Summary
Summary of The Prayer of Manasseh
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A powerful king admits his guilt
The Prayer of Manasseh gives a guilty ruler a voice of confession. Manasseh, a king of Judah remembered in the Hebrew Bible as one of its worst rulers, appears here as a man asking God for mercy. His power does not remove his need to admit what he has done.
The author is unknown, and the prayer is attributed to the king rather than known to have been written by him. Its focus is the meeting of great guilt with the hope of forgiveness.
Key idea 2
An untold prayer invites a voice
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Key idea 3
Mercy belongs beside divine power
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Key idea 4
Confession leaves no room for excuses
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Key idea 5
Repentance rests on a promise
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Key idea 6
Communities value the prayer differently
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Key idea 7
Honesty and trust shape the prayer
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Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For readers of the Apocrypha, anyone drawn to prayers of confession and hope, and students of how the Bible grew.
What this book is
The Prayer of Manasseh is a very short text of about fifteen verses. It is written as the prayer of Manasseh, a king of Judah who ruled for decades and is remembered in the Hebrew Bible as one of its worst rulers. The prayer is a confession. A man with great power and great guilt admits what he has done and asks God for mercy.
The author is unknown. The text was most likely written in the last centuries before Christ or around the start of the Christian era, though scholars disagree on the date. It survives in Greek, and some think a Hebrew or Aramaic original lies behind it. In about five minutes you will hear where the prayer came from, what it says, who has used it, and why it sits outside most Bibles. First, the story that gave rise to it.
In this summary
- 1A prayer the Chronicles mention but do not giveFree
- 2The prayer begins by praising the Creator
- 3A confession that makes no excuses
- 4Repentance as a gift, and a prayer for many readers
Key point 1 of 4
A prayer the Chronicles mention but do not give
The prayer grows out of two accounts of King Manasseh. The Book of Second Kings describes him as a ruler who rebuilt the shrines his father Hezekiah had torn down, set up altars to other gods, and shed much innocent blood. That account gives him no repentance at all, and it blames his reign for the troubles that later fell on Judah.
The Book of Second Chronicles tells it differently. There the Assyrians take Manasseh captive and bring him to Babylon. In distress he humbles himself before the God of his ancestors and prays. God hears him, brings him back to Jerusalem, and the king then works to undo some of the harm. Chronicles also says that his prayer was recorded, but it does not give the words.
That gap invited someone to fill it. The Prayer of Manasseh is the result, a text written long after the king lived, in his voice. Scholars do not think it came from Manasseh himself. It is better read as a later writer's picture of what a repentant king might say, and it shows how readers wanted to complete the story.
That’s 1 of 4 key points.
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Why did a later writer imagine Manasseh's prayer?
Right. “Chronicles also says that his prayer was recorded, but it does not give the words.”Not quite. “Chronicles also says that his prayer was recorded, but it does not give the words.”
What makes the king believe he can ask God for forgiveness?
Right. “He can only ask for forgiveness because he believes the one who could crush him is also willing to pardon.”Not quite. “He can only ask for forgiveness because he believes the one who could crush him is also willing to pardon.”
How does the king approach responsibility for his wrongs?
Right. “There is no blaming of others.”Not quite. “There is no blaming of others.”
Questions about The Prayer of Manasseh
What is the Prayer of Manasseh about?
It is a short prayer of repentance spoken in the voice of Manasseh, a king of Judah. He praises God as Creator, confesses that his sins are beyond counting, and asks for forgiveness, trusting that God has appointed repentance for sinners.
Who was King Manasseh?
Manasseh was a king of Judah and son of Hezekiah. Second Kings remembers him for idolatry and violence. Second Chronicles adds that he was taken captive, humbled himself, prayed to God, and was restored to Jerusalem.
Did Manasseh really write the prayer?
Most scholars say no. The text was composed long after his lifetime, probably between the second century before Christ and the first century after. It was written to supply the prayer that Second Chronicles mentions but does not give.
Why is the Prayer of Manasseh not in the Bible?
It was not part of the Hebrew scriptures and is not in the Catholic canon set at Trent. Protestants place it in the Apocrypha. Orthodox churches include it among the Odes and use it in worship.
Is the Prayer of Manasseh hard to read?
No. Its language is direct. The ideas are simple and clear: praise, confession and a plea for mercy.
