Prayer of Manasseh
Encyclopedia
The Prayer of Manasseh is a short work of 15 verses of the penitential prayer of king Manasseh
of Judah
. Manasseh is recorded in the Bible as one of the most idolatrous kings of Judah . Chronicles, but not Kings, records that Manasseh was taken captive by the Assyrians. While a prisoner, Manasseh prayed for mercy, and upon being freed and restored to the throne turned from his idolatrous ways. A reference to the prayer, but not the prayer itself, is made in , which says that the prayer is written in the "history of the seers."
The prayer is considered apocryphal by Jews
, Catholics
and Protestants
. It was placed at the end of 2 Chronicles in the late 4th-century Vulgate
. Over a millennium later, it was part of the 1537 Matthew Bible
, and the 1599 Geneva Bible
. It also appears in the Apocrypha of the King James Bible. Pope Clement VIII
included the prayer in an appendix to the Vulgate stating that it should continue to be read "lest it perish entirely."
The prayer is included in some editions of the Greek Septuagint. For example, the 5th century Codex Alexandrinus
includes the prayer among fourteen Odes
appearing just after the Psalms
. It is accepted as a deuterocanonical book
by some Orthodox Christians, though it does not appear in Bibles printed in Greece. The prayer is chanted during the Orthodox Christian and Byzantine Catholic service of Great Compline. It is used also as a canticle in the Daily Office of the 1979 U.S. Book of Common Prayer used by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
.
The prayer appears in ancient Syriac, Old Slavonic, Ethiopic, and Armenian
translations. In the Ethiopian Bible, the prayer is found in 2 Chronicles.
Manasseh of Judah
Manasseh was a king of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the only son of Hezekiah with Hephzi-bah. He became king at an age 12 years and reigned for 55 years. Edwin Thiele has concluded that he commenced his reign as co-regent with his father Hezekiah in 697/696 BC, with his sole reign beginning in...
of Judah
Kings of Judah
The Kings of Judah ruled the ancient Kingdom of Judah after the death of Saul, when the tribe of Judah elevated David to rule over it. After seven years, David became king of a reunited Kingdom of Israel. However, in about 930 BC the united kingdom split, with ten of the twelve Tribes of Israel...
. Manasseh is recorded in the Bible as one of the most idolatrous kings of Judah . Chronicles, but not Kings, records that Manasseh was taken captive by the Assyrians. While a prisoner, Manasseh prayed for mercy, and upon being freed and restored to the throne turned from his idolatrous ways. A reference to the prayer, but not the prayer itself, is made in , which says that the prayer is written in the "history of the seers."
The prayer is considered apocryphal by Jews
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. It was placed at the end of 2 Chronicles in the late 4th-century Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
. Over a millennium later, it was part of the 1537 Matthew Bible
Matthew Bible
The Matthew Bible, also known as Matthew's Version, was first published in 1537 by John Rogers, under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew". It combined the New Testament of William Tyndale, and as much of the Old Testament as he had been able to translate before being captured and put to death...
, and the 1599 Geneva Bible
Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into the English language, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of the 16th century Protestant movement and was the Bible used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John...
. It also appears in the Apocrypha of the King James Bible. Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
included the prayer in an appendix to the Vulgate stating that it should continue to be read "lest it perish entirely."
The prayer is included in some editions of the Greek Septuagint. For example, the 5th century Codex Alexandrinus
Codex Alexandrinus
The Codex Alexandrinus is a 5th century manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early history of Christianity...
includes the prayer among fourteen Odes
Book of Odes (Bible)
The Book of Odes , commonly referred to simply as Odes, is a book of the Bible found only in Eastern Orthodox Bibles and included or appended after Psalms in Alfred Rahlfs' critical edition of the Septuagint, coming from the fifth-century Codex Alexandrinus. The chapters are prayers and songs from...
appearing just after the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
. It is accepted as a deuterocanonical book
Deuterocanonical books
Deuterocanonical books is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible. The term is used in contrast to the protocanonical books, which are...
by some Orthodox Christians, though it does not appear in Bibles printed in Greece. The prayer is chanted during the Orthodox Christian and Byzantine Catholic service of Great Compline. It is used also as a canticle in the Daily Office of the 1979 U.S. Book of Common Prayer used by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
.
The prayer appears in ancient Syriac, Old Slavonic, Ethiopic, and Armenian
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
translations. In the Ethiopian Bible, the prayer is found in 2 Chronicles.
External links
- Complete translations of Prayer of Manasseh from earlyjewishwritings.com
- Another translation, with notes from bombaxo.com
- NRSV: Prayer of Manasseh from oremus.org