Manasseh מְנַשֶּׁה
Descendant of Hashum, who divorced his foreign wife.
Who is Manasseh in the Bible?
Manasseh was a descendant of the family of Hashum who lived during the time of Ezra's religious reforms in Jerusalem. He had married a foreign woman, which violated Jewish law regarding marriage outside the covenant community. As documented in Ezra 10:33, Manasseh was among those required to divorce his foreign wife as part of Ezra's efforts to restore spiritual purity to the Jewish people after their return from exile. His actions and separation illustrate the difficult but deliberate measures taken during this period to maintain the distinct identity and religious observance of the restored Jewish community.
Biography
Manasseh was a man from the family of Hashum who had married a foreign woman during the time of Ezra. As part of Ezra's reforms to purify the Jewish community, Manasseh and others who had married foreign wives were required to divorce them (Ezr.10.33).
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:33
"From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | מְנַשֶּׁה | mĕnašeh | Menashsheh , a grandson of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him, and its territory |