The Enigmatic Presence of “Evil” in the World and Delivery from It: A Critical Look at Matthew 6:13

Abstract

In the last two requests in His model prayer in Matthew 6: 9-13, Jesus alluded to leading into “temptation” and delivering from “evil.” The two requests form a composite by the use of the conjunction alla. The construction of the expression ἄpo tou ponērou in Koine Greek poses some translation and theological dilemmas. Does the statement tou ponērou refer to “evil” as a substantive phenomenon or as a personality? Is Jesus requesting deliverance from “temptations,” “tests,” and “trials,” or from the one who originates these conditions? The idiom, tou ponērou, may be interpreted and understood as the sinister conditions in the world. Suggestively, the idiom may also be understood as “the evil one,” or “the devil” due to the use of the preposition ἄpo “away from”, instead of ek “out of” both of which take the genitive case. This article demonstrates, by the use of interpretive methods, that the two requests form one appeal by the employment of the conjunction alla and that the literal translation of the expression alla hrusai hmas apo tou ponērou should be “but deliver us away from the evil one/devil” the theologically alleged source of all “evil.” This petition, which is missing in the Lukan account, hinges on the request before it; hence Luke finds it redundant and omits it. Keywords: Lead, temptation, deliver, evil, evil one.