For the completeness of so brief a prayer He added -- in order that we should supplicate not touching the remitting merely, but touching the entire averting, of acts of guilt -- "Lead us not into temptation:" that is, suffer us not to be led into it, by him (of course) who tempts; but far be the thought that the Lord should seem to tempt, [8816] as if He either were ignorant of the faith of any, or else were eager to overthrow it. Infirmity [8817] and malice [8818] are characteristics of the devil. For God had commanded even Abraham to make a sacrifice of his son, for the sake not of tempting, but proving, his faith; in order through him to make an example for that precept of His, whereby He was, by and by, to enjoin that he should hold no pledges of affection dearer than God. [8819] He Himself, when tempted by the devil, demonstrated who it is that presides over and is the originator of temptation. [8820] This passage He confirms by subsequent ones, saying, "Pray that ye be not tempted;" [8821] yet they were tempted, (as they showed) by deserting their Lord, because they had given way rather to sleep than prayer. [8822] The final clause, therefore, is consonant, and interprets the sense of "Lead us not into temptation;" for this sense is, "But convey us away from the Evil One."

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Footnotes:

[8816] See James 1:13.

[8817] Implied in the one hypothesis--ignorance.

[8818] Implied in the other--wishing to overthrow faith.

[8819] i.e. no children even. The reference is apparently to Matthew 10:37 and Luke 14:26, with which may be compared Deuteronomy 13:6-10 and xxxiii. 9. If Oehler's reading, which I have followed, be correct, the precept, which is not verbally given till ages after Abraham, is made to have a retrospective force on him.

[8820] See Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8.

[8821] Luke 22:40; Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:31.

[8822] Routh refers us to De Bapt. c. 20, where Tertullian refers to the same event. [Note also his reference to De Fuga, cap. ii.]