Who was Manasseh in the Bible?

This Manasseh was a descendant of Hashum, an Israelite who returned from exile. He is specifically noted for divorcing his foreign wife as part of the religious reforms led by Ezra to restore covenant faithfulness (Ezra 10:33).

Why did Manasseh divorce his wife?

Manasseh divorced his foreign wife in obedience to Ezra's command. This reform aimed to separate the returned exiles from pagan influences and prevent the people from falling into idolatry again (Ezra 10:10-11).

What is the significance of Manasseh's story?

His brief story highlights the difficult but necessary communal obedience required during Israel's restoration. It underscores the theme of holiness and separation from practices that compromised their unique identity as God's people.

Manasseh

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleWife

Manasseh, a descendant of Hashum, divorced his foreign wife during Ezra's reforms (Ezr.10.33).

Manasseh

Biography

Manasseh was a member of the clan of Hashum who lived during the post-exilic period in Jerusalem. He is named in Ezra 10:33 among those Israelites who had married foreign women during the years following the return from Babylonian captivity. When Ezra the scribe led a sweeping reform to address the problem of intermarriage with surrounding pagan peoples, Manasseh was among those who confessed their transgression and agreed to divorce their foreign wives. This painful measure was deemed necessary to preserve the religious and covenantal identity of the restored community. Manasseh's compliance with the reform, however personally costly, demonstrated a willingness to prioritize covenant faithfulness over personal attachments, contributing to the spiritual purification that Ezra sought for the returned exiles.

Significance

Manasseh's story within Ezra's reform highlights the tension between personal relationships and covenantal obedience that the post-exilic community faced. The intermarriage crisis threatened to dissolve the distinctive identity of God's people, potentially repeating the very sins that had led to exile in the first place. Manasseh's willingness to comply with the reform illustrates the costly nature of repentance and the communal dimension of faithfulness. His example teaches that maintaining covenant integrity sometimes requires painful personal sacrifice. Within the broader narrative of restoration, figures like Manasseh demonstrate that genuine renewal demands not merely returning to the land but returning to wholehearted devotion to God's commands.

Verse Appearances (1)

Ezra

Ezra 10:33

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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