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 first-born Manasseh, saying, For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.
And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; like Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And he said, Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.
the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow like the fishes into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
And he blessed them that day, saying, In you shall Israel bless, saying, God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
And Joseph saw Ephraim's sons of the third generation. Also the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.
of the sons of Joseph; of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
those numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand, two hundred.
And the tabernacle of the congregation shall go forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp. As they camp, so they shall go forward, each man in his place, by their banners. On the west side shall be the banner of the camp of Ephraim, according to their armies. And the ruler of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. read more. And his army, and those numbered with them, were forty thousand, five hundred. And beside him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. And the ruler of the sons of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
And beside him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. And the ruler of the sons of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And his army, and those numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand, two hundred.
And his army, and those numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand, two hundred. And the tribe of Benjamin; the ruler of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. read more. And his army, and those numbered of them were thirty-five thousand, four hundred. All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred eight thousand, one hundred, by their armies. And they shall go forward in the third rank.
On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, ruler of the sons of Manasseh, offered: His offering was one silver dish, its weight a hundred thirty shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; one silver basin of seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a food offering; read more. one golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one young bull; one ram; one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering; one male of the goats for a sin offering; and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
these are the families of Manasseh, by their numbered ones, fifty-two thousand, seven hundred. These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; 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 by their numbered ones, thirty-two thousand, five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.
And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and put out the Amorite who was in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. read more. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns of it, and called them Towns of Jair. And 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, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to 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, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites. And he called them after his own name, Bashan (Towns of Jair) to this day. read more. And I gave Gilead to Machir.
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be his land, with the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, and for the deep that crouches beneath, and for the precious fruits of the sun, and with the best yield of the months. read more. And with the first of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fullness of it, and for the good will of Him who lived in the Bush. Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph, and on the top of the head of him who was separated from his brothers. His glory is like the first-born of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
His glory is like the first-born of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh (for he was the first-born of Joseph); for Machir, the first-born of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah before Shechem. And the border went up to the right to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's. And the sea is its border. And they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east. And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and those who lived in Dor and its towns, and those who lived in Endor and its towns, and those who lived in Taanach and its towns, and those who lived in Megiddo and its towns, even three regions. read more. Yet the sons of Manasseh were not able to occupy these cities, but the Canaanites wanted to live in that land.
And Manasseh had not taken possession of Beth-shean and its daughter-villages, nor Taanach and its daughter-villages, nor struck the inhabitants of Dor and its daughter-villages, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its daughter-villages, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its daughter-villages. For the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
And he said to him, O, 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 who rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities which are called Havoth-jair to this day in the land of Gilead.
In those days Jehovah began to cut Israel short. And Hazael struck them in all the border of Israel,
And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and its towns, sixty cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
And the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but since he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not to be counted according to the birthright; For Judah prevailed among his brothers, and from him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's);
The sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, (sons of valor, men lifting up shield and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skillful in war), were forty-four thousand, seven hundred and sixty who 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 who were with them. For they cried to God in the battle, and He was pleased to hear them, because they put their trust in Him. And they took away their cattle: of their camels, fifty thousand; and of sheep, two hundred fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand. For many fell down slain, because the war was of God. And they lived in their places until the captivity. And the sons of the half tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They increased from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir, and to Mount Hermon.
And they sinned against the God of their fathers, and went lusting after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria. And he exiled them, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, to this day.
And from the half tribe of Manasseh were eighteen thousand, who were chosen by name to come and make David king.
And on the other side of Jordan, from the Reubenites, and of the Gadites, and from the half tribe of Manasseh, with all of the weapons of war for battle were a hundred and twenty thousand.
The ruler of the sons of Ephraim was Hoshea the son of Azaziah. The ruler of the half tribe of Manasseh was Joel the son of Pedaiah. The ruler of the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead was Iddo the son of Zechariah. The ruler of Benjamin was 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 they fell to him out of Israel in great numbers, when they saw that Jehovah 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 Jehovah at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to Jehovah, the God of Israel.
And the runners passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun. But they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. However, men from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
For many of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not been cleansed, but ate the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, May the good LORD pardon everyone
And when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the Asherahs, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, even to the end. And all the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession, into their own cities.
And so he did in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools round about. And he broke down the altars and the Asherahs, and had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the idols in all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. read more. And 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 recorder, to repair the house of Jehovah his God. And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and they delivered the silver that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and they returned to Jerusalem.
And he shall cut off on the right hand and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left, and they shall not be satisfied. Each man shall eat the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. In all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.