(Writer : Dessy Ariadna – Stand To JESUS)
The Manasseh Prayer Book is a book consisting of 15 verses containing prayers which are claimed to be the prayers of King Manasseh of Judah. The main reason why the book of Manasseh’s Prayer was not included in the Bible is because this book falls into the category of Apocryphal books, and is not recognized by the Jews as part of God’s word. Within Christian circles, the book of the Prayer of Manasseh is only accepted by the Eastern Orthodox church and is part of the Deuterocanonical, while the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church agree that the book of the Prayer of Manasseh is an Apocryphal book. In the Ethiopian Orthodox church, the book of the Prayer of Manasseh is incorporated into the book of 2 Chronicles.
The scroll of the Prayer Book of Manasseh was found in the Cairo Geniza in Hebrew, however the Jews rejected the Prayer Book of Manasseh because it was not considered canonical and this book also did not date from the time of Manasseh, King of Judah. Manasseh’s Prayer also has an original writing in Greek, this book itself, based on research by experts, was written in the mid-1st century AD, and does not originate from the era before AD. This is the reason why the book of Manasseh’s Prayer is called apocryphal and did not pass for canonization.
Manasseh’s Prayer itself is a book that contains the prayers of someone who asks God for mercy. This short prayer, which only consists of 15 verses, also contains words of repentance from someone who is aware of his wrong behavior during his life and wants to turn to God.
King Manasseh of Judah himself during his lifetime was an idolater and very evil, but he later repented and turned to YAHWEH when he was taken prisoner by the king of Assyria. He prayed for God’s mercy and God helped and released him and restored him to his position as king.
2 Chronicles 33:10-13 (WEB) Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people; but they didn’t listen. Therefore YAHWEH brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he begged YAHWEH his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that YAHWEH was God.
The contents of the prayer of King Manasseh of Judah itself was never recorded in the Book of Kings, the Book of Chronicles or in the books of the prophets. So the Apocryphal books that came later cannot be a reference to the prayer of King Manasseh.
2 Chronicles 33:18 (WEB) Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of YAHWEH, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel.
