Jesus spoke about the practice of prayer, which the Pharisees loved to perform publicly. Rather than making prayer a matter between an individual and God, the Pharisees had turned it into an act to be seen by men—again, to demonstrate their supposed righteousness. Their prayers were directed not to God but to other men, and consisted of long, repetitive phrases (Mt 6:7).
Repetitions
rep - ḗ - tish´unz: In Mt 6:7 only, "Use not vain repetitions," for βατταλογέω, battalogéō (so Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus), a word found nowhere else and spelled variously in the manuscripts, battologeō in Codices K, L, M; etc., batologeō in Codices F G, blattologeō in Codex Bezae (probably influenced by the Latin blatero, "talk idly"); presumably connected with βατταρίζω, battarı́zō, "stammer," and perhaps formed under the influence of the Aramaic betā', "speak carelessly," or bāṭēl, "useless." Whether, however battalogeō means the constant repetition of the same phrase or the mechanical recitation of a long series of obscure or meaningless formulas (if, indeed, a distinction between the acts was thought of) cannot be determined. Either practice is abundantly evidenced as a "heathen" custom of the day, and either can be classed as "much speaking."