Be not therefore like them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.
All Commentaries on Matthew 6:8 Go To Matthew 6
Jerome
AD 420
Or this there starts up a heresy of certain Philosophers who taught the mistaken dogma that if God knows for what we shall pray, and, before we ask, knows what we need, our prayer is needlessly made toone who has such knowledge. To such we shortly reply, That in our prayers we donot instruct, but entreat; it is one thing to inform the ignorant, another to beg of the understanding: the first were to teach; the latter is to perform aservice of duty.
