Matthew 6:7: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
I read this passage in the Aramaic this morning and discovered something very interesting. The word that Jesus used in the Aramaic for prayer it tsela. This is from an ancient Semitic word SLA used by hunters when they are laying a trap or snare. I found this a little disturbing if I interpret this in light of our modern hunting methods and motives.
However, let’s go back a couple thousand years and examine what Archaeologist have discovered about ancient hunting and trapping. First we must consider the philosophy of the hunter or trapper of the first century. First century man in the oriental culture were very holistic. They carried on a balanced relationship between people and animals. Hunters knew their animals very well, they studied them, their mating habits, their diet, diseases and the personalities. They carried great respect for the animals. In fact they spoke with the animals and even asked permission from the animals that they hunted and had they not needed the animal for food, they would never dream of harming the creature.
The land of the Fertile Crescent in ancient times was a land filled with wet jungles of trees and thickets where wild animals could roam. There is evidence of all kinds of animals that roamed in the ancient Middle East including giraffes, lions, rhinoceros, wild boar, antelopes and all variety of deer as well as countless number of birds, fish and crocodiles. It is believed by Archaeologist that Pepi II 2284 BC – 2247 BC Pharaoh in the sixth dynasty of Egypt was killed by a charging rhinoceros. Much of the fertile land became desert as man drained the marshes and extended their region of agriculture and over cultivated the land creating regions of desert. As a result this menagerie of animals soon disappeared.
Trapping and snaring or SLA was usually done with a string type vine forming a noose. A snare is set with respect to the location of the animal tracks. A triangle of sticks is erected and the snare is set in the triangle about 4” – 6” above the ground when hunting small game. The hunter would then de-scent the snare by holding a candle under it to get rid of any human scent.
As indicated the hunter has a holistic attitude towards animals and will only use the animal for food so he was very careful to watch the snare and to make sure that the animal did not suffer, he not harm the animal in any way which would waste any meat. Birds were also trapped by snares. The hunter would put a looped thin rope at the end of a stick and would careful and expertly hold it in place for the bird to pass through and when he did he would tighten the loop trapping the bird.
All these methods of hunting required patience, quietness and watchfulness. I believe these are the elements that eventually led the word SLA to become a word used for prayer. Prayer is not meant to be an enticement. The trap or SLA requires no bait. The trap is laid where the animal tracks have been found and the hunter knows the animal will likely return from the same route. Prayer is not to be an enticement or bait for God. The trap is hidden from sight. Prayer is not meant to be a great show of reverence to impress God with our ceremony. It is not that God has forgotten us that we have to shout and plead with Him to be heard. In fact the hunter is very quiet so as not to be heard. The ancients believed that you spoke to the animals with your heart. In the quietness of watching an animal approach his snare the hunter would ask the animal with his heart if the animals purpose in life was to provide nourishment for him and his family and if the animal responded yes, then he would snare the animal. So too, in prayer we speak to God with our hearts, no loud ceremony, no flashing pious words, only seeking the intent of the heart of God. The hunter hunts alone, anyone with him might disturb the hunt and the hunter must enter into extreme concentration so he can communicate with the animal and not chase him away with a lot of noise. He must focus his full attention on the animal and watch his every move and anticipate his every move.
So it is with prayer. In prayer we focus our full attention upon God. Vain repetition is useless. The hunter knows if he sits there waiting for the animal, that the animal is going to move in his own time. No amount of encouragement, “Come on, come on, just a little closer, that’s it, you’re getting there…” is going to bring the animal into his snare. He is wasting his time and breath with his vain repetitions. Vain repetitions in the Aramaic is an ancient Semitic word PQ. It means to babble, or talk nonsense, idle chatter. Actually in its Semitic origins this word means a movement. This word is also used by the ancient Semitic hunter. The hunter sits very still any movement might chase the prey away. This movement that chased the prey away is PQ which is rendered as vain repetition.
Thus, to those Semitic people listening to Jesus what they heard Jesus telling them is that prayer is to be performed as a hunter, in solitude, quietness with total concentration and focus on God. A hunter disciplines himself to not move, even if an insect stings him, he gets a leg cramp or he grows weary sitting in a certain position, that one movement resulting from focusing his attention on himself and not his prey could chase his prey away. He is so focused on his prey as we are to be so focused on Got that no insect bite, or cramp will cause the hunter or us to PQ (move). Prayer means focusing your whole attention on God, not yourself, not to impress the other brethren with your holiness, piousness or great oratory. Ultimately, it is the hunted animal that is given the freedom to move when he wants to move, do what he wants to do and only then will the snare work. Prayer is simply a preparation, being ready to allow God to do what He wants and when doing what He wants matches what we want, we speak to Him with our hearts and ask, “Is this meant for me?” If God says “yes” then we pull the snare and capture whatever it is that God has prepared for us.
Thus the Apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:16). He did not put that in there to take up space. He meant we are to pray without ceasing. Paul spoke fluent Aramaic, he was as Semitic person, he understood what SLA used as prayer meant. He knew it meant to always be in an attitude of watchfulness, quietness before God and ready to hear God’s heart for when God is ready, we must be ready.
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