Understanding The Aramaic Prayer To
Our Father

Several days ago at Winter Solstice, this Christmas Season, 2006, I was asked by a sponsee about my struggle over the years to understand the full meaning of the Paternoster, so below is the explanation of my findings relative to "the evil" or "evil one" and to the word "sin" which seemed in opposition to my stated belief that if this "Higher Power", a "Father in Heaven" was Omnipotent – All Powerful, Omniscient – All Knowing, and Omni-present – Present in all things, then could there be an opposite????

The ancient Aramaic root word satah, an archery term, meaning that which causes us to miss the mark, to turn aside, to error, was personified as Satan, ie adversary ie. devil ie. evil one, ie. a scapegoat, an excuse for our human faults, somewhere in the first bible translations from the original aramaic to greek and latin... I suspect sometime about the time of Constantine, and the takeover of the early 'christ-messianic' teachings by the Roman political machinery, ie. the church of Rome .. it is not synonymous with sunt "sin" ie. guilty, ie. The consequence of having missed the mark, but akin to satam, from the same root, ie. to hate, oppose oneself, to bear a grudge, retain animosity against, cherish animosity against., etc.. Therefore to hold a resentment against another or self or thing is the "sin," as we know in A.A., for as long as we hold resentments we are not in a state of peace or love ... ie. the "godly" state ... ie. We are in a state of opposition to our own inner self, the localized intimate manifestation of divinity.

Etymology of Sin [1]
Sin in English:
NOUN:
1. A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate.
2. Theology: a.) Deliberate disobedience to the known will of God. b.) A condition of estrangement from God resulting from such disobedience. (Most applicable to us as un-recovered "drunks")
3. Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English sinne, from Old English synn [2] Middle English: sinne from Old English: synn
akin to Old High German sunta (sin); and to Latin: sont, "sons est" is "he is guilty"
For a word with such an interesting meaning, sin has quite a pedestrian history. In Middle English (1125) it was sinne and before that (prior to 830), the Old English word was synn. It is related to the Old High German sunta and also to Latin sons, "guilty".

The "paternoster" original meaning of the Aramaic.... This wording and pronunciation is the closest that we know to the form which Jesus spoke. --

aboon dabashmaya
Our Father in heaven,
nethkadash shamak
Holy is Thy name.
tetha malkoothak
Your Kingdom is coming,
newe tzevyanak
Your will is being done
aykan dabashmaya
on earth as it is in heaven.
af bara hav lan lakma dsoonkanan
Give us bread for our needs day by day.
yamana washbook lan
Forgive us our offenses
kavine aykana daf
as we have forgiven our offenders.
hanan shabookan lhayavine oolow talahn lanesyana
Do not let us enter into temptation.
ela fatsan men beesha
Deliver us from error.
Amen

Here is a "freeform" translation of the intent of the Aramaic prayer to the extent of my understanding ... a marvelously simple prayer of supplication to our Higher Power...

"Help us to understand it is your will in all things at all times. Help us to obtain the food and shelter we need for survival; Help us to overlook the faults of others as you overlook ours; Help us to follow your advice instead of our own selfish desires."

That is about as close an understanding as we need...

Love and Peace, Barefoot