Manasseh

Family: Israel · Role: son of Joseph and Asenath · First appears: Genesis 41

In Genesis 41, before the years of famine, Asenath bore Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph. Genesis 46 again places their birth “in the land of Egypt,” making Manasseh the son of Joseph and Asenath and the brother of Ephraim.

In Genesis 48, Jacob claimed Manasseh and Ephraim as his own, equal to Reuben and Simeon, and blessed them with Joseph. Though Manasseh was the firstborn, Jacob set Ephraim before him, saying the younger would become greater; he still blessed both, invoking their growth into a multitude.

By Genesis 50, the children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, were brought up upon Joseph’s knees. In Numbers 32, Jair, Manasseh’s son, took small towns and named them Havothjair; later, at Bashan and Argob, Moses gave the remaining Gilead and Bashan to Manasseh’s half-tribe, while Jair called the region Bashanhavothjair.

Relationship record

Life events

• Asenath bears Joseph two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.(Genesis 41)
  • With: Joseph Asenath Ephraim
  • “And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.”
• Asenath bears Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph.(Genesis 46 · 📍 Egypt)
  • With: Asenath Joseph Ephraim
  • “And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.”
• Jacob claimed Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, equal to Reuben and Simeon.(Genesis 48)
  • With: Jacob Ephraim Reuben Simeon
  • “And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.”
• Jacob blessed Joseph and his sons, invoking God's protection and multiplying blessing upon them.(Genesis 48)
  • With: Jacob Joseph Ephraim
  • “And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
• Jacob blessed Ephraim above Manasseh, declaring the younger brother would become greater.(Genesis 48)
  • With: Jacob Ephraim
  • “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. 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.”
• Moses gave the remaining Gilead and Bashan to the half tribe of Manasseh.(Deuteronomy 3 · 📍 Bashan)
  • With: Moses
  • “And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh;”
• Jair took Argob and named the region after himself.(Deuteronomy 3 · 📍 Argob)
  • With: Jair
  • “Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day.”

Genesis 41

• parent: Joseph “And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.”
• parent: Asenath “And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.”

Genesis 48

• siblings with Ephraim “he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.”
• blesser: Jacob “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.”
• parent: Jacob (Jacob claims Joseph's sons as his own, like Reuben and Simeon.) “And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.”

Genesis 50

• child: Machir “the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.”

Numbers 32

• child: Jair “And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Five Books of Moses. Made with Rho MD.