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
Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh, because God helped him forget all his troubles and all about his father's family.
Jacob went on to say: Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt. But I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt. Bring them to me, Jacob said. I want to give them my blessing. Joseph brought the boys to him.
May the being who rescued me from all evil bless these boys! May they be called by my name and by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. May they have many children on the earth.
That day he blessed them. He said: Because of you, Israel will speak this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!' In this way Israel put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. He also lived to see the children of Manasseh's son Machir. He welcomed them into his family.
Elishama, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Ephraim; Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, from the tribe of Manasseh; Ephraim and Manasseh are Joseph's descendants.
The total for the tribe of Manasseh was thirty-two thousand two hundred.
When the tent of meeting is moved, the Levites will stay in the middle of the groups. The tribes will move out in the same order as they are in the camp, everyone in place under his own flag (staff) (scepter). On the west side the armies led by Ephraim will camp under their flag. Elishama, son of Ammihud is the leader for the people of Ephraim. read more. The total number of men in his army is forty thousand five hundred. Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader for the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.
Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader for the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur. The total number of men in his army is thirty-two thousand two hundred.
The total number of men in his army is thirty-two thousand two hundred. Then will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader for the people of Benjamin is Abidan, son of Gideoni. read more. The total number of men in his army is thirty-five thousand four hundred. The grand total of all the troops in Ephraim's camp is one hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They will be the third group to move out.
On the eighth day the leader of the descendants of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed three and one quarter pounds and a silver bowl that weighed one and three quarter pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. read more. He also brought a gold dish that weighed four ounces, filled with incense, a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; a male goat as an offering for sin; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.
These were the families of Manasseh. The total number of men was fifty-two thousand seven hundred. The families descended from Ephraim were the family of Shuthelah, the family of Beker, and the family of Tahan. read more. The descendants of Shuthelah were the family of Eran. These were the families of Ephraim's descendants. The total number of men was thirty-two thousand five hundred. These were the families descended from Joseph.
The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead. They captured it and forced out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to the people of Machir the descendants of Manasseh, and they lived there. read more. Then Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured the settlements in Gilead. He called them Havvoth Jair. Nobah captured Kenath and its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.
We captured all his cities. Not one was missed. We captured a total of sixty cities in the territory of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
I assigned the rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, where Og had ruled, that is, the entire Argob region to half the tribe of Manasseh. Bashan was known as the land of the Rephaim. Jair, from the tribe of Manasseh, took the entire region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of Geshur and Maacah. He named the villages after himself, and they are still known as the villages of Jair. read more. I assigned Gilead to the clan of Machir of the tribe of Manasseh.
He should acknowledge the firstborn son of the unloved wife. And give him a double portion of all that he has. He is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
Blessed of Jehovah is his land. Bless it with the dew from heaven above and with the deep waters lying below. Bless with the choice yield of the sun, and with the bounty produced each month. read more. Bless with the best things of the ancient mountains, and with the choice things of the everlasting hills. Bless with the choice things of the earth and its fullness. Let the favor of him who dwelt in the bush come to the head of Joseph and to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. As the firstborn of his bulls, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild bull. With them he will push the peoples, all at once, to the ends of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
As the firstborn of his bulls, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild bull. With them he will push the peoples, all at once, to the ends of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh. He was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir was the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
The coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah. It lies before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east. Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean 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, even three countries. read more. Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor 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 wanted to live in that land.
Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.
He had thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys. They had thirty cities in the land of Gilead. They are called the villages of Jair.
Jehovah began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria conquered all the Israelite territory
But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair, as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements sixty towns. All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.
The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph
The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty men ready for military service, able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. read more. They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. They seized the livestock of the Hagrites, fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile. The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous; they settled in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).
But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.
From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, eighteen thousand men were sent for the express purpose of helping David become king.
From the east side of the Jordan River where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived there were one hundred twenty thousand troops armed with every kind of weapon.
for the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea, son of Azaziah for half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joel, son of Pedaiah for the half of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo, son of Zechariah for the tribe of Benjamin-Jaasiel, son of Abner
Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and the foreigners who had come from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon. Many of them had come to him from Israel when they saw that Asa's God, Jehovah, was with him.
Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah. He wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited them to come to Jehovah's Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of Jehovah the God of Israel.
So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
Many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean. So they ate the Passover, but not in the way the written instructions said they should. Hezekiah prayed for them: May Jehovah forgive everyone
When this ended, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, he removed all their temples. Then he tore down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and idols into powder, and cut down all the incense altars everywhere in Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem. read more. In his eighteenth year as king as he was making the land and the temple clean, Josiah sent Shaphan, son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the mayor of the city, and Joah, the royal historian and son of Joahaz, to repair the Temple of Jehovah his God. They came to the chief priest Hilkiah and gave him the money that had been brought into God's Temple. It was the money that the Levite doorkeepers had collected from the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all who were left in Israel, from everyone in the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
They slice off what is on the right hand, but they will still be hungry. In the end they will even eat the flesh of their own arms (offspring) (turn upon themselves). Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, Ephraim will feed on Manasseh, and both will devour Judah. But even then Jehovah's anger will not be satisfied. His hand is still poised to unleash his power.