orar o rezar
When using either orar or rezar to mean 'to pray,' is there any difference in meaning? I looked it up, and it seems that there might be a difference, but it isn't clear to me.
19 Answers
"Rezar" is always to pray to God or the Saints.
"Orar" can also mean speaking in public to convince your audience... "Oratoria" is the art of speaking elocuently.
You can look it up in the DRAE and it will give all the meanings of each.
Hope this helps.
I've been wondering about these two words from a few weeks now. So I did a little bit of research and here's what I found.
First of all, I found this other thread in SpanishDict: orar-vs.-rezar In this case the question was how to translate "pray" for a song in a spiritual (not necessarily religious) sense:
Some friends and I are writing a song. The lyrics implore the world and individuals to pray for peace. Is it more correct to use orar or rezar...?
The answers in that thread indicated that "rezar" would not work because it means to recite phrases by rote. To pray for a particular thing/idea would need the word "orar" which conveys more of a sense of 'talking' or expressing oneself. This seems to agree with what has been stated in this thread.
Then I was curious about how the two words "rezar" and "orar" are used in Spanish Bibles. (Let me insert that I am aware that not everyone believes in or uses the Holy Bible in their religion, if they even have one. However since the words "rezar" and "orar" are widely used in a religious context, and since the Bible is a religious book, I feel this information is relevant.)
I found a website (biblegateway.com) that has several bible translations in various languages, all of them search-able. So I searched for the words "orar" and "rezar" or any forms of them in the following Bibles:
- Castilian
- Biblia en Lenguaje Sencillo
- La Biblia de las Américas
- Nueva Versión Internacional
- Reina-Valera Antigua
- Reina-Valera 1960
- Reina-Valera 1995
The results?
"Orar" is used dozens of times in all of the above translations.
"Rezar" is not used, anywhere, in any form.
Then I got even more curious. I don't believe any of the seven translations mentioned above are officially considered Roman Catholic Bibles. So I went to "es.catholic.net" and downloaded the Bible from there. However a search for "rezar" came up the same; not used, anywhere in that Bible either.
So now I'm wondering, when did the word "rezar" begin to be used in a religious context? In the setting of Christianity, are the Roman Catholics the only ones that use it? Would the Spanish word "rezar" be used to refer to the prayers of members of other classes of religions like Buddhists, Hindus, animists, etc.?
evangelic church use more Orar than rezar. I guess to be distinguished from the catholic church.
It is for this reason that rezar is used more in Hispanic contexts, like a Spanish language BIble or Spanish literature; most Hispanics, and certainly the culture at large, it associated with Catholicism.
The most commonly used Spanish language Bible is the Reina-Valera. Rezar is not used one time, Orar is used 18 times. I attend an evangelical church, and orar is the word we use. No real point to make, just my perspective.
Perhaps this has already been said, but the difference between the two comes in to play with the type of religion to which one is referring. That is to say, a Protestant prays spontaneously, without guidance (generally). A Catholic prays from a book of prayers, or recitations (generally). Therefore, rezar is used to describe the way a Catholic prays, and orar is used to describe the way a Protestant prays. It is for this reason that rezar is used more in Hispanic contexts, like a Spanish language BIble or Spanish literature; most Hispanics, and certainly the culture at large, it associated with Catholicism.
I have heard rezar is to recite prayer (as in repeating the same prayers) and orar is to pray to god with one's own words or freely speaking to god.
When people does a repetitive prayer, reciting a learnt text (i.e most Catholics, buddists..) the word to be used is REZAR. This word is not limited to Christianity. When you talk with God freely not following a learnt pattern or reciting a text (not a repetitive prayer ie. most protestants) you say ORAR. I lived with both terms and used them since I can remember. Some people here did a good research, some others didn’t.
"rezar" is more common in Spanish. In the mass, when the priest says "oremos" (the only ocassion I can think of) he means to repeat for yourself the same prayer he is saying...
Orar Hablar con Dios | Pedir en el nombre de Jesus
Rezar decir repetitivas Oraciones o rezos a Dios o a Santos | muchas veces sin sentido. Como el Rosario donde se menciona mas a la Virgen que a Dios o Jesus.
Parece quien traduzco la palabra to pray to spanish (Rezar) was Roman Catholic y se confundio.
That´s an interesting question! (Which I can´t really answer unfortunately, I only know that rezar is more common, and has a few additional meanings like "say" and "grumble")
However, I did some poking around and found that both words come from Latin, and both have relatives in English: rezar-recite, orar-orate.
I hope someone else can give a fuller answer!
If, as some insist, "rezar" is never used outside a context of praying, what, prithee, to make of the phrase, "como reza el refrán"? Or are all proverbs and old sayings recited only in Church and while praying?
When in doubt, consult the etymology. It is a bit ironic that the English "prayer" and "pray" derive from the same Latin root from which the Spanish plegaría descends:
*PRAY
early 13c., "ask earnestly, beg," also (c.1300) "pray to a god or saint," from Old French preier "to pray" (c.900, Modern French prier), from Vulgar Latin precare (also source of Italian pregare), from Latin precari "ask earnestly, beg, entreat," from *prex (plural preces, genitive precis) "prayer, request, entreaty," from PIE root *prek- "to ask, request, entreat" (cf. Sanskrit prasna-, Avestan frashna- "question;" Old Church Slavonic prositi, Lithuanian prasyti "to ask, beg;" Old High German frahen, German fragen, Old English fricgan "to ask" a question). Parenthetical expression I pray you, "please, if you will," attested from 1510s, contracted to pray 16c. Related: Prayed; praying. Praying mantis attested from 1809. The "Gardener's Monthly" of July 1861 lists other names for it as camel cricket, soothsayer, and rear horse.
Online Etymological Dictionary
Also curious that none of the supposed distinctions made about sectarian usage ever bother with plegaría and súplica, as in "Señor, escucha nuestras plegarias" or "Señor, escucha nuestras súplicas".
A version in Spanish--entonces, no rezada pero orada?
La Gran Letanía Para decirse o cantarse, de rodillas, de pie, o en procesión; antes de la Eucaristía o después de las Colectas de la Oración Matutina o Vespertina; o separadamente; especialmente en Cuaresma y en los Días de Rogativa. Oh Dios Padre, Creador del cielo y de la tierra, Ten piedad de nosotros. Oh Dios Hijo, Redentor del mundo, Ten piedad de nosotros. Oh Dios Espíritu Santo, Santificador de los fieles, Ten piedad de nosotros. Oh santa, bendita y gloriosa Trinidad, un solo Dios, Ten piedad de nosotros. No te acuerdes, Cristo Señor, de nuestras ofensas, ni de las de nuestros padres; ni nos pagues según nuestros pecados. Perdónanos, buen Señor, perdona a tu pueblo, que redimiste con tu preciosísima sangre, y por tu piedad presérvanos para siempre. Perdónanos, buen Señor. De todo mal e iniquidad; del pecado; de las astucias y asaltos del diablo; y de la condenación eterna, Líbranos, buen Señor.
