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At a glance
- Traditional author
- Manasseh of Judah
- Traditional date
- Presented as Manasseh's prayer in captivity (7th century BC; 2 Chronicles 33:12–13)
- Traditional audience
- Readers of Corpus Witness’s Canon & Books shelves
Listed in: KJV 1611 with Apocrypha (80), Septuagint (LXX).
Meaning of Prayer of Manasseh
A short penitential prayer attributed to King Manasseh, often an appendix or liturgical text.
Traditional understanding
The prayer of repentance of King Manasseh of Judah, which 2 Chronicles 33:12–13, 18–19 says he prayed in captivity. The Orthodox Church includes it in its Bible; Catholic Bibles place it in an appendix; Protestants place it in the Apocrypha.
Historical context
Appears in some Greek collections and in the 1611 KJV Apocrypha; not a Trent deuterocanonical book.
Setting of the writing
Appears in some Greek collections and in the 1611 KJV Apocrypha; not a Trent deuterocanonical book.
Literary shape
deuterocanonical work curated for historical study.
Themes
- deuterocanonical
Prayer of Manasseh chapter by chapter
Prayer
Prayer of Manasseh 1 — Confession of the penitent king
The Prayer of Manasseh gives voice to the wicked king of Judah in exile: he confesses idolatry and violence, acknowledges God’s mercy for the repentant, and asks not to be destroyed with his sins. Angels and the patriarchs are contrasted with his own uncleanness as he pleads for forgiveness and a restored heart.
Meaning: The prayer teaches that no royal pedigree cancels the need for repentance, and that God’s greatness is shown in forgiving the penitent who finally tells the truth about sin.