Preface.

...repeating a matter unnecessarily, or saying the same words many times. For regardless of which Battus Original: Batto. A reference to the legendary figure Battus, often cited in classical literature as a stammerer or a repetitive talker, from whose name the Greek verb battologein (to babble) was thought to be derived. one takes as the origin of this word—whether from a stammerer Original: Stammelnden. who does so from the weakness of his tongue, or from a simpleton-prattler who, out of a poorly acquired habit, chews his own words over again in his mouth—it ultimately amounts, by all admissions, to such a babbling Original: Plappern. wherein one says a thing many times.

And no doubt the heathens Original: Heiden. Historically, this term was used by Christian writers to refer to practitioners of polytheistic religions, such as those of ancient Greece and Rome. did this, sometimes not out of a false, undevout, or hypocritical heart, but with great, fervent zeal and imagined, excellent devotion Original: Andacht.!—as is the custom of superstitious people. Such, however, were the heathens. They believed their gods would not understand it if one did not tell them many times what one desired. And therefore they did so in their prayers. As Grotius Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), a famous Dutch jurist and theologian whose commentaries on the Gospels were widely read. and others [show] from their own

<em> on this passage Original Latin: in hunc locum*. A scholarly citation indicating that Grotius discusses this in his commentary on the specific verse (Matthew 6:7).