Manasses
The Name and Its Forms
Manasses is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew name Manasseh, meaning "one who causes to forget." The name appears in this Greek form in the New Testament and in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The most important bearers of the name are Manasseh the king of Judah, who appears in Jesus' genealogy (Matthew 1:10), and Manasseh the elder son of Joseph, whose tribe is listed among the sealed of Israel in Revelation 7:6.
Manasseh the Son of Joseph
The original Manasseh was the firstborn son of Joseph and his Egyptian wife Asenath. Joseph named him Manasseh because, he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household" (Genesis 41:51). Despite being the firstborn, Manasseh received the lesser blessing when their grandfather Jacob crossed his hands during the blessing of Joseph's sons, placing his right hand on the younger Ephraim's head instead (Genesis 48:13-20). Jacob prophesied that while Manasseh would become a great people, Ephraim would be even greater. The tribe of Manasseh received a large territory in the promised land, split between land east of the Jordan in Gilead and land west of the Jordan (Joshua 17:1-12). In Revelation 7:6, the tribe of Manasses is listed among those sealed with the seal of God.
Manasseh the King of Judah
The most prominent biblical Manasseh was the son of King Hezekiah and the longest-reigning king of Judah, ruling for fifty-five years (2 Kings 21:1). His reign was characterized by extreme wickedness: he rebuilt the high places his father had destroyed, erected altars to Baal, worshiped the stars of heaven, placed an idol in the temple, practiced sorcery and divination, and sacrificed his own son in fire (2 Kings 21:2-9). The biblical writers regarded his sins as the primary cause of Judah's eventual destruction (2 Kings 21:11-15; 23:26; 24:3).
Yet the Chronicler records a remarkable story of repentance. When the Assyrians captured Manasseh and took him to Babylon in chains, he humbled himself before God and prayed. God restored him to his throne, and Manasseh removed the foreign idols and restored the altar of the Lord (2 Chronicles 33:10-16). This account of repentance and restoration became the basis for the deuterocanonical Prayer of Manasseh, a penitential prayer attributed to the king.
Manasses in Matthew's Genealogy
Matthew includes Manasses (Manasseh) in the genealogy of Jesus Christ: "Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah" (Matthew 1:10). The inclusion of this notoriously wicked king in the lineage of the Messiah is theologically significant. It demonstrates that God's redemptive purposes cannot be thwarted by human sin and that the line of promise continues even through deeply flawed individuals. Manasseh's presence in Jesus' ancestry underscores the themes of grace and redemption that pervade the biblical narrative.
Other Figures Named Manasses
The name appears in connection with other, lesser-known individuals. In the book of Judith, Manasses is identified as the wealthy husband of the heroine Judith, who died of sunstroke during the barley harvest (Judith 8:2-3, 7). Among the returning exiles, a man named Manasses was found to have married a foreign wife and was required to divorce her during Ezra's reforms (Ezra 10:33). The apocryphal book of Tobit mentions a Manasses who "gave alms and escaped the snare of death" (Tobit 14:10), though this reference is textually uncertain.
Biblical Context
The name Manasses/Manasseh spans the entire biblical narrative. Joseph's son Manasseh appears in Genesis 41, 48, and the tribal allotments of Joshua 17. King Manasseh's reign is recorded in 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33. The Greek form Manasses appears in Matthew 1:10 in Jesus' genealogy and Revelation 7:6 in the list of sealed tribes. The name also occurs in the deuterocanonical books of Judith and Tobit.
Theological Significance
The story of King Manasseh is one of the Bible's most dramatic illustrations of both the depths of human sin and the breadth of divine mercy. His inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus demonstrates that God's plan of redemption works through, not around, human failure. The tribe of Manasseh's presence in Revelation's list of sealed tribes confirms that God's covenant faithfulness extends to the end of history. The contrast between Joseph's son, who represented a fresh start after suffering, and the king who plunged Judah into apostasy, shows how the same family line can produce both faithfulness and rebellion.
Historical Background
King Manasseh's long reign (roughly 697-642 BC) coincided with the height of Assyrian power under Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal. Assyrian records mention Manasseh (Me-na-si-i) as a vassal king who provided building materials for Esarhaddon's palace at Nineveh. His introduction of Assyrian religious practices, including astral worship, reflects the political pressure to conform to the imperial cult. The Chronicler's account of his captivity and restoration, while not corroborated by extant Assyrian records, fits patterns of Assyrian treatment of rebellious vassals who were sometimes taken to the imperial capital and later reinstated.