Greek word · G3128

Μανασσῆς

manassēs

Manasseh

A personal name from Hebrew Mənaššeh, 'one who makes forget' (compare Genesis 41:51). It is also the name of a tribe of Israel.

Appears 3 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 30, 2026

What it means

Μανασσῆς, -ῆ, ὁ (Heb. מְנַשֶּׁה),

Manasseh;

1. (a) the first-born son of Joseph;

(b) the tribe which bore his name: Revelation 7:6.

2. King of Judah: Matthew 1:10.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: A personal name from Hebrew Mənaššeh, 'one who makes forget' (compare Genesis 41:51). It is also the name of a tribe of Israel.
Against the English: 'Manasses' in the KJV, 'Manasseh' in modern versions. The difference is only the spelling.
Used elsewhere in the period: 2 Kings 21:1–18 blames Manasseh's idolatry and bloodshed for the coming exile (see also 2 Kings 23:26; 24:3–4). 2 Chronicles 33:10–17 adds that he was taken captive to Babylon, repented and was restored. Later Jewish tradition built on this: the Prayer of Manasseh, and a story that he had Isaiah sawn in two (Martyrdom of Isaiah; compare Hebrews 11:37).

Range of meaning: Personal and tribal name, from Hebrew Menashsheh, 'causing to forget' (Gen 41:51). The tribe was split in two: half lived east of the Jordan, half in the central hill country.
Against the English: KJV 'Manasses' follows the Greek. Other versions use 'Manasseh'.
Used elsewhere in the period: Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim as his own sons (Gen 48:5). In Old Testament lists, when Levi is left out (it had no land), Joseph's two sons are usually counted separately to keep the total at twelve. Revelation includes Levi, though, and also lists 'Joseph' in v. 8 alongside Manasseh.

Matthew · 2

Matthew 1:10 Μανασσῆ· Μανασσῆς Manasseh;, Manasseh

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,

Here: Object form of Manasseh, Hezekiah's son. He reigned 55 years (around 697–642 BC), longer than any other king of Judah, and Kings remembers him as the worst of them (2 Kings 21:1–18).

Revelation · 1

Revelation 7:6 Μανασσῆ of Manasseh

from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

Here: Joseph's firstborn son, Jacob's grandson, adopted by Jacob as a full tribal ancestor (Gen 48:5). The name means 'making to forget' (Gen 41:51). Manasseh is not a son of a servant, yet it stands among those sons here. It is almost certainly filling the slot left by the missing tribe of Dan.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.