Manasses, the Prayer of
Background: The Wickedness and Repentance of Manasseh
Manasseh was the longest-reigning king of Judah, ruling for fifty-five years (2 Kings 21:1). He is remembered as one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history, responsible for rebuilding the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed, erecting altars to Baal, worshiping the stars of heaven, practicing sorcery, and even sacrificing his own son in fire (2 Kings 21:2-9; 2 Chronicles 33:1-9). The biblical writer declares that Manasseh "did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger" (2 Kings 21:6).
Yet the account in 2 Chronicles adds a remarkable chapter to his story. The Assyrians captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with chains, and carried him to Babylon. In his distress, "he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea" (2 Chronicles 33:12-13). God restored him to Jerusalem and to his throne, and Manasseh spent the rest of his reign removing idols and restoring the worship of the Lord.
The chronicler notes that Manasseh's prayer is recorded in "the chronicles of the seers" (2 Chronicles 33:18-19), but the text of the prayer itself is not given in Scripture. The Prayer of Manasseh was composed to fill that gap.
Contents of the Prayer
The prayer is brief — just fifteen verses in most editions — but rich in theological depth. It opens with a majestic invocation of God as the Creator of all things, the Lord of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and their righteous descendants), who made heaven and earth and all their order. God is described as both supremely powerful and deeply compassionate, one who has "ordained repentance for sinners" so that they might be saved.
The speaker then confesses his sins in deeply personal terms. He acknowledges that his transgressions are more numerous than the sand of the sea, that he has provoked God's anger by setting up idols and multiplying offenses. The climax of the prayer is a humble plea for forgiveness: "I bend the knee of my heart, beseeching you for kindness." The prayer concludes with a confident expression of hope that God will save the penitent, and that this act of mercy will demonstrate God's goodness forever.
Canonicity and Place in Scripture
The Prayer of Manasseh occupies an unusual position in the biblical canon. The Greek Orthodox Church has consistently included it among its canonical scriptures, where it typically appears among the odes or canticles appended to the Psalter. In the Latin Vulgate, it was placed after 2 Chronicles, but the Council of Trent (1545-1563) relegated it to an appendix of uncanonical writings.
The prayer appears in most Protestant Bibles that include the Apocrypha, following the tradition of Luther's translation, Matthew's Bible, and the Bishops' Bible. It is not found in Coverdale's Bible or the Geneva Bible. In the Septuagint manuscripts, it appears as the eighth of the biblical odes following the Psalms.
Original Language and Date
Scholars generally believe the prayer was originally composed in Greek, though a Semitic original has been proposed. The elegant Greek style and the theological vocabulary suggest a Hellenistic Jewish author. The date of composition is uncertain but is usually placed somewhere between the second century BC and the first century AD. The prayer reflects the theological concerns of Second Temple Judaism, particularly the emphasis on repentance and God's mercy toward sinners.
The author was likely a pious Jew who recognized the theological power of Manasseh's story: if the worst king in Judah's history could repent and find forgiveness, then no sinner was beyond the reach of God's grace.
Theological Themes
The prayer develops several themes that resonate throughout Scripture. First, it affirms that God's mercy is available to all who genuinely repent, no matter how grievous their sins. This echoes the teaching of prophets like Ezekiel, who declared that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires that they turn and live (Ezekiel 18:23, 32).
Second, the prayer emphasizes that repentance is itself a gift from God, who "ordained repentance for sinners." This anticipates the New Testament teaching that it is God's kindness that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4) and that even the ability to turn back to God is a grace (Acts 11:18).
Third, the prayer's imagery of bending "the knee of my heart" captures the essence of true repentance: not merely outward ritual but deep inner transformation. This resonates with the psalmist's declaration that "a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).
Biblical Context
The Prayer of Manasseh is connected to the narrative of King Manasseh in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20. The chronicler mentions a prayer that Manasseh offered during his Babylonian captivity (2 Chronicles 33:13, 18-19), but does not include its text. This apocryphal work was composed to supply that missing prayer. It appears in Septuagint manuscripts among the odes following the Psalter and in the Apocrypha of many Protestant Bibles.
Theological Significance
The Prayer of Manasseh powerfully illustrates the limitless scope of divine mercy. If the most wicked king of Judah could repent and be restored, no sinner is beyond redemption. The prayer affirms that repentance is ordained by God for the salvation of sinners, and that genuine humility of heart — not mere outward show — is what God desires. These themes anticipate the New Testament's emphasis on grace, repentance, and the forgiveness available through Christ.
Historical Background
Manasseh's captivity in Babylon corresponds to known Assyrian practices of deporting and later restoring vassal kings. Assyrian records from the reign of Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal list a 'Manasi king of Judah' among tributary kings, confirming his historical existence. The prayer itself was likely composed during the Hellenistic period (2nd-1st century BC) by a Jewish author familiar with both the biblical narrative and the penitential prayer tradition of Second Temple Judaism.