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7. μὴ βαττολογήσητε. It is not the length of time spent in prayer or the fervent or reasonable repetition of forms of prayer that is forbidden, but the mechanical repetition of set words, and the belief that the efficacy of prayer consists in such repetition.
βαττολογεῖν, not classical, and ἅπαξ λεγ. in N.T. ‘to stammer,’ so ‘to repeat words again and again.’ The word is generally derived from Battus founder of Cyrene who stammered and had a lisp in his speech, ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ τραυλός, Herod. IV. 155, where the story is given. Possibly it was a Cyrenian term, in which case the meaning ‘to stammer like your founder Battus’ would popularise the word. According to Herod. loc. cit. Battus was Libyan for ‘king.’
ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί. The Jews also had a saying ‘every one that multiplies prayer is heard.’