The Lord’s Prayer

“Part of the supplement series for the Interpretation Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, this volume offers an in-depth analysis of the Lord’s Prayer as it appears in both Matthew and Luke as well as offering discussion of its contemporary application. Black’s commentary is often insightful, such as his analysis of the relationship between the kingdom and God’s will. Black’s work is an important resource that no serious study of the Lord’s Prayer should ignore.” – Religious Studies Review

“Black provides a detailed exegetical commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, with careful analysis of the difficulties of this beloved and well-known text. At the same time, he offers a rich theological com- mentary on the Prayer, sensitive to its lengthy history of interpre- tation and to the challenges facing contemporary Christians. This volume will be a welcome resource for pastors and for theologically engaged students of the New Testament.” —Harold W. Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity, Yale Divinity School

“Faced with this book on the Lord’s Prayer, I have three questions. Do I agree with all the interpretations? No, but the range of mate- rial discussed here is so rich that I can think about them afresh for myself. Did I go along with all the theology? No, but the larger con- text here, from the prayers of ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel to those of spiritual and theological giants of every age, has opened my eyes to unguessed treasures. Did it make me want to pray and give me fresh resources to do so? Yes. Abundantly. That’s what matters.” —N. T. Wright, former Bishop of Durham and Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, Scotland

“The Lord’s Prayer is Christ’s precious gift to the church and world. Wisely, Clifton Black has been entrusted to guide us through it. The Prayer could not be in better hands. Faithful to its purpose, learned in its history of interpretation, and, most of all, pastoral in his exposition, Black leads us through the simple words many of us recite every day. This beautiful book will add a second blessing to the Prayer and help us hear it anew.”—Richard Lischer, James T. and Alice Mead Cleland Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Duke Divinity School and author of Reading the Parables and Stations of the Heart

“The words are as familiar as any in the language, prayed every day for two thousand years, in gorgeous liturgy, uttered by frightened men and women facing danger, offered at weddings and funer- als and by the bedsides of seriously ill patients, whispered before sleep, and commented on by biblical scholars and theologians in every age. Clifton Black has written a consummate and comprehen- sive, scholarly but accessible book, helpfully placing the Prayer in the context of the Greco-Roman world and the spiritual traditions of first-century Judaism. If you have only one book on the Lord’s Prayer, this should be it—an invaluable resource for thoughtful readers, seekers, and preachers and teachers alike.” —John M. Buchanan, Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago and former Editor/Publisher, The Christian Century