“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
– Matthew 6:13

Before we take a closer look at this verse it will probably help to have a quick English lesson.

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun. It can do so in three ways: attributive, predicative or substantive. Here are the definitions of those three terms and an example for each:

1.  Attributive adjectives give an “attribute” to the noun and are usually placed before the noun they modify.

     e.g.  She learned modern Greek.

2.  Predicative adjectives assert something about the subject and usually come after a linking verb instead of before the noun.

     e.g.  God is true.

3.  Substantive adjectives function as if they were a noun. They are used alone in the absence of the noun they modify.

     e.g.  Out with the old and in with the new.

In the Koine Greek language adjectives played all three of these roles in communicating thought. As shown above, the easiest way to determine an adjective is substantive is when the article (the, a, or an) comes before it. Likewise, in Greek, an article precedes a substantive adjective.

The original Greek in Matthew 6:13 has an article before the word “evil” indicating a substantive adjective. Therefore, it really should be read “… but deliver us from the evil.” In other words, a better translation is “… but deliver us from the evil one.” While many translations miss this, one that does record the verse in this manner is the New International Version (NIV).

Make no mistake about it, the theological ramifications are huge! The Father does not always keep His children out of danger, disasters, or the ugliness of the world. In short, He does not always deliver us from evil. But He does (and has!) deliver us from the evil one. The text is not teaching that God will make our life a rose garden, but that He will protect us from the evil one, namely Satan and his demonic entourage (also see John 10:28-30 and John 17:15).

Being delivered from the evil one is assurance of salvation, knowing that God our Father has us firmly implanted in His hands. Knowing this should impact the way we interact with others in a way that is contrary to the world. Boldness, power, and confidence are words that come to mind. May God richly bless you with these attitudes when living for Him!

In Christ,

Dave

Questions to Ponder:

1.  What does the Greek say in John 17:15?  Is it the same word?

2.  In what ways can you behave towards this world knowing that when you give up your last breathe you will be in the hands of God?

3.  Matthew 6:13 is the tail end of the Lord’s prayer. Have you committed it to memory? If the Lord teaches His disciples that is how they should pray why don’t people today pray that way?