Manasseh
Name Origin & Meaning
From 'nashah' (to forget, to cause to forget). Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh declaring: 'God has made me forget all my trouble.' The name testifies to divine healing of trauma. King Manasseh of Judah — the most wicked of Judah's kings — repented dramatically in Assyrian captivity, demonstrating that even the deepest forgetting of God can be reversed.
First Biblical Appearance
“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.”
Joseph's naming of his firstborn, testifying to God's healing of his bitter past.
Biblical Significance
Manasseh was the firstborn of Joseph and Asenath, blessed by Jacob with the lesser blessing as Ephraim received the greater — again God's reversal of human primogeniture. The half-tribe of Manasseh settled on both sides of the Jordan. King Manasseh of Judah was the most wicked king but repented dramatically, showing God's mercy even to the most wayward.
Notable Bearers
- Manasseh son of Joseph
- Manasseh King of Judah (2 Kings 21)
Personality & Character
Resurrection and abundance — the number of new beginnings after the seventh day of completion
Spiritual symbolism drawn from Scripture and tradition
Modern Variants
A Blessing for This Name
May God's blessing be so abundant that even the sharpest memories of betrayal are swallowed up in gratitude. May your first act after deliverance be to testify: 'God has made me forget all my toil.'