Give us this day our daily bread.

MATTHEW 6:11KJV
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Matthew 6:11 (KJV)

What does Matthew 6:11 mean?

Matthew 6:11 is a request to God for the food and necessities needed for each day, trusting Him to provide what is required for daily life. In the context of the Lord’s Prayer, this line expresses dependence on God for ongoing, practical needs rather than asking for abundance or future security.

Jesus is teaching His followers how to pray, speaking to a crowd during the Sermon on the Mount. By including this request for “daily bread,” Jesus highlights the importance of relying on God for basic needs and living with a sense of trust for today, rather than anxiety about tomorrow.

The Greek behind Matthew 6:11

  • “Daily” (ἐπιούσιος, epiousios): This Greek word is unusual and appears only here and in Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer. It is often understood as “for today” or “necessary for existence,” emphasizing the idea of asking for what is needed right now, not excess or luxury.
  • “Bread” (ἄρτος, artos): While “bread” can literally mean food made from grain, it also stands for all the basic things needed to live—food, shelter, and other daily necessities. The prayer is not just about literal bread but about trusting God for all essentials.

Why Matthew 6:11 matters

  • Matthew 6:11 clarifies that Jesus encourages His followers to pray for their present needs, not for wealth or long-term security, which counters the idea that faith is about getting everything one wants.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches about trusting God rather than worrying about the future (see Matthew 6:25–34).
  • The focus on “daily” needs highlights a humble, ongoing dependence on God, rather than self-sufficiency or anxiety about what might come next.

Where else these words appear

“daily” Greek G1967 · used in 2 verses

  • Luke 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

“day” Greek G4594 · used in 40 verses

  • Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
  • Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
  • Acts 26:29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

“bread” Greek G740 · used in 91 verses

  • Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
  • Mark 7:27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
  • John 6:23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)