Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 6:10

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." — Matthew 6:10 (ASV)

Your kingdom come. The word kingdom here means reign. .

The petition is the expression of a wish that God may reign everywhere, that His laws may be obeyed, and especially that the gospel of Christ may be advanced everywhere, until the world shall be filled with His glory.

Your will be done. The will of God is that men should obey His law and be holy.

The word will, here, refers to His law and to what would be acceptable to Him; that is, righteousness.

To pray, then, that His will may be done on earth as in heaven, is to pray that His law, His revealed will, may be obeyed and loved.

His law is perfectly obeyed in heaven, and His true children most ardently desire and pray that it may also be done on the earth.

The object of these first three petitions is that God's name should be glorified and His kingdom established. By being placed first, we learn that His glory and kingdom are of more consequence than our wants, and that these should be first in our hearts and petitions before a throne of grace.

The following clauses respecting this prayer are found in the writings of the Jews and were doubtless familiar in the time of Christ.

"That prayer," say the Rabbis, "in which there is no mention made of the kingdom of heaven, is not a prayer."

"What," they ask, "is a short prayer?" The answer given is: "Do Your will in heaven, and give rest to the spirits fearing You below."

Regarding "Give us this day, etc.," the Jews had a prayer like this: "The necessities of Your people are many, and their knowledge small, so that they do not know how to make known their wants. Let it be Your good pleasure to give to each one what is necessary for his sustenance," etc.

Concerning "Deliver us from evil," the Jews prayed: "Be it Your good pleasure to free us from an evil man and an evil event, from evil affections, from an evil companion and neighbor, from Satan," etc.

The prayers of the Jews were generally closed with a doxology, or ascription of praise, not unlike this in the Lord's Prayer. The people, at the close of the prayer, generally responded, "Amen!"