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The Tribe of Manasseh — the name, the blessing and the land

מְנַשֶּׁה

Mᵉnashsheh · pronounced men-ash-sheh' · Strong's H4519 · named 133 times

The double portion — half on each side of Jordan

The tribe of Manasseh
Manasseh

What the tribe was

Manasseh alone held land on both banks of the Jordan: Bashan and Gilead to the east, the hills from Jezreel toward the coast on the west — a picture of Joseph's double portion. Gideon, the least of a poor family in Manasseh, threshed wheat in a winepress until the Angel of the LORD called him a mighty man of valour; Jair and Jephthah of Gilead judged from the eastern half. The daughters of Zelophehad, of Manasseh, won their inheritance case before Moses and changed Israel's law (Num 27).

Jacob's blessing — Gen 48:17-20

וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹסֵ֗ף כִּי יָשִׁ֨ית אָבִ֧יו יַד יְמִינ֛וֹ עַל רֹ֥אשׁ אֶפְרַ֖יִם וַיֵּ֣רַע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וַיִּתְמֹ֣ךְ יַד אָבִ֗יו לְהָסִ֥יר אֹתָ֛הּ מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַ֖יִם עַל רֹ֥אשׁ מְנַשֶּֽׁה

And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶל אָבִ֖יו לֹא כֵ֣ן אָבִ֑י כִּי זֶ֣ה הַבְּכֹ֔ר שִׂ֥ים יְמִינְךָ֖ עַל רֹאשֽׁוֹ

And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

וַיְמָאֵ֣ן אָבִ֗יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי בְנִי֙ יָדַ֔עְתִּי גַּם ה֥וּא יִֽהְיֶה לְּעָ֖ם וְגַם ה֣וּא יִגְדָּ֑ל וְאוּלָ֗ם אָחִ֤יו הַקָּטֹן֙ יִגְדַּ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְזַרְע֖וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה מְלֹֽא הַגּוֹיִֽם

And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

וַיְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ לֵאמוֹר֒ בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת אֶפְרַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה

And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

Manasseh, Joseph's firstborn, received Jacob's left hand — 'he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great' (Gen 48:19) — and shares Joseph's blessing of the fruitful bough (Gen 49:22-26).

Moses' blessing — Deut 33:13-17

וּלְיוֹסֵ֣ף אָמַ֔ר מְבֹרֶ֥כֶת יְהֹוָ֖ה אַרְצ֑וֹ מִמֶּ֤גֶד שָׁמַ֨יִם֙ מִטָּ֔ל וּמִתְּה֖וֹם רֹבֶ֥צֶת תָּֽחַת

And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים

And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

וּמֵרֹ֖אשׁ הַרְרֵי קֶ֑דֶם וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גִּבְע֥וֹת עוֹלָֽם

And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,

וּמִמֶּ֗גֶד אֶ֚רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ וּרְצ֥וֹן שֹׁכְנִ֖י סְנֶ֑ה תָּב֨וֹאתָה֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו

And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

בְּכ֨וֹר שׁוֹר֜וֹ הָדָ֣ר ל֗וֹ וְקַרְנֵ֤י רְאֵם֙ קַרְנָ֔יו בָּהֶ֗ם עַמִּ֛ים יְנַגַּ֥ח יַחְדָּ֖ו אַפְסֵי אָ֑רֶץ וְהֵם֙ רִבְב֣וֹת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְהֵ֖ם אַלְפֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה

His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Moses' blessing of Joseph (Deut 33:13-17) closes on both sons: 'the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh.'

Who came out of Manasseh

Gideon — Judg 6:11Jephthah the Gileadite — Judg 11:1The daughters of Zelophehad — Num 27:1Jair the Gileadite — Judg 10:3

Moments in the story

Gen 48:19He also shall be great

Josh 17:5Half east, half west of Jordan

Num 27:7The daughters of Zelophehad inherit

Judg 6:15Gideon called in Manasseh

Judg 11:32Jephthah's vow and victory

Every mention

Gen 41:51Gen 46:20Gen 48:1Gen 48:5Gen 48:13Gen 48:14Gen 48:17Gen 48:20Gen 50:23Num 1:10Num 1:34Num 1:35Num 2:20Num 7:54Num 10:23Num 13:11Num 26:28Num 26:29Num 26:34Num 27:1Num 32:33Num 32:39Num 32:40Num 32:41Num 34:14Num 34:23Num 36:1Num 36:12Deut 3:13Deut 3:14Deut 33:17Deut 34:2Josh 1:12Josh 4:12Josh 12:6Josh 13:7Josh 13:29Josh 13:31Josh 14:4Josh 16:4Josh 16:9Josh 17:1Josh 17:2Josh 17:3Josh 17:5Josh 17:6Josh 17:7Josh 17:8Josh 17:9Josh 17:10Josh 17:11Josh 17:12Josh 17:17Josh 18:7Josh 20:8Josh 21:5Josh 21:6Josh 21:25Josh 21:27Josh 22:1Josh 22:7Josh 22:9Josh 22:10Josh 22:11Josh 22:13Josh 22:15Josh 22:21Josh 22:30Josh 22:31Judg 1:27Judg 6:15Judg 6:35Judg 7:23Judg 11:29Judg 12:4Judg 18:301Kgs 4:132Kgs 20:212Kgs 21:12Kgs 21:9+20 more in the app

After the allotments of Joshua 13–19 · outlines adapted from the “12 Tribes of Israel” map (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0).

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