Topical Bible: the Tribe of Manasseh: Families of

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The Tribe of Manasseh, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, traces its lineage to Manasseh, the firstborn son of Joseph and Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (Genesis 41:50-52). As part of the blessing by Jacob, Manasseh and his younger brother Ephraim were adopted by Jacob as his own sons, thus granting them a portion among the tribes of Israel (Genesis 48:5-6). The tribe of Manasseh is unique in that it was divided into two half-tribes, with portions of its inheritance on both sides of the Jordan River.

Families and Clans

The genealogical records of the tribe of Manasseh are detailed in several passages of Scripture, particularly in the Book of Numbers and the Book of Joshua. The tribe is divided into several families or clans, each descending from the sons of Manasseh.

1. Machirites: The descendants of Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, are known as the Machirites. Machir was a prominent figure, and his descendants were noted for their valor and military prowess. Machir's lineage is significant as he was the father of Gilead, and thus the Machirites were closely associated with the region of Gilead (Numbers 26:29).

2. Gileadites: The descendants of Gilead, son of Machir, are referred to as the Gileadites. Gilead became a notable region east of the Jordan River, and the Gileadites played a significant role in the history of Israel, particularly in the time of the Judges (Numbers 26:29-30).

3. Iezerites: The family of Iezer, also known as Abiezer, is one of the clans within the tribe of Manasseh. The Iezerites are mentioned in the census of the Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 26:30).

4. Helekites: Descendants of Helek, another son of Gilead, the Helekites are listed among the families of Manasseh (Numbers 26:30).

5. Asrielites: The Asrielites are the descendants of Asriel, a son of Gilead. This family is also included in the genealogical records of the tribe (Numbers 26:31).

6. Shechemites: The Shechemites, descendants of Shechem, are another family within the tribe of Manasseh. They are noted in the census of the Israelites (Numbers 26:31).

7. Shemidaites: The family of Shemida, another son of Gilead, is known as the Shemidaites. They are listed among the clans of Manasseh (Numbers 26:32).

8. Hepherites: The Hepherites are the descendants of Hepher, a son of Gilead. Notably, Hepher's lineage includes Zelophehad, who had no sons but five daughters—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These daughters famously petitioned Moses for an inheritance among their father's brothers, leading to a significant legal precedent regarding inheritance rights for women (Numbers 26:32-33; 27:1-11).

Inheritance and Territory

The tribe of Manasseh received a substantial inheritance, with land on both sides of the Jordan River. The half-tribe of Manasseh settled east of the Jordan, in the regions of Gilead and Bashan, while the other half-tribe received territory west of the Jordan, in the land of Canaan (Joshua 13:29-31; 17:1-11). This division of land reflects the tribe's significant size and influence among the tribes of Israel.

The families of Manasseh played a crucial role in the history of Israel, contributing to its military strength and participating in its governance and religious life. The tribe's unique position, with territories on both sides of the Jordan, underscores its importance in the narrative of the Israelite settlement in the Promised Land.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 26:29-33
Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

How Joshua, the Commander of the Hebrews, Made War with The
... of Judah, he then again proposed the lot to the several families thereto belonging ...
land to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, appointing the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how joshua the.htm

Were Christ and the Apostles Mistaken?
... 4. "These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all ... of
Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh returned ...
/.../concerning the assumptions of destructive criticism/iv were christ and the.htm

The Pentateuch.
... From the notices contained in Genesis, we learn that the families of the patriarchs ...
to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and a ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xix the pentateuch.htm

The Patriarchs.
... that in his Seed should all the families of the ... and Levi was afterwards chosen as
the tribe set apart ... being made up by reckoning Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ii the patriarchs.htm

The Israelites
... was split into two halves, Ephraim and Manasseh, while Judah ... it may be that the name
of the tribe of Benjamin ... But they were all families within a single family ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

The Promise to the Patriarchs.
... subdivisions in the greater body of the nation or tribe. ... of the [Hebrew: mwpHvt hadmh]
(the families of the ... make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.") From the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the promise to the patriarchs.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... It is not certain that all the families which constituted the half-tribe of Manasseh
took their origin from Manasseh: one of them, for example, that of Jair ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Several Laws.
... it was profitable both to cities and families that children ... heads of the tribes,
excepting the tribe of Levi ... Instead of Levi, Moses took Manasseh, the son of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 12 several laws.htm

Nature of Covenanting.
... because such interfered with services due by them to their families, over which ... Reuben,
and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, sware thus ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter i nature of covenanting.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... a man, His name Manoah, of the tribe of Dan ... were begun; The which he call'd Manasseh,
for, said he ... them with fit supplies Of bread, according to their families. ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm