Prayer in the Hebrew Bible
Prayer in the Hebrew Bible is an evolving means of interacting with
Individual prayer is described by the
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. Certain themes appear throughout the Tanakh's portrayal of this prayer type. One of the most significant[6] is the idea of an 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[
Eliezer
When Abraham is an old man, he makes his head servant, who while not named specifically, is almost certainly
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, whose relationship and interactions with God are very different. Before he has finished with his prayer, his requests begin to be granted, and sees that Rebecca is the chosen maiden. Eliezer rushes home with her and she and Isaac are married.[14]
Isaac
Isaac prays on behalf of his wife Rebecca for a child.[15]
Jacob
When Jacob 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.[16] 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 imminent attack. The Torah, however, when taken literally, describes a joyful meeting, with Esau disregarding formalities so as to embrace his brother,[17] although interpreters suggest Esau actually attacked his younger brother.[18]
Moses
Song of the Sea
See:
Joshua
In the Book of Joshua, 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.[21]
Hannah
In
Organized prayer
Organized prayer is first introduced in the Hebrew Bible in
See also
- Prayer in the New Testament
References
- ^ "Gen. 25: 21". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Num. 11:2". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "1 Samuel 8:6". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Job. 42:10". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "PRAYER - JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ William S. Morrow, “Protest Against God: The Eclipse of Biblical Tradition.”
- ^ "Gen. 18:23–32". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 19:24". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 19:13". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Jewish Encyclopedia, "Eliezer"". Jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 24:3–4". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 24:7". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 24:12–14". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 24:56–62". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Chapter 25". www.chabad.org.
- ^ "Gen. 32: 9–12". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. 33:1–3". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ Genesis Rabbah 78:9
- ^ "Ex. 32:31–32". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Chabad.org, "Complete Tanach With Rashi," Exodus 32". Chabad.org. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Joshua 7 NIV – Achan's Sin – But the Israelites were". Bible Gateway. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ aliteralmess. "Eugene Peterson on 1 Samuel 1 and 2---Hannah's Story PART 2". Tumblr. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Deut. 26:5–10, 13–15". Mechon-mamre.org. Retrieved August 26, 2012.