Matthew 6:7 · Bible study
Matthew 6:7 Commentary: The Meaning of 'Vain Repetitions'
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does Jesus forbid when he warns against 'vain repetitions'? Explore the Greek word battologeō and the heart of prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus forbids mechanical, thoughtless babbling in prayer, not all repetition, but the kind that treats God as needing many words.
- Key words: βαττολογήσητε (battalogēsēte, to stammer or babble); πολυλογία (polulogia, much speaking).
- Main debate: What constitutes 'vain repetition'? Some Christians see this as forbidding any repeated set prayers; others argue it condemns the attitude, not the form.
- Theological theme: Prayer is intimate conversation with a Father who knows our needs, not a performance to persuade a distant deity.
- Best use: This text serves as a corrective to rote religiosity, calling believers to sincerity and trust in prayer.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
KJV King James Version 1769
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And--praying--ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as those who are of the nations: for they think they shall be heard through their much speaking.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y orando, no seáis prolijos, como los Gentiles; que piensan que por su parlería serán oídos.
E quando orardes, não façais repetições inúteis como os gentios, que pensam que por muito falarem serão ouvidos.
En priant, ne multipliez pas de vaines paroles, comme les païens, qui s’ imaginent qu’ à force de paroles ils seront exaucés.
Und wenn ihr betet, sollt ihr nicht viel plappern wie die Heiden; denn sie meinen, sie werden erhört, wenn sie viel Worte machen.
En als gij bidt, zo gebruikt geen ijdel verhaal van woorden, gelijk de heidenen; want zij menen, dat zij door hun veelheid van woorden zullen verhoord worden.
E nel pregare non usate soverchie dicerie come fanno i pagani, i quali pensano d’essere esauditi per la moltitudine delle loro parole.
A modląc się, nie bądźcie wielomówni, jako poganie; albowiem oni mniemają, że dla swojej wielomówności wysłuchani będą.
А молясь, не говорите лишнего, как язычники, ибо они думают, что в многословии своем будут услышаны;
你們禱告，不可 像 外邦人，用許多重複話， 他們 以為 話多了 必蒙垂聽。
And in your prayer do not make use of the same words again and again, as the Gentiles do: for they have the idea that God will give attention to them because of the number of their words.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 6:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Jesus here condemns mechanical, thoughtless repetition in prayer, not all repetition, but the kind that treats God as if He must be worn down by many words. The key Greek term, βαττολογήσητε (battalogēsēte), is onomatopoeic, literally 'to stammer' or 'babble'. Vincent's Word Studies notes it means 'to repeat the same formula many times,' as the prophets of Baal did. Calvin calls it 'superfluous and affected repetition.' Adam Clarke, drawing on Suidas, traces the word to Battus, a stuttering poet. All point to the same core: the sin is not length or repetition per se, but the heart attitude that imagines God needs prodding. The contrast with the Lord's Prayer that follows (vv. 9-13) confirms this, Jesus gives a short, simple prayer as an antidote.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus forbids treating prayer as a magic formula where many words secure God's attention; God is a loving Father who already knows our needs.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Definition of 'vain repetitions' | Jesus condemns using many words as a way to manipulate God or earn His attention. | Protestant reformers have often taken this as a critique of formal, repeated prayers (e.g., the Rosary), while Catholic and Orthodox traditions hold that repeated prayers are not vain if offered with devotion. |
| Length of prayer | The verse does not forbid long prayers; Jesus himself prayed all night. | Some Christians caution against lengthy public prayers as potentially indulging in vain repetition; others see extended prayer as a sign of fervour. |
| Use of written prayers | The heart attitude is primary; whether prayers are written or spontaneous, they must be sincere. | Free-prayer traditions (many evangelicals) argue that written prayers risk becoming mechanical, while liturgical traditions (Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox) see set prayers as aids to devotion when used attentively. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jesus is teaching within a Jewish context where prayer was highly valued, but abuses had crept in. The 'heathen' (ἐθνικοί, ethnikoi) refers to pagan practices where worshippers chanted lengthy formulas to gain their gods' attention. The most vivid Old Testament example is the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel: 'They called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!”' (1 Kings 18:26). That is the model Jesus says not to imitate.
Yet the problem was not only pagan. Jewish sources from the same period record sayings such as 'Everyone who multiplies prayer is heard' (Gill, citing Talmudic tradition). Some Pharisees also prayed long, showy prayers to appear pious (Matthew 23:14). The word 'vain repetitions' (βαττολογέω) is a rare Greek term, probably coined by onomatopoeia to suggest stammering or babbling. The parallel in verse 8 gives the rationale: 'your Father knows what things you need before you ask him.' So the issue is fundamentally theological: a pagan approach assumes God is distant or distracted; Jesus insists that prayer is intimate conversation with a Father who already knows.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 6:7. The form βατταλογήσητε (battalogēsēte) appears in most manuscripts, with some minor spelling variations (e.g., βαττολογήσητε). None affect the meaning.
Reception History
Early church writers like Tertullian and Chrysostom cited this verse to warn against empty verbosity in prayer, though they did not forbid set forms. During the Reformation, Calvin used Matthew 6:7 to critique what he saw as the 'long and tedious chanting' of Roman Catholic worship, arguing that many were 'muttering' prayers without understanding. Wesley and the Methodist tradition emphasized the need to 'mean what we say' in every prayer. In modern times, Christians across traditions have returned to this text as a reminder that the essence of prayer is not the volume of words but the posture of the heart before a Father who already knows.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The word itself, Greek βαττολογέω suggests stammering, babbling, or empty chatter. It is not about the number of words but their connection to the heart.
- The pagan error, The heathen think God will hear them because of their many words (πολυλογία, polulogia). This assumes God is ignorant or reluctant.
- The Father’s knowledge, Jesus grounds the correction in the goodness of God: He already knows your needs. Prayer is not to inform God but to align us with Him.
Five-point outline
- What Jesus forbids, Mechanical, thoughtless repetition, not all repetition (contrast the Lord's Prayer).
- Why it fails, It treats God as distant or hard of hearing, like pagan idols (1 Kings 18:26-29).
- The heart of prayer, What matters is fervent desire and simple faith, not eloquence or volume (Clarke).
- The positive pattern, Jesus gives a short, intimate prayer (vv. 9-13) that trusts the Father.
- Application today, Guard against 'sleepwalking' through familiar prayers; cultivate attentiveness and sincerity.
Illustration hooks
- Voicemail prayer, Have you ever left a long, rambling voicemail for a friend, repeating yourself because you weren't sure they were listening? That's not how you talk to someone you trust.
- Button-mashing in prayer, In video games, some players just press buttons frantically hoping to win. Vain repetitions are like that: busy but empty.
- The toddler's request, A child asks for a glass of water once; that is enough for a parent who loves them. Jesus says God is even more eager to give good gifts (Matthew 7:11).
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does Jesus forbid repeating the Lord's Prayer or saying the Rosary?
No. He condemns the mindset that thinks many words earn God's favour. Repeated prayers offered with devotion are different from empty babbling. - How can I tell if my own prayer is becoming vain repetition?
Ask yourself: Am I thinking about the words, or just saying them by rote? Sincere prayer engages the heart, even if the same words are used. - Are long prayers wrong?
Not necessarily. Jesus Himself prayed all night (Luke 6:12). The key is the attitude, fervent, attentive prayer is good; long, mechanical ritual is not.
Leading a Discussion
This verse cuts to the heart of why we pray and how we approach God. Jesus warns against treating prayer like a magic formula that works by repetition. Instead, He invites us into a relationship where we trust that God already knows our needs. The goal is not to inform God but to connect with Him.
Discussion questions
- What does the Greek word βαττολογέω (battalogēsēte) literally mean, and why does that matter for understanding this verse?
- How does the example of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:26-29) illustrate what Jesus forbids?
- Why is God's knowledge of our needs (verse 8) the reason we should not babble?
- Think of a time you prayed using familiar words but felt disconnected. What caused that disconnection?
- Jesus gave the Lord's Prayer as a model (vv. 9-13). How does that prayer avoid the problems He warns against?
- Calvin and Clarke both say prayer requires more of the heart than the tongue. What does that look like in practice?
- How can we help one another avoid vain repetitions in our church's prayer life, without becoming critical of set prayers or repetition itself?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 8:26 | “Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father. |
| I Kings 8:54 | It was so, that when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before Yahweh’s altar, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven. |
| I Kings 18:26 | They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made. |
| I Kings 18:29 | When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention. |
| Ecclesiastes 5:2 | Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few. |
| Ecclesiastes 5:3 | For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words. |
| Ecclesiastes 5:7 | For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God. |
| Daniel 9:18 | My God, turn your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke traces the Greek word for vain repetitions to Battus, a poet whose hymns repeated the same ideas endlessly. Such long, repetitive prayer, he argues, wrongly implies that God needs to be told something a hundred times before He understands. True prayer depends on heartfelt desire, not polished speech.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes traces the Greek word for vain repetitions to a poet who endlessly rephrased the same thought. His point is that Christ condemns repeating requests as though God did not hear the first time, and he likely intended to discourage long prayers, since his own were remarkably short.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary distinguishes between genuine prayer and mechanical repetition. What Christ forbids is not lengthy prayer or even using set forms, but reciting words without thought while believing the repetition itself makes prayer effective. The Greek term originally meant "to stammer" and later "to repeat uselessly."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note warns against empty, repetitive prayers that simply pile up words. The heathen error is thinking God hears them because of their many phrases. True prayer avoids this mechanical babbling and focuses on sincerity, not quantity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out the irony that Jesus warned against vain repetitions specifically because the Jews, who despised pagan worship practices, were guilty of the same fault themselves. They multiplied prayers and used long, wordy devotions, believing that much speaking would earn God's attention.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that "vain repetitions" means senseless babbling, not simply repeating words. Praying at length or using the same words is not wrong; Jesus Himself did so. What Christ condemns is the heathen notion that many words earn a hearing, a practice later creeping into Jewish and even Christian traditions.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that prayer is as natural to a Christian as breathing; a prayerless person is not truly alive in grace. The real danger lies not just in acting like a hypocrite but in harboring a hypocritical heart that craves human approval rather than God's.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek word translated "vain repetitions" is onomatopoeic, originally meaning to stammer or babble. He points to the worshippers of Baal and Diana of Ephesus as examples of this repetitive, formulaic praying, and also names the practice of repeating paternosters and aves.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley warns that the danger of vain repetition lies in saying words without meaning them from the heart. He insists that even the most eloquent prayers become empty if they are not the genuine language of inner desire, and that this spiritual carelessness disgraces true religion.