Meaning of Manasseh in Hebrew and Spiritually

The Hebrew name מְנַשֶּׁה (Menashsheh), transliterated as Manasseh, means "causing to forget" ^{[5, 6]}. This meaning is rooted in Genesis 41:51, where Joseph names his firstborn son Manasseh, stating, "God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house" ^[5]. The name appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often referring to Joseph's eldest son ^[6].

Manasseh is a significant figure in the Old Testament, primarily as the progenitor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel ^[5]. The tribe of Manasseh was unique in that it was divided into two parts, with one half settling east of the Jordan River and the other half settling west ^{[10, 11]}. This division is reflected in biblical accounts of the allocation of land, where portions were measured out for Manasseh ^{[8, 11]}. Despite being the elder son, Jacob prophesied that Manasseh's younger brother, Ephraim, would become greater, a prophecy that began to be fulfilled during the time of the Judges ^[14].

Beyond Joseph's son, the name Manasseh also identifies several other individuals in the biblical narrative:

King Manasseh of Judah The son of King Hezekiah, he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem, the longest of any king of Judah ^{[3, 13]}. He is primarily remembered for his wickedness, including setting up idols and practicing divination, which is described as provoking the Lord to anger ^{[9, 12]}. The Babylonian Talmud suggests that his name was given because he "forgot God" or "caused the kingdom of Israel to forget their Father Who is in Heaven" ^[9]. However, after being taken captive to Babylon, he humbled himself and repented, leading to his restoration to the throne ^[15].
Men of the Exile and Return Two men named Manasseh are mentioned in Ezra 10:30 and 10:33 as having married foreign wives during the time of the Exile and Return ^{[1, 2, 7]}.

The Greek form of the name, Μανασσῆς (Manassēs), appears in the New Testament, derived from the Hebrew H04519 ^[4]. The name's spiritual significance often revolves around the idea of forgetting past troubles or, in the case of King Manasseh, forgetting God and then finding repentance ^{[9, 15]}.

Sources

STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H4519J — Man living at the time of Exile and Return (refs: #A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.33; only referred to as )”
STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H4519I — Man living at the time of Exile and Return (refs: #A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.30; only referred to as )”
STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H4519H — King living at the time of Divided Monarchy (refs: #A king of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.20.21; referred )”
Strong's Greek Dictionary “[G3128] Μανασσῆς (Manassēs) — Definition: Mannasses (i.e. Menashsheh), an Israelite | Derivation: of Hebrew origin (H04519); | KJV usage: Manasses”
STEPBible TBESG “[H4519] H4519G = (H4519G) — A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.51; son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621); brother of: Ephraim (H0669); married to Aramitess (H0761); father of: Machir (H4353) and Asriel (H0844H) § Manasseh = "causing to forget" 1) the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh 1a) the tribe descended from Manasseh 1b) the territory occupied by the tribe of Manasseh 2) son of king Hezekiah of Judah and himself king of Judah; he was the immediate and direct cause for”
Brown-Driver-Briggs “[BDB H4519] Menashsheh (part 1/2) — H4519. Menashsheh מְנַשֶּׁה136 proper name, masculine person and tribe Manasseh (interpretation of Gen 41:51 as Pi`el causative √II. נשׁה q. v.); — ׳מ 46:20 +; מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה 41:51 + (on Judg 18:30 see משֶׁה); with article (strangely), ׳הַמְֿ Josh 1:12 10t. (see below); ᵐ5 Μαν(ν)ασση; — 1 a. Manasseh, eldest son of Joseph Gen 41:51; 48:1, 13, 14 (twice in verse); 48:17, 20 (twice in verse), also 50:23 (father of Machir; all E), 46:20; 48:5 (both P). b. of tribe, often + Ephraim (see אֶפְרַיִם): (I) the part west of Jordan: a. מ ׳בְּנֵי Josh 16:9; 17:2a (הַנּוֺתָרִ”
STEPBible TBESG “[H4519] H4519J = (H4519J) — A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.33 § Manasseh = "causing to forget" 1) the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh 1a) the tribe descended from Manasseh 1b) the territory occupied by the tribe of Manasseh 2) son of king Hezekiah of Judah and himself king of Judah; he was the immediate and direct cause for the exile 3) a descendant of Pahath-moab who put away a foreign wife in the time of Ezra 4) a descendant of Hashum who put away a foreign wife in the time of Ezra”
Joshua (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Joshua 17:5: There fell ten portions to Manasseh - The Hebrew word חבלי chabley, which we translate portions, signifies literally cords or cables, and intimates that by means of a cord, cable, or what we call a chain, the land was divided. We have but little account of the arts and sciences of the Hebrews, yet from the sketches which we find in different parts of the Old Testament it appears that their minds were in many respects well cultivated; nor could the division, which is mentioned in this book, have been made without such a measure of geographical knowledge, as we find i”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 102b.19: The Gemara proceeds to discuss the third king enumerated in the mishna. He was called Manasseh [ Menashe ] because he forgot God [ nasha yah ]. Alternatively, he was called Manasseh since he caused the kingdom of Israel to forget [ hinshi ] their Father Who is in Heaven. And from where do we derive that Manasseh does not enter into the World-to-Come? The Gemara answers: It is derived as it is written: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem… And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord…”
Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 60:7: Gilead . . . and Manasseh--as large districts, east and west of Jordan, represent the whole land. divide . . . and mete out--means to have entire control over. Ephraim--denotes the military (Deu 33:17); and-- Judah--(the lawgiver, Gen 49:10), the civil power. Foreign nations are then presented as subdued.”
Joshua (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Joshua 17:1: Manasseh was itself but one half of the tribe of Joseph, and yet was divided and subdivided. 1. It was divided into two parts, one already settled on the other side Jordan, consisting of those who were the posterity of Machir, Jos 17:1. This Machir was born to Manasseh in Egypt; there he had signalized himself as a man of war, probably in the contests between the Ephraimites and the men of Gath, Ch1 7:21. His warlike disposition descended to his posterity, and therefore Moses gave them Gileaxdand Bashan, on the other side Jordan, of which before, Jos 13:31. It is ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — THAT DAVID, THE NINEVITES, HEZEKIAH, AND HIS SON MANASSEH, ARE EMINENT EXAMPLES OF REPENTANCE,THE PRAYER OF MANASSEH KING OF JUDAH. (part 2): and observers of times, and with teraphim. And he sinned exceedingly in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. And he set a molten and a graven image, the image of his grove, which he made in the house of the Lord, wherein the Lord had chosen to put His name in Jerusalem, the holy city, for ever, and had said, I will no more remove my foot from the land of Israel, which I gave to”
2 Kings (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Kings 21:1: Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign,.... So that he was born three years after Hezekiah's recovery from his sickness, and in the seventeenth year of his reign: and reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem: among which must be reckoned the time of his captivity in Babylon; his reign was the longest of any of the kings of Judah: and his mother's name was Hephzibah; the name the church goes by, and signifies, "my delight or pleasure is in her", Isa 62:4, no doubt she was a good woman, or Hezekiah would not have made choice of her for a wife; it is a trad”
Genesis (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 48:17: When Joseph observed his father placing his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, the younger son, he laid hold of it to put it upon Manasseh's head, telling his father at the same time that he was the first-born; but Jacob replied, "I know, my son, I know: he also (Manasseh) will become a nation, and will become great, yet (ואוּלם as in Gen 28:19) his younger brother will become greater than he, and his seed will become the fulness of nations." This blessing began to be fulfilled from the time of the Judges, when the tribe of Ephraim so increased in extent an”
2 Chronicles (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Chronicles 33:12: when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God--In the solitude of exile or imprisonment, Manasseh had leisure for reflection. The calamities forced upon him a review of his past life, under a conviction that the miseries of his dethronement and captive condition were owing to his awful and unprecedented apostasy (Ch2 33:7) from the God of his fathers. He humbled himself, repented, and prayed for an opportunity of bringing forth the fruits of repentance. His prayer was heard; for his conqueror not only released him, but, after two years”

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