Manasses
Manasses
(Hebrew: he that causes to forget)
One of the twelve tribes of Israel. At the time of the census taken in the Desert of Sinai, the tribe numbered 32,200 men “that were able to go forth to war” (Numbers 1), the smallest number among all the tribes; but at the second census, taken in the Plains of Moab, 52,700 men “twenty years old and upward” are recorded (Numbers 26). Moses assigned a part of territory east of the Jordan to one half of the tribe (Numbers 32), and Josue gave a section in Palestine proper to the remaining half, the boundaries of which are given in Josue 17.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Manasses
The name of seven persons of the Bible, a tribe of Israel, and one of the apocryphal writings.
THE INDIVIDUALS
(1) MANASSES (Heb. ***; Sept. Manassê), eldest son of Joseph and the Egyptian Aseneth (Genesis 41:50-51; 46:20). The name menas “he that causes to forget”; Joseph assigned the reason for its bestowal: “God hath made me to forget all my toils, and my father’s house” (Genesis 41:51). Jacob blessed Manasses (Genesis 48); but gave preference to the younger son Ephraim, despite the father’s protestations in favour of Manasses. By this blessing, Jacob put Manasses and Ephraim in the same class with Ruben and Simeon (verses 3-5), and gave foundation for the admission of the tribes of Manasses and Ephraim.
(2) MANASSES, Judith’s husband, died of sunstroke in Bethulia (Judith 8:2-3).
(3) MANASSES, a character in the story of Ahikar (not in Vulg., but in Sept.) told by Tobias on the point of death. The Vatican MS. mentions Manasses (Manassês) as one “who gave alms and escaped the snare of death”; the Sinaitic MS. mentions no one, but clearly refers the almsgiving and escape to Achiacharus. The reading of the Vatican MS. is probably an error (“Rev. Bibl.”, Jan. 1899).
(4) MANASSES, son of Bani, one of the companions of Esdras who married foreign wives (Ezra 10:30).
(5) MANASSES, son of Hasom, another of the same companions of Esdras (Ezra 10:33).
(6) MANASSES (according to k’thibh of Massoretic Text and Sept.), ancestor of Jonathan, a priest of the tribe of Dan (Judges 18:30). The Vulgate and k’ri of the Massoretic Text give Moses, the correct reading.
(7) MANASSES, thirteenth King of Juda (692-638 B.C. — cf. Schrader, “Keilinschr. und das A. T.”), son and successor to Ezechias (2 Kings 20:21 sq.). The historian of IV Kings tells us much about the evil of his reign (xxi, 2-10), and the punishment thereof foretold by the Prophets (verses 10- 15), but practically nothing about the rest of the doings of Manasses. He brought back the abominations of Achaz; imported the adoration of “all the host of heaven”, seemingly the astral, solar, and lunar myths of Assyria; introduced the other enormities mentioned in the Sacred text; and “made his son pass through fire” (verse 6) in the worship of Moloch. It was probably in this frenzy of his varied forms of idolatry that “Manasses shed also very much innocent blood, till he filled Jerusalem up to the mouth” (verse 16). The historian of II Par. tells much the same story, and adds that, in punishment, the Lord brought the Assyrians upon Juda. They carried Manasses to Babylon. The Lord heard his prayer for forgiveness and deliverance, and brought him again to Jerusalem, where Manasses did his part in stemming the tide of idolatry that he had formerly forced upon Juda (xxxiii, 11-20). At one time, doubt was cast on the historicity of this narrative of II Par., because IV Kings omits the captivity of Manasses. Schrader (op. cit., 2nd ed., Giessen, 1883, 355) gives cuneiform records of twenty- two kings that submitted to Assurhaddon during his expedition against Egypt; second on the list is Minasii sar ir Yaudi (Manasses, king of the city of Juda). Schrader also gives the list of twenty-two kings who are recorded on a cuneiform tablet as tributaries to Asurbanipal in the land of Hatti; second on this list is Miinsii sar mat Yaudi (Manasses, king of the land of Juda). Since a Babylonian brick confirms the record of the historian of II Par., his reputation is made a little more secure in rationalistic circles. Winckler and Zimmern admit the presence of Manasses in Babylon (see their revision of Schrader’s “Keilinschr. und das A. T.”, I, Berlin, 1902, 274). Conjectures of the Pan-Babylonian School as to the causes that led to the return of Manasses, the groundwork of the narrative in IV Kings, etc., do not militate against the historical worth of the Inspired Record.
THE TRIBE
Deriving its name from Manasses, son of Joseph, this tribe was divided into two half-tribes — the eastern and the western. The tribe east of the Jordan was represented by the descendants of Machir (Judges 5:14). Machir was the first-born of Manasses (Joshua 17:1). The children of Machir took Galaad (Numbers 32:39); Moses gave the land of Galaad to Machir (verse 40). Two other sons of Manasses, Jair and Nobe, also took villages in Galaad, and gave thereto their own names (verses 41-42). The territory of the western half-tribe is roughly sketched in Jos., xvi, 1-3. It was that part of Samaria which lay between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, the plain of Esdrelon and the towns of Jericho, Sichem, and Samaria. The eastern half-tribe occupied north Galaad, all Basan, and Argob (Joshua 13:30-31; cf. Deuteronomy 3:13) — an immense tract of land extending east of Jordan to the present Mecca route (darb elhaj) and far beyond, so as to include the Hauran.
THE WRITING
The Prayer of Manasses is an apocryphal writing which purports to give the prayer referred to in II Par., xxxiii, 13, 18-19. Its original is Greek. Nestle thinks that the prayer and other legends of Manasses in their present form are not earlier than the “Apost. Const.”, xi, 22; and that the prayer found its way into some MSS. of the Septuagint as part, not of the Sept., but of the “Apost. Const.” (see “Septuaginta Studien”, III, 1889). The prayer is not in the canon of Trent, nor has there ever seemed to have been any serious claim to its canonicity.
———————————–
WALTER DRUM. Transcribed by WGKofron With thanks to St. Mary’s Church, Akron, Ohio
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IXCopyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Manasses
(), the Greek form of the name Manasseh, and, as such, applied not only to those mentioned in the O.T., but to another in the Apocrypha.
1. The son of Joseph by that name (Rev 7:6).
2. The king of Judah (Mat 1:10; and so in the Prayer thus entitled).
3. One of the sons of Hashum (1Es 9:33; comp. Ezr 10:33). 4. A wealthy inhabitant of Bethuha, and husband of Judith, according to the legend. He was smitten with a sunstroke while superintending the laborers in his fields, leaving Judith a widow with great possessions (Jdg 8:2; Jdg 8:7; Jdg 10:3; Jdg 16:22-24), and was buried between Dothan and Baal-hamon. SEE JUDITH.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Manasses
MANASSES.1. 1Es 9:33 = Manasseh, No. 3 (Ezr 10:33). 2. Judiths husband (Jdt 8:2). 3. An unknown person mentioned in the dying words of Tobit (To 14:10). 4. For Prayer of Manasses see Apocrypha, 11.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Manasses
ma-nasez (, Manasses; Codex Vaticanus, Manasse):
(1) One who had married a strange wife (1 Esdras 9:33) = Manasseh of Ezr 10:33.
(2) The wealthy husband of Judith; died of sunstroke when employed at the barley harvest (Judith 8:2 f, 7; 10:3; 16:22 ff).
(3) A person mentioned in Tobit 14:10, who gave alms, and escaped the snare of death. It must be admitted that Manasses here is an awkward reading and apparently interrupts the sense, which would run more smoothly if Manasses were omitted or Achiacharus read. There is great variety of text in this verse. Codex Sinaiticus (followed by Fritzsche, Libri apoc. vet. Test Greek, 1871) reads en to poiesai me eleemosunen exelthen, where Manasses is omitted and Achiacharus is understood as the subject. Itala and Syriac go a step further and read Achiacharus as subject. But Codex Vaticanus (followed by Swete, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)) reads Manasses, which must be the correct reading on the principle of being the most difficult. Explanations have been offered (1) that Manasses is simply the Hebrew name for Achiacharus, it not being uncommon for a Jew to have a Greek and a Hebrew name; (2) that on reading , Amon, Manasses was inserted for Achiacharus according to 2Ch 33:22 ff; (3) that Manasses here is an incorrect reading for Nasbas (Tobit 11:18), identified by Grotius with Achiacharus: It seems impossible at present to arrive at a satisfactory explanation (Fuller, Speaker’s Commentary). There is as great uncertainty as to the person who conspired against Manasses: , Aman, in Codex Alexandrinus, followed by the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), who is by some identified with the Haman of Esther and Achiacharus with Mordecai; , Adam, in Codex Vaticanus, followed by Swete; Itala Nadab; Syriac Ahab (Acab).
(4) A king of Judah (Mat 1:10 the King James Version, Greek form, the Revised Version (British and American) Manasseh), whose prayer forms one of the apocryphal books. See MANASSES, PRAYER OF.
(5) The elder son of Joseph (Rev 7:6, the King James Version Greek form, the Revised Version (British and American) Manasseh).
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Manasses
[Manas’ses] See MANASSEH.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Manasses
Manas’ses.
1. Manasseh, king of Judah. Mat 1:10.
2. Manasseh, the son of Joseph. Rev 7:6.