Amen, which means "So be it," setting thy seal to the petitions of the divinely-taught prayer.

Notice that the "Amen" is not properly part of the prayer itself for Cyril, for he says, "after completing the prayer," and that there is no doxology present in the prayer.  Moreover, there is no other good explanation that can be offered for why Cyril would not comment on the doxology, if it were even liturgically present (as the "amen" was in Cyril's liturgy).  

Theodore of Mopsuestia (AD 350 – 428) wrote a commentary on the Lord's Prayer and on the two sacraments.  I reproduce, below, the end of Chapter I (Chapter II begins the subject of Baptism) in the form of a series of homilies (full text available in translation here):

He calls "to offend" the act of injuring by wickedness and obstinacy those who for the sake of perfection strive to lead a humble and pure life. Because of all this, after He had said, "And lead us not into temptation," He added: But deliver us from evil, because the wicked Satan injures us much in all the above things, as he endeavours in different ways to do things through which he thinks that he is able to divert us from our love and choice of duty.

Our Lord embodied perfection of works in the above words of prayer and taught us clearly how we are to be, in what we are to be diligent, from what we have to flee, and what to ask of God. And our blessed Fathers who thought that, together with the right teaching and the true faith, we ought also to strive after a good life and good works, ordered this prayer for those who draw near to the gift of baptism so that side by side with an accurate doctrine concerning the creed of the faith they might through prayer so order our life as to possess that perfection which is required of those who receive the gift of baptism, and through which they are counted in the number of the citizens of the heavenly life, while still on this earth.

Endeavour now to keep clearly in your mind the things which you have learnt in short words from the Lord's prayer, and meditate upon them with diligence in order that, while still in this world and far from the next, you may imitate and follow the teaching of our Lord, and thus be worthy of the heavenly benefits in which we are all enabled to participate by the grace of the Only Begotten Son of God, to whom, in conjunction with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, now, always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

Notice that Theodore provides a sort of doxological conclusion to his chapter/homily, which has already begun the transition to the next topic of discussion.  There is, however, no mention of the Lord's Prayer containing any doxology, such as is found in the King James Version.

Jacob of Serugh (AD 452-521) also known as Jacob of Sarug or Mar Jacob has a homily on the Lord's Prayer.  In section XIII, he writes:

Deliver me from the enemy who fights with me, for I cannot conquer him without Your aid. Do not look to me to conquer in that great occasion of bloodshed. Take for Yourself the battle and the victory befitting You. Deliver me from it and let the crown and fame be Yours, and neither attribute to me triumph, nor victory. Deliver me from it and let the entire glory of the athlete be reserved for You, for You have conquered the enemy. Deliver me from it and let defeat pursue me, for I confess, I have already been defeated – You conquered me. Without You I cannot conquer in battle. Let me not be tested, deliver me from it without trial. In mercy, deliver me from Satan who fights with me, for all the victories You shall take befit You. Deliver me from him (i.e. Satan), for Yours is the power and the kingdom and the authority – and also the glory. And also when one conquers – whatever he conquers – he does so by You, for all strength and power belong to You.

This is then followed by section XIV, in which a summary of the Lord's Prayer homily is provided.  You will notice that there is some kind of doxological content at the end of the discussion of "deliver us from the Evil One."  It is not, however, discussed in the same way as the the petition is discussed, so it is not clear whether Jacob sees this as a kind of liturgical flourish on top of the prayer, or whether it is properly part of the prayer.  If the latter, it should be noted that it is similar to, but not the same as the KJV's doxology, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."  The main differences are the inclusion of "authority" as well as "strength" (But compare Daniel 2:37) and the exclusion of the durative "for ever" and the affirmative "amen".