Prayer in the Hebrew Bible
Encyclopedia
Prayer in the Hebrew Bible is an evolving means of interacting with God
, most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking. Standardized Prayer such as is done today is non-existent, though beginning in Deuteronomy
, the Bible lays the groundwork for organized prayer
, including basic liturgical guidelines, and by the Bible's later books, prayer has evolved to a more standardized form, although still radically different than the form practiced by modern Jews
.
Individual prayer is described by the Tanakh
two ways. The first of these is when prayer is described as occurring, and a result is achieved, but no further information regarding a person's prayer is given. In these instances, such as with Isaac
, Moses
, Samuel
, and Job
, the act of praying is a method of changing a situation for the better. The second way in which prayer is depicted is through fully fleshed out episodes of prayer, where a person's prayer is related in full. Many famous biblical personalities have such a prayer, including every major character from Hannah to Hezekiah.
Listed chronologically below are these occurrences of recorded individual prayer.
pleads with God not to destroy the people of Sodom
, where his nephew Lot
resides. He bargains with God not to destroy the city if there are fifty good men within, and eventually lowers to total to ten. God sends two angels to the city, which is ultimately destroyed with "burning sulfur" when they cannot find the ten requisite good people.
a wife from his people to marry. Eliezer expresses uncertainty that a woman will agree to return to Abraham's household, especially since he is told not to bring Isaac with him. In response, Abraham tells Eliezer that God will send an angel to assure his success in his mission. Eliezer, however, upon reaching the town of Nahor's well during evening, when the women of the city would draw water, begins to pray.
Eliezer's prayer makes very specific of God, hoping that God will make clear which woman is to be Isaac's wife. It takes on a petitioning tone, as opposed to the argumentative one prominent in the prayers of other characters, including his master, who's relationship and interactions with God are very different. Before he has finished with his prayer, his requests begin to be granted, and sees that Rebbecca is the chosen maiden. Eliezer rushes home with her and she and Isaac are married.
is to reunite with his brother Esau
, he prays in distress that God save him from what he fears will be an attack on him, his family, and his servants. Similarly to his grandfather Abraham, his prayer lays out an argument, in this case by invoking statements God had made in the past to convince God to aid him. Jacob's prayer does not seem to impact his optimism, for when Esau approaches, he divides his children among his maidservants and wives, so as to protect them from what he still feels is an immanent attack. The Torah, however, when taken literally, describes a joyful meeting, with Esau disregarding formalities so as to embrace his brother, although interpreters suggest Esau actually attacked his younger brother.
, the most recurring character in the Torah, prays comparatively little in a truly spontaneous petitioning or thanking form. The one occasion that is most definitely prayer takes place when, in the Book of Exodus, following the making of the Golden Calf
, he prays for God to be merciful with his people. The literal reading of the text does not include an argument made by Moses, in a similar manner to other characters, however, Rashi
describes him as blaming God for the people's sin, and therefore interprets the prayer to be more similar to those said by Abraham and Jacob.
, the Israelites battle against many different opposing nations. The book's seventh chapter describes how God punishes His people by causing them to lose a battle as a result of their sinning. Following news of the defeat, Joshua and the elders of Israel tear their clothes and lie face down in front of the Ark of the Covenant
, and following that, Joshua prays to God bemoaning his people's lowered moral, vulnerability to attack, and possible extermination.
Organized prayer is first introduced in the Hebrew Bible in Deuteronomy
, when the recitation of prayer over the fruit bringing sacrifice is mandated, and liturgy
established for the first time, in Deuteronomy
. Moses mandates that one who goes to offer the sacrifice recite a basic creed
, declaring his people's heritage and history, as well as a prayer of thanks to God for the fruits they have harvest
ed. Moses also requires Israelites to, at certain times, recite a declaration saying they have not transgressed any of the mitzvot.
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking. Standardized Prayer such as is done today is non-existent, though beginning in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
, the Bible lays the groundwork for organized prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
, including basic liturgical guidelines, and by the Bible's later books, prayer has evolved to a more standardized form, although still radically different than the form practiced by modern Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
.
Individual prayer is described by the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
two ways. The first of these is when prayer is described as occurring, and a result is achieved, but no further information regarding a person's prayer is given. In these instances, such as with Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Samuel
Samuel
Samuel is a leader of ancient Israel in the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. He is also known as a prophet and is mentioned in the Qur'an....
, and Job
Job (Biblical figure)
Job is the central character of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Job is listed as a prophet of God in the Qur'an.- Book of Job :The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously...
, the act of praying is a method of changing a situation for the better. The second way in which prayer is depicted is through fully fleshed out episodes of prayer, where a person's prayer is related in full. Many famous biblical personalities have such a prayer, including every major character from Hannah to Hezekiah.
Individual Prayer
Often in the Hebrew Bible, individuals spontaneously pray to God when faced with difficulty or having avoided it. As mentioned above, these prayers are not always given in full, however, many are fully related. Certain themes appear throughout the tanakh's portrayal of this prayer type. One of the most significant is the idea of argumentation, which is frequently described by the text, or its interpreters.Listed chronologically below are these occurrences of recorded individual prayer.
Abraham
The first notable prayer - whose text is recorded - in the Torah and Hebrew Bible occurs when AbrahamAbraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
pleads with God not to destroy the people of Sodom
Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
, where his nephew Lot
Lot (Bible)
Lot is a man from the Book of Genesis chapters 11-14 and 19, in the Hebrew Bible. Notable episodes in his life include his travels with his uncle Abram ; his flight from the destruction of Sodom, in the course of which Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt; and the seduction by his...
resides. He bargains with God not to destroy the city if there are fifty good men within, and eventually lowers to total to ten. God sends two angels to the city, which is ultimately destroyed with "burning sulfur" when they cannot find the ten requisite good people.
Eliezer
When Abraham is an old man, he makes his head servant, who while not named specifically, is almost certainly Eliezer of Damascus, promise to find his son IsaacIsaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
a wife from his people to marry. Eliezer expresses uncertainty that a woman will agree to return to Abraham's household, especially since he is told not to bring Isaac with him. In response, Abraham tells Eliezer that God will send an angel to assure his success in his mission. Eliezer, however, upon reaching the town of Nahor's well during evening, when the women of the city would draw water, begins to pray.
Eliezer's prayer makes very specific of God, hoping that God will make clear which woman is to be Isaac's wife. It takes on a petitioning tone, as opposed to the argumentative one prominent in the prayers of other characters, including his master, who's relationship and interactions with God are very different. Before he has finished with his prayer, his requests begin to be granted, and sees that Rebbecca is the chosen maiden. Eliezer rushes home with her and she and Isaac are married.
Jacob
When JacobJacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
is to reunite with his brother Esau
Esau
Esau , in the Hebrew Bible, is the oldest son of Isaac. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and by the minor prophets, Obadiah and Malachi. The New Testament later references him in the Book of Romans and the Book of Hebrews....
, he prays in distress that God save him from what he fears will be an attack on him, his family, and his servants. Similarly to his grandfather Abraham, his prayer lays out an argument, in this case by invoking statements God had made in the past to convince God to aid him. Jacob's prayer does not seem to impact his optimism, for when Esau approaches, he divides his children among his maidservants and wives, so as to protect them from what he still feels is an immanent attack. The Torah, however, when taken literally, describes a joyful meeting, with Esau disregarding formalities so as to embrace his brother, although interpreters suggest Esau actually attacked his younger brother.
Moses
MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, the most recurring character in the Torah, prays comparatively little in a truly spontaneous petitioning or thanking form. The one occasion that is most definitely prayer takes place when, in the Book of Exodus, following the making of the Golden Calf
Golden calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai...
, he prays for God to be merciful with his people. The literal reading of the text does not include an argument made by Moses, in a similar manner to other characters, however, Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
describes him as blaming God for the people's sin, and therefore interprets the prayer to be more similar to those said by Abraham and Jacob.
Joshua
In the Book of JoshuaBook of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
, the Israelites battle against many different opposing nations. The book's seventh chapter describes how God punishes His people by causing them to lose a battle as a result of their sinning. Following news of the defeat, Joshua and the elders of Israel tear their clothes and lie face down in front of the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
, and following that, Joshua prays to God bemoaning his people's lowered moral, vulnerability to attack, and possible extermination.
Organized Prayer
Organized Prayer is a rarer phenomenon than its individual counterpart, mainly because any religious structure as currently understood was introduced by the Rabbis. However, basic forms of communal and organized prayer are introduced, becoming more common as time progresses.Organized prayer is first introduced in the Hebrew Bible in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
, when the recitation of prayer over the fruit bringing sacrifice is mandated, and liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
established for the first time, in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
. Moses mandates that one who goes to offer the sacrifice recite a basic creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
, declaring his people's heritage and history, as well as a prayer of thanks to God for the fruits they have harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
ed. Moses also requires Israelites to, at certain times, recite a declaration saying they have not transgressed any of the mitzvot.