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): 2000'>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).
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And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh; For God, said he, has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.
And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
the Angel who frees me from all evil, bless these young men, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
And Joseph saw Ephraim's sons unto the third generation; the sons also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were brought up upon Joseph's knees.
of the sons of Joseph, of Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur;
those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
Then shall set forward the tabernacle of the testimony, the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps, in the manner that they encamp, so shall they set forward, each one in his place by their standards. The standard of the camp of Ephraim by his hosts, on the west and the prince of the sons of Ephraim, Elishama, the son of Ammihud. read more. His host, with those that were numbered of them, were forty thousand five hundred. By him shall be the tribe of Manasseh and the prince of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.
By him shall be the tribe of Manasseh and the prince of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. His host, with those that were numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
His host, with those that were numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred. And the tribe of Benjamin and the prince of the sons of Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni. read more. His host, with those that were numbered of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred. All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred and eight thousand one hundred, by their hosts. And they shall go forward third.
On the eighth day Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, prince of the sons of Manasseh. His offering was one silver charger of the weight of one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a present; read more. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, as a burnt offering; one he goat as the sin; and for a sacrifice of peace, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.
These are the families of Manasseh, and those numbered of them, fifty-two thousand seven hundred. These are the sons of Ephraim by their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. read more. And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those numbered, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph by their families.
And the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorite who was in it. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir, the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. read more. Jair, the son of Manasseh also went and took the small towns thereof and called them Havothjair. Likewise Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.
And we took all his cities at that time there was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, all the region of Argob, of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan (fertile ground), being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh: all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the country of Argob unto the border of Geshuri and Maachathi and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day. read more. And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
And to Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD is his land, for the gifts of the heavens, for the dew, and for the deep that is stretched out beneath, and for the gifts of the fruits of the sun and for the gifts of the influence of the moon, read more. and for the summit of the ancient mountains and for the gifts of the everlasting hills, and for the gifts of the earth and fullness thereof, and may the grace of him that dwelt in the bush come upon the head of Joseph and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His beauty is like the firstborn of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; these are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.
His beauty is like the firstborn of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; these are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.
There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and father of Gilead, who was a man of war, had Gilead and Bashan.
And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, which is before Shechem; and this border goes along on the right hand to the inhabitants of Entappuah.
Ephraim towards the Negev and Manasseh to the north and the sea is his border; and they meet with Asher on the side of the north and with Issachar to the east. And Manasseh also 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 Endor and her towns and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, three provinces. read more. But the sons of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; to the contrary the Canaanite desired to dwell in that land.
Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and its towns nor Taanach and its towns nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanite desired to dwell in that land.
Then he replied unto him, Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called the cities of Jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short, and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel,
And Geshur and Aram took the cities of Jair from them, with Kenath and its towns, even sixty cities. All these were of the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.
Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; and he was not counted as the firstborn. For Judah prevailed above his brethren and was their prince, but the birthright was Joseph's:)
The sons of Reuben and of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword and to shoot with bow and skillful in war were forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, that went out to the war. And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur and Nephish and Nodab. read more. And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand and all that were with them, for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them because they put their trust in him. And they took away their livestock; fifty thousand camels and two hundred and fifty thousand sheep and two thousand asses and one hundred thousand persons. For there fell down many slain because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity. And the sons of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land; they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir and unto Mount Hermon.
But they rebelled against the God of their fathers and fornicated after the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. And for this the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, and he carried away the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh and brought them unto Halah and Habor and Hara and to the River Gozan, unto this day.
And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name, to come and make David king.
And of the other side of the Jordan, of those of Reuben and those of Gad and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, one hundred and twenty thousand.
Over the sons of Ephraim, Hosea, the son of Azaziah. Over the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel, the son of Pedaiah. Over the other half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo, the son of Zechariah. Over those of Benjamin, Jaasiel, the son of Abner.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon, for many of Israel had gone over to him, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.
So the posts passed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless, some men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, and they ate the passover not as it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon each one
Now when all this was finished, all Israel went out, those that were present, to the cities of Judah and broke the images in pieces and cut down the groves and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned, each man to his possession, into their own cities.
He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their swords round about. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves and had beaten the graven images into powder and cut down all the idols of the sun throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. read more. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz, the writer of chronicles, to repair the house of the LORD his God. And they went to Hilkiah, the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim and of all the remnant of Israel and of all Judah and Benjamin, having then returned to Jerusalem.
And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry, and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat each man the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.