<p>Matthew 6:7 is the seventh verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse continues the discussion on the proper procedure for praying.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 6:7
The term translated as "vain repetitions" is battalogein. This word is unknown outside this verse appearing in none of the contemporary literature. It might be linked to the Greek term for babbling, or it might also be derived from the Hebrew batel, vain. It is often assumed to be a related to the word polugein, and thus a reference to a large quantity of words.
This verse moves away from condemning the hypocrites to condemning the Gentiles. Matthew never makes clear who these Gentiles are, though pagan prayers to Baal and other gods are mentioned in the Old Testament. In Luke's version of this verse, found at Luke 11:2, it is not the Gentiles who are condemned but "the rest of men."
France notes that in this era Gentile prayer was portrayed as repeated incantations that had to be perfectly recited, but where</p>