Importable
An Obsolete Word
The word "importable" is an archaic English term derived from the Latin "importabilis," meaning "not bearable" (from "im-" meaning "not" and "portabilis" meaning "able to be carried or borne"). In older English, it described something so heavy or severe that it could not be endured. The word appears in the Prayer of Manasseh, an apocryphal text, in the phrase describing God's angry threatening toward sinners as "importable," meaning utterly unbearable.
Usage in Biblical Translations
The Prayer of Manasseh is a short penitential prayer attributed to the wicked King Manasseh of Judah during his captivity. In the older English version, the text reads that God's "angry threatening toward sinners is importable." The Revised Version updated this to "the anger of thy threatening," removing the obsolete word. A similar usage appears in the Rheims version of Matthew 23:4, where Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for binding "heavy burdens and importable" on the people, a passage where modern translations simply say "hard to bear" or "unbearable."
The Biblical Theme of Unbearable Burdens
While the word itself is obsolete, the concept it expresses runs throughout Scripture. Jesus spoke of the heavy burdens that religious leaders placed on people's shoulders without offering to help carry them (Matthew 23:4). In contrast, Jesus invited the weary and burdened to come to Him, promising, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). The apostle Paul acknowledged that believers can face pressures "beyond our ability to endure" (2 Corinthians 1:8), yet God provides a way through.
God's Wrath as Unbearable
The original context of "importable" in the Prayer of Manasseh points to the terrifying weight of God's judgment against sin. This theme echoes throughout the canonical Scriptures. The prophet Nahum asks, "Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger?" (Nahum 1:6). The book of Revelation describes people calling on the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16-17). The unbearable nature of divine judgment underscores the desperate human need for grace and forgiveness.
From Unbearable Wrath to Abundant Grace
The beauty of the Prayer of Manasseh, and of the biblical message broadly, is that it does not end with the unbearable weight of God's anger. Manasseh's prayer moves from acknowledging the overwhelming nature of divine judgment to appealing to God's mercy. The canonical Scriptures affirm this same pattern. Psalm 130:3-4 declares, "If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness." The importable weight of sin finds its answer in the immeasurable grace of God, most fully revealed in the sacrifice of Christ.
Biblical Context
The word 'importable' appears in older English versions of the Prayer of Manasseh (an apocryphal text) and in the Rheims translation of Matthew 23:4. The underlying concept of unbearable burdens and the overwhelming weight of God's judgment appears throughout Scripture, including Nahum 1:6, Revelation 6:16-17, Matthew 11:28-30, and 2 Corinthians 1:8.
Theological Significance
The concept behind 'importable' highlights the severity of God's holiness and the unbearable weight of divine judgment against sin. This serves a crucial theological purpose: it reveals humanity's desperate need for a mediator and savior. Without grace, the full measure of God's righteous anger would be impossible to endure. This makes the gospel message of forgiveness through Christ all the more precious and urgent.
Historical Background
The word 'importable' was in common use in Middle English, appearing in works like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It gradually fell out of usage by the eighteenth century. The Prayer of Manasseh, where the word appears, is a short text included in some editions of the Septuagint and in the Vulgate as an appendix. It was likely composed in the second or first century BC and reflects the Jewish tradition of penitential prayer. While not considered canonical by most Christian traditions, it has been valued for devotional purposes.