An Atheist Explores the Apocryphya Part 33: Holy Wall Of Text! (Prayer of Manasseh 1)

 Prayer of Manasseh  1

Holy Wall Of Text!

 Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Apocrypha version).

In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Old Testament Apocrypha, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.

 For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/3aEJ6Q5

For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP

 Prayer of Manasseh  1

“My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied: my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of mine iniquities”

 Holy Wall of Text, Batman! This is one book, with one chapter, with one verse. It’s probably a good indicator of what all of the Bible would have looked like in original form, a solid block of writing not divided into verses nor showing much in the way of paragraph structure.

 I recall Manasseh as being the Israelite tribe that split into two parts and started off being ruled by women because the original Manasseh had no sons. This evidently doesn’t refer to that, and I cheated here and looked it up. It supposedly attributed to King Manasseh of Judah who was one of those kings that “did wrong in the sight of the Lord” and in his case ended up captured by Assyrians.

 Stylistically it sounds like kind of thing discussed in Sirach, and could equally be inserted there as a prayer to be offered up to God. The general gist is that the speaker is admitting to God all of his failings, pretty big ones covenant-breaking ones – “I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments: I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences”. Manasseh is throwing himself on the mercy of God, reminding God in the process that He’s supposed to be all-forgiving to those that seek repentance – “Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee: and of thine infinite mercies hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved”.

 By being humble in his prayer, Manasseh hopes to show to God his sincerity – “I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities: wherefore, I humbly beseech thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquites. Be not angry with me for ever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me to the lower parts of the earth”.

 And… that’s about it. In some ways it’s very similar to a lot of the psalms. It serves quite well as an exemplar of how to seek redemption; to be honest about one’s failings, to show humility and genuine remorse, and to trust to the mercy of the forgiver. In this context it’s also suggestive of a concept of God who is able to forgive all transgressions, and in this sense the whole concept allows for a certain catharsis from guilt. Its placement right next to Exilic writings may be coincidence, but in this context suggests it also suggests a general template by which the Jewish people held captive by the Babylonians can ask God for forgiveness so that He will restore the old kingdom again.

 Short, but some interesting insights hidden within.

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