Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 11

As he was praying in a certain place.—The facts of the case as narrated here, the common practice of the Jews, and the analogy of the prayers in John 11:41, Matthew 26:39, and, we may add, of the thanksgiving in Luke 10:21, Matthew 11:25, all lead to the conclusion that our Lord prayed aloud, and that some, at least, of the disciples heard Him. They listened, unable to follow, or to record what they had heard, and they wished to be able to enter into His spirit and pray as He prayed.

Teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.—It seems, at first sight, to follow from this that the disciple who asked this had not been present when the Sermon on the Mount was spoken. It is conceivable, however, that, knowing the pattern prayer which had then been given, he had thought it adapted for the multitude, and not for the special scholars and disciples—too short and simple as compared, on the one hand, with the devotions which John had prescribed to his disciples (as he also prescribed fasting and alms-giving, Matthew 9:14; Luke 3:11), and with the fuller utterances of his Master, which were like rapt communion with God. The prayers of John’s disciples were probably, like those of the Pharisees, offered three times a day, at the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours, and after the pattern of the well-known “Eighteen Prayers,” which made up the Jewish manual of private devotion.

[Verse 2] When ye pray, say, ... — The reproduction, with only a verbal variation here and there, which may well have been the work of the reporter, of what had been given in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9–11), is every way significant. What had been given to the multitude was enough for them. If they wanted to be taught to pray at all, if earnest desires did not spontaneously clothe themselves in words, then this simplest and shortest of all prayers expressed everything they should seek to ask. To utter each of those petitions from the heart, entering into its depth and fullness, was better than to indulge in any elaborate rhetoric.

[Verses 2-4] Our Father which art in heaven. — See Notes on Matthew 6:9-11. The following variations may be noticed:

1. The better MSS omit “our” and “which art in heaven,” and begin with the simple “Father.” It was, of course, natural enough that it should be, in the course of time, adapted by transcribers to the form which was in common use.
2. Many of the best MSS, again, omit the whole clause, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth, which may have been inserted with the same purpose.
3. St. Luke substitutes “day by day” for “this day,” and so implies that the word ἐπιούσιος (epiousios), translated “daily,” must have some other meaning. (See Excursus II. on Notes to St. Matthew.)
4. St. Luke uses the word “sins” instead of “debts,” as being, perhaps, more adapted to the minds of his Gentile readers, while he retains the primary idea of St. Matthew’s term in the words every one that is indebted to us. The familiar “Forgive us our trespasses,” of the Prayer Book, it may be noted, is not found in the Authorized Version at all, and comes to us from Tyndale's.
5. Many of the better MSS omit the clause, But deliver us from evil, this too, probably, being an addition made for the sake of conformity.
6. St. Luke (all the MSS here agreeing) omits the final doxology found in some, but not in the best, MSS of St. Matthew.

Which of you shall have a friend . . .?—The illustration (we can hardly call it a parable) is peculiar to St. Luke, and, as setting forth the power of prayer, is especially characteristic of him. (See Introduction.) The familiar tone, as of one appealing to each person’s natural goodwill, and the dramatic vividness of the dialogue, make it almost unique in our Lord’s teaching. “Midnight” is chosen as being the time at which, above all others, people expect to be left to their repose. The unexpected visitor asks for “three loaves,” one for himself, one for the guest, one as a reserve; and he trusts his friend enough to hope that he will recognise the claims of his friendship for another. So, the implied lesson is that the man who prays should think that God will care for those for whom he pleads, and will give them also their “daily bread” in both the higher and the lower senses of the word.

Trouble me not.—As afterwards in the parable of the Unjust Judge, so here, the illustrative matter cannot be pressed into an interpretation. It seems, indeed, to have been purposely so stated that it could only suggest an à fortiori argument.

Thus man might answer, but God does not act so. If prayer prevails over apathy and impatience, how much more will it prevail when we pray to One who knows our necessities before we ask Him?

The picture drawn is obviously from a poor man’s house, children and parents sleeping in the same room, the younger children (the Greek word is a diminutive) in the same bed. The word here, however, differs from the other two commonly translated “bed” (e.g.,Matthew 9:2; Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:4; Mark 2:9), and probably means the divan or raised platform, which often filled nearly half a room in a Jewish or Eastern house.

Because of his importunity.—Literally, because of his shamelessness. The word is not used elsewhere in the New Testament, and exactly expresses the pertinacity that knows no restraint.