Guide
Petitionary Prayer in Early Judaism
2nd Century BCE–6th Century CE
Restricted
By Carol Bakhos
The rhetoric of Jewish petitionary prayer during the Hellenistic, Greco-Roman, and Byzantine periods follows closely the patterns and discursive strategies deployed in biblical prayers. First, the relevant divine attributes (power, wisdom, mercy, covenantal loyalty, and faithfulness) are invoked, together with a brief history of the relationship between God and the petitioner that justifies the latter’s request. The petitioner may also describe the danger and urgency of his or her current situation and appeal to God’s past promises of protection. All of this is meant to motivate divine intervention on the petitioner’s behalf. These prayer strategies are rooted in the means of persuasion used in human social discourse in a hierarchical context when a less powerful person (subject, child, wife) appeals to a more powerful person (ruler, parent, husband) for assistance or a favor.
Related Primary Sources
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Judith’s Prayer for Success against Holofernes
Judith 9:1–14
Then Judith prostrated herself, put ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing. At the very time when the evening incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem…
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Judah’s Prayer for Victory
1 Maccabees 4:30–33
When he saw that their army was strong, he prayed, saying, “Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who crushed the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of your servant David, and gave the camp of…
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Prayer Salutation in Letter
2 Maccabees 1:1–6
The Jews in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea,
To their Jewish kindred in Egypt,
Greetings and true peace.…
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Priestly Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
2 Maccabees 1:23–29
And while the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests offered prayer—the priests and everyone. Jonathan led, and the rest responded, as did Nehemiah. The prayer was to this effect:…
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Prayer of Simon the High Priest for Israel’s Deliverance
3 Maccabees 2:1–20
Then the high priest Simon, facing the sanctuary, bending his knees and extending his hands with calm dignity, prayed as follows: “Lord, Lord, king of the heavens, and sovereign of all creation…
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Eleazar’s Prayer for Israel’s Deliverance and Victory
3 Maccabees 6:1–15
Then a certain Eleazar, famous among the priests of the country, who had attained a ripe old age and throughout his life had been adorned with every virtue, directed the elders around him to stop…
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Ben Sira’s Prayer for the Salvation of Israel
Ben Sira 36:1–22
Have mercy upon us, O God of all,
and put all the nations in fear of you.
Lift up your hand against foreign nations…
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Prayer for Instruction and Deliverance
Psalms Scrolla 24:3–17 (Psalm 155)
Yhwh, I call to you,listen to me;I extend my hands to your holy dwelling;bend your ear and grant my plea,and what I ask, do not deny me;build up my soul and do not demolish it;and do not forsake it…
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Jesus’ Prayer on Jewish Models
Didache 8:1–3
But do not let your fasts fall on the same days as “the hypocrites,” who fast on Monday and Thursday. Rather, you should fast on Wednesday and Friday. Nor should you pray as “the hypocrites” do, but…
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Personal Petitions in the Mishnah
m. Berakhot 4:2
R. Neḥuniah b. Hakaneh would recite a short prayer upon entering the house of study and upon departing.
They said to him, “What is the nature of this prayer?”…
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The Prayers of R. Yannai and R. Ḥiyya bar Abba
y. Berakhot 4:2, 7d
When he enters [the study hall], what does he say? “May it be your will, Lord my God, God of my fathers that I shall not be angry with my associates, and that my associates shall not be angry with me…
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Personal Petitions in the Babylonian Talmud
b. Berakhot 28b, 29b–30a, 16b–17a
The sages taught: Upon his entrance [to the house of study—Ed.], what does [a man—Ed.] say? May it be Your will, Lord my God, that no…
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Hannah’s Prayer for a Child
Biblical Antiquities 50.4–5
And Hannah prayed and said, “Did you not, Lord, search out the heart of all generations before you formed the world? Now what womb is born opened or dies closed unless you wish it? And now let my…
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Esther’s Prayer before Going to the King
Additions to Esther 14:1–19
Then Queen Esther, seized with deadly anxiety, fled to the Lord. She took off her splendid apparel and put on the garments of distress and mourning, and instead of costly perfumes she covered her…
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Tamar’s Prayer for Justification
Targum Neofiti on Genesis 38:25
And Tamar went out to be burned by fire and she asked for the three witnesses, but did not find them. She lifted up her eyes on high and said: “I beseech by the mercies from before you, O Lord, you…
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Enoch’s Prayer before the Flood
1 Enoch 84:1–6
Then I raised up my hands in righteousness and blessed the Holy and Great One; and I spoke with the breath of my mouth and the tongue of flesh which God has made for the children of the flesh, the…
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Noah’s Prayer for His Sons
Jubilees 10:1–6
During the third week of this jubilee [1583–1589], impure demons began to mislead Noah’s grandchildren, to make them act foolishly and to destroy them. Then Noah’s sons came to their father Noah and…
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Abraham’s Prayer for Protection and Good Counsel
Jubilees 12:19–21
That night he prayed and said:My God, my God, God Most High,You alone are my God.You have created everything:Everything that was and has been is the product of your hands.You and your lordship I…
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Moses’ Prayer to See the Land
Targum Neofiti on Deuteronomy 3:23–25
And I prayed and besought mercy from before the Lord in that hour saying:
“Lord, I beseech you, by the mercy that is before you, Lord, you have begun to show your servant…
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Baruch’s Prayer for Enlightenment
2 Baruch 54
And I asked the Mighty One and said:
You alone, O Lord, knew the heights of the world beforehand and that which will happen in the times which you bring about by your word. And…
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David’s Prayer for Deliverance
Psalm 152
Spoken by David After Fighting Against the Lion and the Wolf Which Took Sheep from His Flocks.
O God, O God, come to my…
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Moses’ Prayer for Israel’s Future Well-Being
Jubilees 1:19–21
Then Moses fell prostrate and prayed and said: “Lord my God, do not allow your people and your heritage to go along in the error of their minds, and do not deliver them into the control of the…
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Josephus on Moses’ Prayer at the Sea
Jewish Antiquities 2.334–339
After Moses had spoken thus, he started leading them to the sea while the Egyptians looked on, for they were within sight. Now, having become so worn out by the distress of the pursuit, they thought…
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Pseudo-Philo on Moses’ Prayer at the Sea
Biblical Antiquities 10.4–5
And Moses cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord God of our fathers, did you not say to me, ‘Go and tell the sons of Israel, “God has sent me to you”’ (Exodus 3:14–15)? And now behold you have brought…
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Moses’ Prayer after the Sin of the Golden Calf
Biblical Antiquities 12.8–9
And then Moses went up to the mountain and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Behold now, you O God, who have planted this vine and set its roots into the abyss and stretched out its shoots to your most…
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Joshua’s Prayer for Israel before His Death
Biblical Antiquities 21.2–5
And Joshua said, “You above all know, Lord, what moves the heart of the sea before it rages, and you have searched out the constellations and numbered the stars and regulated the rain; you know the…
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Baruch’s Prayers for Divine Mercy on Israel
2 Baruch 48:1–24; 75:1–8
And it happened after seven days that I prayed before the Mighty One and said:
O Lord, you summon the coming of the times,and they…
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Mordecai’s Prayer for Fortitude and Deliverance
Additions to Esther 13:8–18
Then Mordecai prayed to the Lord, calling to remembrance all the works of the Lord.
He said, “O Lord, Lord, you rule as King over all things, for the universe is in your…