Matthew 6:12 - Exposition

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors . Forgive ; a change in God's relation to us and our sins. No plea is urged, for the atonement had not yet been made. Our debts ( τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν ) parallel passage in Luke, τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ) . It is probable that Matthew took one meaning, perhaps the more primary, and Luke another, perhaps the more secondary, of the original Aramaic word ( אבוח ); but, as "debtors" comes in the next clause, it seems reasonable to suppose that Matthew represents the sense in which our Lord intended the word to be understood. Luke may have avoided it as too strongly Hebraic a metaphor, even though he does use ὀφειλέται of men in relation to God ( Luke 13:4 ). The 'Didache,' 8., gives the singular, ὀφειλήν (cf. infra , Matthew 18:32 ), which Dr. Taylor thinks is preferable. The singular, especially with "debtors" following, would very naturally be corrupted to the plural. Sins are termed "debts," as not rendering to God his due ( Matthew 22:21 ; cf. Matthew 25:27 ). As we ; Revised Version, as we also ( ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ). In the same way as we have—a comparison of fact, not of proportion (cf. Matthew 8:13 ; Matthew 18:33 ). (For the thought, cf. Ecclesiasticus 28:2.) Luke's "for we ourselves also" ( καὶ γὰρ αὐτοί ) lays more stress on our forgiving others being a reason for God forgiving us. Forgive ; Revised Version, have forgiven , in the past (aorist). Luke's present is of the habit. Our debtors. Luke individualizes ( παντιλοντι ἡμῖν