Manasses

MANASSES ma-nas'-ez (Manasses; Codex Vaticanus Manasse):

(1) One who had married a "strange wife" (1 Esdras 9:33) equals "Manasseh" of Ezra 10:33.

(2) The wealthy husband of Judith; died of sunstroke when employed at the barley harvest (Judith 8:2,7; 10:3; 16:22).

(3) A person mentioned in Tobit 14:10, who "gave alms, and escaped the snare of death." It must be admitted that Manasses here is an awkward reading and apparently interrupts the sense, which would run more smoothly if Manasses were omitted or Achiacharus read. There is great variety of text in this verse. Codex Sinaiticus (followed by Fritzsche, Libri apoc. vet. Test Greek, 1871) reads en to poiesai me eleemosunen exelthen, where Manasses is omitted and Achiacharus is understood as the subject. Itala and Syriac go a step further and read Achiacharus as subject. But Codex Vaticanus (followed by Swete, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)) reads Manasses, which must be the correct reading on the principle of being the most difficult. Explanations have been offered

(1) that Manasses is simply the Hebrew name for Achiacharus, it not being uncommon for a Jew to have a Greek and a Hebrew name;

(2) that on reading Amon, Manasses was inserted for Achiacharus according to 2 Chronicles 33:22;

(3) that Manasses here is an incorrect reading for Nasbas (Tobit 11:18), identified by Grotius with Achiacharus:

"It seems impossible at present to arrive at a satisfactory explanation" (Fuller, Speaker's Commentary).

There is as great uncertainty as to the person who conspired against Manasses:

Aman, in Codex Alexandrinus, followed by the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), who is by some identified with the Haman of Esther and Achiacharus with Mordecai; Adam, in Codex Vaticanus, followed by Swete; Itala Nadab; Syriac Ahab (Acab).

(4) A king of Judah (Matthew 1:10 the King James Version, Greek form, the Revised Version (British and American) "Manasseh"), whose prayer forms one of the apocryphal books.

See MANASSES, THE PRAYER OF.

(5) The elder son of Joseph (Revelation 7:6, the King James Version Greek form, the Revised Version (British and American) "Manasseh").

S. Angus

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Bibliography Information

Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'MANASSES'".  "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia".  1915.