In some translations, the Lord’s Prayer ends with the verse, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Why is this phrase not in all translations?
—Patrick Bannerman, via e-mail
You are a close reader of Scripture! The phrase is a doxology. It was not included in the original prayer but was added to a later manuscript long after Matthew’s time. The addition of the phrase acts to round out the prayer liturgically. It is related to the doxology used at temple services, and echoes the language of Psalm 72.19: “And blessed be his glorious name for ever” (KJV). Another possible source is 1 Chronicles 29.11. Translators of early English translations were not yet aware of the oldest Greek texts, and some translations omit the phrase. The form of the English prayer in public worship quite appropriately includes the doxology.
