Manasseh (son of Joseph)

Biblical Account

Manasseh was the firstborn son of Joseph, born after Joseph became governor of Egypt and before the years of famine began. His mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, and his younger brother was Ephraim (Genesis 41:50-52). Joseph gave him this name, saying, "For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house" (Genesis 41:51). In Hebrew, the name Manasseh sounds like a word meaning "to cause to forget."

Before his death, Jacob adopted his two grandsons as his own sons, declaring, "as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine" (Genesis 48:5). Joseph placed his firstborn, Manasseh, at Jacob's right hand, but Jacob crossed his arms, laid his right hand on the head of the younger Ephraim, and declared in his blessing that "his younger brother shall be greater than he" (Genesis 48:13-20). Scripture records that Joseph lived to see the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh (Genesis 50:23).

Significance in Scripture

Manasseh became the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Half of the tribe received land east of the Jordan River in Gilead and Bashan, while the other half received land west of the river (Numbers 32:33-42; Joshua 13:29-31; Joshua 17). This division gave rise to the expression "the half tribe of Manasseh." The daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27) and the judge Gideon (Judges 6:15) belonged to this tribe. First Chronicles 5:1 records that Reuben's birthright was given to the sons of Joseph.

In the New Testament, Hebrews 11:21 records that by faith Jacob "blessed both the sons of Joseph." In Revelation 7:6, the tribe of Manasseh is listed among the tribes that were sealed.

Interpretations and Debates

The precedence given to the younger brother over the firstborn is often read, as in the case of Esau and Jacob, as an illustration of divine choice that transcends the human order of birth. In the Reformed tradition, which emphasizes predestination, the scene is sometimes cited as an example of God's sovereign election. Other interpreters place greater weight on reading it as one instance of the "reversed firstborn" theme that recurs throughout Genesis. An allegorical interpretation that sees Jacob's crossed hands as a foreshadowing of the cross has also been handed down, though the text itself does not state this. The account of the conversion of Manasseh's mother, Asenath, is a tradition found in later Jewish literature and apocryphal writings; it does not appear in the biblical text.

In Judaism, the words of Genesis 48:20, "God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh," are still used today as a blessing pronounced over sons.