the eldest son of Joseph, and grandson of the patriarch Jacob,
Gen. xii, 50, was born, A. M. 2290, B. C. 1714. The name Manasseh
signifies _forgetfulness_, because Joseph said, “God hath made me forget
all my toil, and all my father’s house.” When Jacob was going to die,
Joseph brought his two sons to him, that his father might give them his
last blessing, Gen. xlviii. Jacob, having seen them, adopted them. The
tribe of Manasseh came out of Egypt in number thirty-two thousand two
hundred men, upward of twenty years old, under the conduct of Gamaliel,
son of Pedahzur, Num. ii, 20, 21. This tribe was divided in the land of
promise. One half tribe of Manasseh settled beyond the river Jordan, and
possessed the country of Bashan, from the river Jabbok, to Mount
Libanus; and the other half tribe of Manasseh settled on this side
Jordan, and possessed the country between the tribe of Ephraim south,
and the tribe of Issachar north, having the river Jordan east, and the
Mediterranean Sea west, Joshua xvi; xvii.
2. MANASSEH, the fifteenth king of Judah, and son and successor of
Hezekiah, was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned
fifty-five years, 2 Kings xx, 21; xxi, 1, 2; 2 Chron. xxxiii, 1, 2, &c.
His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord;
worshipped the idols of the land of Canaan; rebuilt the high places that
his father Hezekiah had destroyed; set up altars to Baal; and planted
groves to false gods. He raised altars to the whole host of heaven, in
the courts of God’s house; made his son pass through the fire in honour
of Moloch; was addicted to magic, divinations, auguries, and other
superstitions; set up the idol Astarte in the house of God; finally, he
involved his people in all the abomination of the idolatrous nations to
that degree, that Israel committed more wickedness than the Canaanites,
whom the Lord had driven out before them. To all these crimes Manasseh
added cruelty; and he shed rivers of innocent blood in Jerusalem. The
Lord being provoked by so many crimes, threatened him by his prophets, I
will blot out Jerusalem as a writing is blotted out of a writing
tablet.” The calamities which God had threatened began toward the
twenty-second year of this impious prince. The king of Assyria sent his
army against him, who, seizing him among the briers and brambles where
he was hid, fettered his hands and feet, and carried him to Babylon, 2
Chron. xxxiii, 11, 12, &c. It was probably Sargon or Esar-haddon, king
of Assyria, who sent Tartan into Palestine, and who taking Azoth,
attacked Manasseh, put him in irons, and led him away, not to Nineveh,
but to Babylon, of which Esar-haddon had become master, and had reunited
the empires of the Assyrians and the Chaldeans. Manasseh, in bonds at
Babylon, humbled himself before God, who heard his prayers, and brought
him back to Jerusalem; and Manasseh acknowledged the hand of the Lord.
Manasseh was probably delivered out of prison by Saosduchin, the
successor of Esar-haddon, 2 Chron. xxxiii, 13, 14, &c. Being returned to
Jerusalem, he restored the worship of the Lord; broke down the altars of
the false gods; abolished all traces of their idolatrous worship; but he
did not destroy the high places: which is the only thing Scripture
reproaches him with, after his return from Babylon. He caused Jerusalem
to be fortified; and he inclosed with a wall another city, which in his
time was erected west of Jerusalem, and which went by the name of the
second city, 2 Chron. xxxiii, 14. He put garrisons into all the strong
places of Judah. Manasseh died at Jerusalem, and was buried in the
garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, 2 Kings xxi, 18. He was
succeeded by his son Amon.
Gen. xii, 50, was born, A. M. 2290, B. C. 1714. The name Manasseh
signifies _forgetfulness_, because Joseph said, “God hath made me forget
all my toil, and all my father’s house.” When Jacob was going to die,
Joseph brought his two sons to him, that his father might give them his
last blessing, Gen. xlviii. Jacob, having seen them, adopted them. The
tribe of Manasseh came out of Egypt in number thirty-two thousand two
hundred men, upward of twenty years old, under the conduct of Gamaliel,
son of Pedahzur, Num. ii, 20, 21. This tribe was divided in the land of
promise. One half tribe of Manasseh settled beyond the river Jordan, and
possessed the country of Bashan, from the river Jabbok, to Mount
Libanus; and the other half tribe of Manasseh settled on this side
Jordan, and possessed the country between the tribe of Ephraim south,
and the tribe of Issachar north, having the river Jordan east, and the
Mediterranean Sea west, Joshua xvi; xvii.
2. MANASSEH, the fifteenth king of Judah, and son and successor of
Hezekiah, was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned
fifty-five years, 2 Kings xx, 21; xxi, 1, 2; 2 Chron. xxxiii, 1, 2, &c.
His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord;
worshipped the idols of the land of Canaan; rebuilt the high places that
his father Hezekiah had destroyed; set up altars to Baal; and planted
groves to false gods. He raised altars to the whole host of heaven, in
the courts of God’s house; made his son pass through the fire in honour
of Moloch; was addicted to magic, divinations, auguries, and other
superstitions; set up the idol Astarte in the house of God; finally, he
involved his people in all the abomination of the idolatrous nations to
that degree, that Israel committed more wickedness than the Canaanites,
whom the Lord had driven out before them. To all these crimes Manasseh
added cruelty; and he shed rivers of innocent blood in Jerusalem. The
Lord being provoked by so many crimes, threatened him by his prophets, I
will blot out Jerusalem as a writing is blotted out of a writing
tablet.” The calamities which God had threatened began toward the
twenty-second year of this impious prince. The king of Assyria sent his
army against him, who, seizing him among the briers and brambles where
he was hid, fettered his hands and feet, and carried him to Babylon, 2
Chron. xxxiii, 11, 12, &c. It was probably Sargon or Esar-haddon, king
of Assyria, who sent Tartan into Palestine, and who taking Azoth,
attacked Manasseh, put him in irons, and led him away, not to Nineveh,
but to Babylon, of which Esar-haddon had become master, and had reunited
the empires of the Assyrians and the Chaldeans. Manasseh, in bonds at
Babylon, humbled himself before God, who heard his prayers, and brought
him back to Jerusalem; and Manasseh acknowledged the hand of the Lord.
Manasseh was probably delivered out of prison by Saosduchin, the
successor of Esar-haddon, 2 Chron. xxxiii, 13, 14, &c. Being returned to
Jerusalem, he restored the worship of the Lord; broke down the altars of
the false gods; abolished all traces of their idolatrous worship; but he
did not destroy the high places: which is the only thing Scripture
reproaches him with, after his return from Babylon. He caused Jerusalem
to be fortified; and he inclosed with a wall another city, which in his
time was erected west of Jerusalem, and which went by the name of the
second city, 2 Chron. xxxiii, 14. He put garrisons into all the strong
places of Judah. Manasseh died at Jerusalem, and was buried in the
garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, 2 Kings xxi, 18. He was
succeeded by his son Amon.