Reference: Manasseh (1)
Fausets
("causing to forget".) Joseph's firstborn by Asenath, whose birth "made him forget all his toil and all (the sorrow he endured through) his father's house" (Ge 41:51). Jacob adopted them as his own, though "horn in Egypt" and by an alien to Israel (Ge 48:5,9); "as Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine," i.e. patriarchal heads of tribes, as Jacob's immediate sons were; Manasseh and Ephraim gave their names to separate tribes. Joseph had the portion of the firstborn by having the double portion, i.e. two tribal divisions assigned to his sons (1Ch 5:1-2; compare De 21:17). When Joseph took Ephraim in his right toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left toward Israel's right hand, Israel put his right upon Ephraim the younger, and his left upon Manasseh wittingly, notwithstanding Joseph's remonstrance. Their name should be a formula of blessing, "God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh," and they should "grow as fish do increase" (a natural image near the fish abounding Nile): Ge 48:16,20.
The term "thousands" is especially applied to Manasseh (De 33:17; Jg 6:15 margin.) Manasseh's son by an Aramitess (Syrian) concubine, Machir, had children "borne upon Joseph's knees" (Ge 50:23), i.e. adopted as his from their birth. Manasseh, Ephraim, and Benjamin, the three sprung from Rachel, marched W. of the tabernacle. Moses in his last blessing (De 33:13-17) gives Joseph (i.e. Ephraim and Manasseh) the "precious things of the earth" by "the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush, "in contrast to Joseph's past "separation from his brethren," his horns like the two of the wild bull (not "unicorn"), namely, "the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh shall push," etc. At Sinai Manasseh numbered 32,200 (Nu 1:10,35; 2:20-21; 7:54-59), Ephraim 40,500. But 40 years later, at Jordan, Manasseh 52,700, Ephraim 32,590 (Nu 26:34-37).
Manasseh here resumes his place as firstborn (his having two portions of Canaan, one on each side of Jordan, being also a kind of privilege of the firstborn), probably as having been foremost in the conquest of Gilead, the most impregnable portion of Palestine, as Lejah (asylum) the modern name of Argob implies; their inheritance was northern Gilead, Argob, and Bashan (Nu 32:39-42; De 3:4,13-15; Jos 17:1). Gideon, the greatest of the judges, and one whose son all but established hereditary monarchy in their line, and Jephthah, were samples of their warriors. They advanced from Bashan northwards to the base of Mount Hermon (1Ch 5:23). When David was crowned at Hebron western Manasseh sent 18,000, eastern Manasseh with Gad and Reuben 120,000 armed men (1Ch 12:31,37). Moreover, a prince of each of the two sections of Manasseh stands on a level with the princes of entire tribes (1Ch 27:20-21).
But because of apostasy from the God of their fathers to the gods of the people whom He destroyed before them, Manasseh was first cut short by the Syrian Hazael (2Ki 10:32), then God stirred up the spirit of Pul and of Tiglath Pileser of Assyria to carry the eastern half of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad captives to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan (1Ch 5:25-26). Manasseh failed to occupy all the territory assigned to them. "Geshur and Aram (Syria) took the 23 towns of Jair and the 37 of Kenath and her daughters, 60 in all, from them"; so 1Ch 2:23 ought to be translated In Jg 10:4 we find Jair the judge in possession of 30 of them, recovered from the enemy. Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh successfully warred with and dispossessed the Hagarites with Jetar, Nephish, and Nodab (1Ch 5:18-22). The western half of Manasseh failed for long to dispossess completely the Canaanites (Jg 1:27; Jos 17:11-12).
On their complaining that but one portion had been allotted to them, and that the Canaanite chariots prevented their occupying the Esdraelon and Jordan plains, Joshua advised them to go into the wooded mountain, probably Carmel. Accordingly their towns Taanach, Megiddo, Ibleam, and Endor are in the region of Carmel, within the allotments of other tribes. Bethshean was in the hollow of the Ghor or Jordan valley, the connecting point between the eastern and the western Manasseh. Kerr shows that the land of Manasseh, instead of crossing the country from E. to W., occupied only half that space, and lay along the sea to the W., bounded on the E. by the range of Mount Carmel.
Jos 17:7 defines its coast. En Tappuah is Atuf. The town was given to Ephraim, the land N. of it was Manasseh's. Conder thinks that Asher was separated from Manasseh by Zebulun, and that the Asher in Jos 17:10 is Asherham-Michmethah (now Es Sireh) at the N.W. corner of Ephraim. Issachar lay to the E. of Ephraim and Manasseh, along the entire line of the Jordan, from the sea of Chinneroth to the wady Kelt not far from the Salt Sea: thus it was a triangle, its apex at Jericho, its base N. of the Jezreel plain (Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, January, 1877, p. 41-50). In the declension of the nation Isaiah (Isa 9:20-21) foretells that the two sons of Joseph, once so intimately united, should be rent into factions thirsting for one another's blood, "they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and they together against Judah."
After the fall of the ten tribes, Psalm 80 expresses Judah's prayer of sympathy for her sister: "give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock. ... Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh (advancing at their head, as formerly in the pillar of cloud in the wilderness) ... come and save us." The book of Numbers (Nu 2:17-24) represents these three kindred tribes together marching after the ark; so in the Psalms. Many out of Manasseh were among the penitents coming southwards to Judah, and joining in the spiritual revivals under Asa (2Ch 15:9), Hezekiah (2Ch 30:1,10-11,18; 31:1), and Josiah (2Ch 34:6-9).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, - For God hath made me forget all my trouble, and all the house of my father.
Now, therefore thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came in unto thee in Egypt, are Ephraim and Manasseh, like Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.
And Joseph said unto his father, My sons, they are, whom God hath given me, in this place. And he said - Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, that I may bless them.
The Messenger - who hath been my redeemer from all evil - bless the lads! And may there be called upon them, my name, and the name of my fathers. Abraham and Isaac; And may they swarm into a multitude, in the midst of the earth!
And he blessed them on that day, saying - In thee, let Israel bless himself saying, God set thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh! So he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
And Joseph saw Ephraim's, sons of three generations - moreover the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, were born upon Joseph's knees.
Of the sons of Joseph, - Of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; Of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur;
such as were numbered of them as belonging to the tribe of Manasseh, thirty-two thousand, and two hundred.
Then shall set forward the tent of meeting - the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps, - as they encamp, so, shall they set forward, every man at the side thereof by their standards. the standard of the camp of Ephraim, by their hosts westwards, - even the prince of the sons of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; read more. and his host, even they who are numbered of them, - forty thousand, and five hundred. Then by him, the tribe of Manasseh, even the prince of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur;
Then by him, the tribe of Manasseh, even the prince of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur; and his host, even they who are numbered of them, - thirty-two thousand and two hundred.
and his host, even they who are numbered of them, - thirty-two thousand and two hundred. Then the tribe of Benjamin, even the prince of the sons of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni; read more. and his host, even they who are numbered of them, - thirty-five thousand and four hundred. All they who are numbered to the camp of Ephraim a hundred and eight thousand and one hundred by their hosts, and they in the third rank, shall set forward.
On the eighth day, the prince of the sons of Manasseh, - Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur: his offering, one charger of silver, a hundred and thirty shekels , the weight thereof, one tossing bowl, of silver, seventy shekels by the shekel of the sanctuary, - both of them, full of fine meal overflowed with oil as a meal-offering;
one choice young bullock one ram one he-lamb of the first year as an ascending-sacrifice:
and as a peace-offering, two oxen, five rams five he-goats, five he-lambs of the first year, - this, was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
These, are the families of Manasseh, - and, they who were numbered of them, - fifty-two thousand, and seven hundred. These are the sons of Ephraim by their families, To Shuthelah, pertained the family of the Shuthelahites, To Becher, the family of the Becherites, - To Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. read more. And, these, are the sons of Shuthelah, To Eran, pertained the family of the Eranites. These, are the families of the sons of Ephraim, as to them who were numbered of them, - thirty-two thousand, and five hundred, These, are the sons of Joseph by their families.
Then went the sons of Machir son of Manasseh to Gilead, and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein, So Moses gave Gilead unto Machir son of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein. read more. And Jair, son of Manasseh, went, and captured their encampments, - and called them Havvoth-jair. And, Nobah, went, and captured Kenath, with the villages thereof, - and called it Nobah, after his own name.
And we captured all his cities, at that time, there was no fortress which we took not from them, - sixty cities all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
but the remainder of Gilead, and all Bashan the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh, - all the region of the Argob with all Bashan. The same, is called, A land of giants. Jair, son of Manasseh, took all the region of Argob, as far as the boundary of the Geshurites, and the Maachathites, - and called them after his own name The Bashan of Havvoth-jair unto this day. read more. And, unto Machir, gave I Gilead;
but the true firstborn the son of her that is hated, shall he treat as firstborn by giving him double out of all that is found to be his, - for, he, is the beginning of hi strength, his, is the right of the firstborn.
And of Joseph, he said, Blessed of Yahweh, be his land, - With the precious things of the heavens with the dew, And with the abyss, couching beneath; And with the precious fruits of the sun, - And with the precious yield of the moons; read more. And with the chief of the ancient mountains, - And with the precious things of the age-abiding hills; And with the precious things of the earth and its fulness, And with the goodwill of One who dwelt in a thorn-bush. - Let it come on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was consecrated among his brethren. His firstborn ox, be an honour to him. And the horns of a buffalo, be his horns, With them, let him thrust, peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth, - Yea, with these, the myriads of Ephraim, And, with those, the thousands of Manasseh.
His firstborn ox, be an honour to him. And the horns of a buffalo, be his horns, With them, let him thrust, peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth, - Yea, with these, the myriads of Ephraim, And, with those, the thousands of Manasseh.
And the lot for the tribe of Manasseh was, for, he, was the firstborn of Joseph, - as for Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because, he, was a man of war, therefore had he Gilead and Bashan.
So then the boundary of Manasseh was from Asher, Michmethath, which faceth Shechem, - and the boundary goeth along unto the right hand, unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
southward, pertaineth to Ephraim, and, northward, to Manasseh, and the sea was the boundary thereof, - and they touch, Asher, on the north, and Issachar on the east. And Manasseh had - in Issachar and in Asher - Bethshean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo, and her towns - the three heights, read more. The sons of Manasseh, however, could not dispossess these cities, - but the Canaanites were determined to remain in this land;
But Manasseh took not possession of Beth-shean and her towns, nor of Taanach and her towns, nor dispossessed the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam, and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo, and her towns, - but the Canaanites were determined to remain in this land;
And he said unto him - Pardon, O my Lord! How, shall I save Israel? Lo! my thousand, is the poorest in Manasseh, and, I, am the youngest in the house of my father.
Now he had thirty sons, that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had, thirty cities, - they are called Havvoth-jair, until this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
In those days, began Yahweh to make inroads in Israel, - and Hazael smote them in all the boundaries of Israel;
but Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and the villages thereof, sixty cities. All these, were the sons of Machir, father of Gilead.
And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for, he, was the firstborn, but because he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, - and he is not to be enrolled in the place of firstborn, for, Judah, prevailed over his brethren, so that, even the prince, is from him, - although, the birthright, pertaineth to Joseph;
the sons of Reuben and Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh, of the sons of valour, men bearing shield and sword and bending the bow, and instructed in war, were forty-four thousand and seven hundred and sixty, ready to go forth in the host. So they made war with the Hagrites, - and Jetur and Naphish, and Nodab; read more. and were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all that were with them were delivered into their hand, - for, unto God, made they outcry, in the war, and he suffered himself to be entreated by them, because they put their trust in him; and they captured their cattle - their camels, fifty thousand, and, flocks, two hundred and fifty thousand, and, asses, two thousand, - and, persons of men, a hundred thousand; for, many slain, fell, for, of God, was the war, - and they dwelt in their stead, until the captivity. And, the sons of the half tribe of Manasseh, dwelt in the land, - from Bashan, as far as to Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon, they, were multiplied.
But they dealt unfaithfully with the God of their fathers, - and went unchastely after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed from before them; so the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he took them away captive, even the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, - and brought them in unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day.
And, of the half tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, who were distinguished by name, coming in to make David king.
And, from over the Jordan, of the Reubenites and Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of weapons of war for battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.
Of the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Azaziah. Of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel, son of Pedaiah. Of the half of Manasseh, in Gilead, Iddo, son of Zechariah. Of Benjamin, Jaasiel, son of Abner.
And he gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them, out of Ephraim and out of Manasseh, and out of Simeon, - for they fell unto him out of Israel, in great numbers, because they saw that, Yahweh his God, was with him.
Then sent Hezekiah unto all Israel and Judah, moreover also, letters, wrote he unto Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come unto the house of Yahweh, in Jerusalem, - to keep a passover unto Yahweh, God of Israel.
So the runners were passing from city to city throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun, - -but they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking them. Howbeit, some, out of Asher and Manasseh and out of Zebulun, humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
For, the multitude of the people, many out of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, for they did eat the passover, otherwise than as was written, - for Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, May Yahweh the Good, put a propitiatory-covering about
Now, when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went forth unto the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars - and cut down the Sacred Stems - and threw down the high places and the altars, out of all Judah and Benjamin - and throughout Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had made an end, - then all the sons of Israel returned every man to his own possession, unto their own cities.
also throughout the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, - searched he their houses, round about. And, when he had thrown down the altars and the Sacred Stems, and, the images, he had beaten to powder, and, the sun-pillars, he had hewn down throughout all the land of Israel, then returned he to Jerusalem. read more. And, in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purified the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God. So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, - and returned to Jerusalem.
And he hath slain on the right, and yet is hungry, And hath eaten on the left, yet are they not satisfied, - Every one, the flesh of his own arm, will they eat: Manasseh - Ephraim, and Ephraim - Manasseh, They together - against Judah, - For all this, hath his anger not turned back, But still, is his hand outstretched.