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MANASSEH

(Heb. mĕnaššeh)

1. Firstborn son of Joseph and his Egyptian wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On (Gen. 46:20). In honor of Joseph, Manasseh and his younger brother Ephraim are “blessed” by their grandfather Jacob (Gen. 48:8-22) and thus elevated to the rank of tribal progenitor.

The tribe of Manasseh occupied much of the heartland of the kingdom of Israel. Its borders are discussed in Josh. 17; ; however, their precise delineations are not prescribed. In general, Manasseh occupies the territory immediately S of the Jezreel Valley, as well as the Transjordanian region known as Gilead. Manasseh was clearly one of the most important of the Israelite tribes, as attested by the fact that the three capitals of the northern kingdom all fell within its tribal area: Shechem (Tell Balâtah), Tirzah (Tell el-Farʿah), and Samaria (Sebasṭiyeh). Manasseh included other major cities as well: Megiddo, Taanach, Jezreel, Dor, and Beth-shan.

The exact nature of the Israelite tribes is a complex issue. The OT contains numerous lists of tribes. While these usually emphasize the tribal number as 12, they vary in detail, as well as in broad outline. Generally speaking, the tribal lists fall into two categories: (1) those that list a tribe of Joseph and a tribe of Levi; or (2) those that omit Levi and split Joseph into the two tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Most scholars have assumed that the Joseph lists are older, and that later Ephraim/Manasseh emerged from the old Joseph tribe. More recent research, however, has suggested that the tribe of Joseph is a later construct, meant to contrast with Judah.

Several characteristics stand out about the tribe of Manasseh. Of first importance is its preeminence. Along with the tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh dominated the heartland of Israel. Indeed Manasseh and Ephraim appear to have engaged in a long rivalry as to which tribe would ultimately take precedence. While it is clear that Manasseh is denoted as the firstborn of Joseph (Gen. 48:13-14), it is equally clear that Ephraim ultimately wins the sibling rivalry (v. 19). Note that it is an Ephraimite, Jeroboam I, that takes the throne after the monarchy splits. Indeed the term “Ephraim” eventually becomes a synonym for the kingdom of Israel (e.g., Isa. 7:2).

Manasseh is also remarkable for the persistence of its Canaanite population. Manasseh was established in an area with considerable Canaanite settlement. Shechem, Beth-shan, Taanach, Ibleam, and Megiddo — among others — are all old Canaanite cities. Even after the Israelite “conquest,” Judg. 1:27 emphasizes that the Canaanites continued to dwell in their cities. The antiquity of the settlement in Manasseh clearly complicates its history. Moreover, Manasseh’s relationships with the tribe of Issachar and the mysterious tribes of Machir and Jezreel (2 Sam. 2:9) further cloud the picture. The ancient Song of Deborah (Judg. 5) lists 10 tribes of northern Israel. While the tribe of Machir is mentioned, Manasseh is not. Many scholars have suggested that the term Machir is simply an archaic reference to Manasseh; others, however, have argued that Machir was originally a separate tribe that ultimately vanished or was absorbed by Manasseh.

2. King of Judah (ca. 697-642 b.c.e.). Condemned as the most evil king of Judah, Manasseh was the son of King Hezekiah and Hephzibah, father of the briefly ruling Amon, and grandfather and antithesis of good King Josiah. Manasseh’s 55-year reign was the longest of any Davidic king. The excesses of his evil reign are recounted in the Deuteronomistic history (2 Kgs. 21:1-17; 23:26-27; 24:3-4), the book of Chronicles (2 Chr. 33:1-20), and Jeremiah (Jer. 15:4).

A fascinating aspect of Manasseh’s reign is its divergent treatment in Kings and Chronicles. Both accounts begin with a characterization of Manasseh’s tenure as one of unprecedented evil and apostasy. They decry his cultic excesses, child sacrifice, pagan altars, idolatry, and witchcraft. Both accounts also agree that Yahweh sent prophets to plead for repentance — but Manasseh refused to listen. But here the two accounts begin to diverge. The book of Kings condemns Manasseh as being so evil that his reign is the ultimate cause of the collapse of Judah. Even the righteous reign of Manasseh’s successor, Josiah, is not enough to avert the wrath of God: “for the sins of Manasseh . . . the Lord was not willing to pardon” (2 Kgs. 24:3-4).

In contrast, Chronicles includes a fascinating account of exile and repentance. 2 Chr. 33 asserts that Yahweh was so angry with Manasseh that he was given over to the Assyrians and taken captive to Babylon (sic!). And in an account totally absent from Kings, Manasseh is said to have recognized his wickedness and contritely repented. God was so pleased with Manasseh’s turn of heart that he was reinstated to the throne of Judah. After his return from Babylon, Manasseh undertook significant political, religious, and military reforms. Thus while Manasseh is depicted in Kings as the epitome of sin — the ultimate cause for Judah’s demise — in Chronicles he becomes the epitome of the repentant sinner. In fact the apocryphal Prayer of Manasseh purports to be Manasseh’s prayer of contrition. Traditionally most scholars have dismissed the Chronicler’s account as a moralizing attempt to explain the unprecedented length of Manasseh’s reign. Recently, however, several scholars have argued that more credence be given to the Chronicler’s account. They argue that the Deuteronomistic writings have exaggerated Manasseh’s apostasy in order to explain the ultimate failure of Josiah’s reforms.

3.-5. Hebrew men who complied with Ezra’s command to put away their foreign wives. The lists in Ezra 10; 1 Esdr. 9 are similar, but vary in their details. Ezra 10 refers to Manasseh son of Pahath-moab (v. 30) and a Manasseh son of Hashum (v. 33); 1 Esdr. 9 refers to “Manasseas” son of Addi (v. 31) and a Manasseh son of Hashum (v. 33).

6. Husband of Judith, the heroine of the book of Judith (Jdt. 8:2). Manasseh appears to have been a prominent, wealthy citizen (Jdt. 8:7) who died from heatstroke while supervising workers on his estate.

Bibliography. I. Finkelstein, “The Archaeology of the Days of Manasseh,” in Scripture and Other Artifacts, ed. M. D. Coogan, J. C. Exum, and L. E. Stager (Louisville, 1994), 169-87; The Archaeology of the Israelite Settlement (Jerusalem, 1988); C. H. J. de Geus, The Tribes of Israel. SSN 18 (Amsterdam, 1976); J. W. McKay, Religion in Judah Under the Assyrians, 732-602 b.c. SBT 2nd ser. 26 (Naperville, 1973); L. Tatum, “King Manasseh and the Royal Fortress at µorvat ʿUsa,” BA 54 (1991): 136-45.

Lynn Tatum

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MANASSEH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)