What Is the Prayer of Joseph?
Short answer
The Prayer of Joseph is an ancient Jewish-Christian text that survives only in brief fragments quoted by the third-century teacher Origen. It depicts the patriarch Jacob describing himself as an angel of God and a chief captain among the heavenly hosts. It is not part of the biblical canon in any Christian tradition.
The Prayer of Joseph is an ancient text that has survived only in fragments rather than as an entire book. At Find A Prayer, we find that readers asking about this title usually want to know whether it belongs in the Bible or whether it refers to devotional prayers addressed to Saint Joseph. The document belongs to the category of ancient writings known as pseudepigrapha. These are historical works attributed to biblical persons that never formed part of sacred Scripture.
A third-century Christian teacher named Origen preserved the only surviving excerpts of this work in his writings. Understanding what the text says requires examining these preserved lines and comparing them to biblical history. It also helps to clarify whether your search relates to this lost manuscript, the patriarch Jacob, or the husband of Mary.
An Ancient Text Preserved Only in Fragments
The Prayer of Joseph is an ancient Jewish-Christian writing that exists today solely through a few quotations. No complete manuscript survives anywhere in the world. The entire book was lost long ago.
The surviving lines come down to us through the third-century writer Origen. Origen cited short excerpts of the text in his Greek writings. Outside of those brief quotations, scholars possess no other copies of the work.
Its precise date and origin remain uncertain. Most historical scholars place its composition around the first century or so, but opinions continue to differ. Because the document survives only in small pieces, readers cannot examine its full narrative.
We have only the few sentences that Origen chose to copy. Those brief excerpts provide our only window into what the author wrote.
Angelic Claims and the Figure of Jacob
The surviving fragments present an unusual portrait of the patriarch Jacob speaking in the first person. In these excerpts, Jacob makes extraordinary claims about his identity and heavenly status. He speaks of himself as an angel of God.
The text describes Jacob stating that he is a chief captain among the sons of God. He declares that his heavenly name is Israel. Rather than presenting Jacob as an ordinary mortal man who received a divine blessing, the work portrays him as a preexistent angelic being who entered earthly life.
This description differs from the historical accounts found in the book of Genesis. The fragments concentrate heavily on Jacob explaining his heavenly rank. They offer a unique interpretation of his identity that ancient readers encountered in speculative writings.
Canon Status Across Christian Traditions
The Prayer of Joseph is not included in the Bible of any Christian tradition. It has never held canonical standing. No Bible prints it today. The Protestant canon does not include this work.
The Catholic canon does not include it. The Orthodox canon does not include it either. Across all historical branches of the Christian faith, the book remains outside the collection of inspired Scripture. Scholars classify the document among the pseudepigrapha.
This term describes ancient religious writings attributed to prominent figures from biblical history that were not accepted into the biblical canon. While historians study these texts to understand ancient ideas, believers do not read them as the word of God.
Biblical Accounts of Jacob and the Name Israel
Sacred Scripture records the naming of Israel as a distinct historical encounter between God and the patriarch Jacob. Genesis describes Jacob as an earthly man. He was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. Genesis 32:24 recounts that Jacob was left alone at the river Jabbok, where a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
In Genesis 32:28, his opponent declared that his name would no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because he had striven with God and with men and had prevailed. The prophet Hosea later reflected on this same event. In Hosea 12:4, Hosea wrote that Jacob had power over the angel and prevailed, weeping and making supplication. The biblical text shows a human being who prayed, wept, and received a new name from the Lord.
Scripture does not describe Jacob as an angel living in human form. The biblical portrait remains grounded in human weakness and faith.
Distinguishing Prayers to Saint Joseph
Many people searching for the prayer of Joseph are actually looking for Christian prayers associated with Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph was the husband of Mary and the earthly guardian of Jesus. He is a completely different figure from the ancient patriarch Jacob.
Matthew 1:19-20 describes Saint Joseph as a just man who listened obediently when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Christian traditions relate to him in distinct ways. Catholic and Orthodox Christians honour Saint Joseph as a patron and ask for his intercession before God.
Protestants honour Saint Joseph as an inspiring model of obedience and faith, though they direct their prayers to God alone. If you searched for devotional words to pray, you are likely looking for prayers focused on Saint Joseph rather than this ancient lost manuscript. Our library provides guides to the Saint Joseph novena and the sleeping Saint Joseph prayer for readers seeking those devotions.
Joseph the Son of Jacob in Scripture
The title can also cause confusion with Joseph the son of Jacob from the book of Genesis. This Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob and was sold into Egypt by his brothers. He is a distinct biblical person.
Scripture does not contain any book or formal prayer titled the Prayer of Joseph associated with this patriarch. The Old Testament records his life, his trials in Egypt, and his faithfulness during years of famine. Hebrews 11:21 mentions his father Jacob blessing Joseph's sons by faith while leaning on his staff.
Neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament contains an independent prayer carrying his name. The fragmentary text cited by Origen features the father Jacob speaking under the title of the Prayer of Joseph. Recognizing the difference between these figures prevents confusion when studying ancient manuscripts.
Key Bible verses
- And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. — Genesis 32:28
- And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. — Genesis 32:24
- Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth-el, and there he spake with us; — Hosea 12:4
- Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. — Matthew 1:19-20
- By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. — Hebrews 11:21
Frequently asked questions
What is the Prayer of Joseph?
The Prayer of Joseph is a fragmentary ancient Jewish-Christian text known only from brief quotations in the writings of Origen. In the surviving excerpts, the biblical patriarch Jacob speaks of himself as an angel of God and a chief captain among the heavenly beings.
Is the Prayer of Joseph in the Bible?
The Prayer of Joseph is not in the Bible. It is excluded from the canon of Scripture in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions alike. Scholars classify it among the pseudepigrapha, which are non-canonical writings attributed to biblical figures.
What did Origen say about the Prayer of Joseph?
Origen quoted several short lines from the text in his third-century writings. His citations preserve the only surviving fragments of the book, showing that it portrayed Jacob as a preexistent angel whose name was Israel.
What is the difference between the Prayer of Joseph and a prayer to Saint Joseph?
The Prayer of Joseph is an ancient lost manuscript about the patriarch Jacob, whereas a prayer to Saint Joseph is a devotional prayer directed to the husband of Mary. Catholic and Orthodox believers frequently pray to Saint Joseph for intercession, while the ancient text is an academic curiosity.
Should Christians read the Prayer of Joseph as Scripture?
Christians should not read the Prayer of Joseph as Scripture because it has never been part of any biblical canon. It is an ancient historical curiosity. Genesis 32 presents Jacob as a human man who wrestled, wept, and was renamed by God.