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ManassehAid to Bible Understanding
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Alexandrine Manuscript and in the Latin Vulgate at Judges 18:30.
4. King of Judah who was the son and successor of King Hezekiah. (2 Ki. 20:21; 2 Chron. 32:33) Manasseh’s mother was Hephzibah. He was twelve years old when he ascended the throne as the fourteenth king of Judah after David and ruled for fifty-five years (716-661 B.C.E.) in Jerusalem. (2 Ki. 21:1) He did what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, rebuilding the high places his father had destroyed, setting up altars to Baal, worshiping “all the army of the heavens,” and building false religious altars in two temple courtyards. He made his sons pass through the fire, practiced magic, employed divination and promoted spiritistic practices. Manasseh also put the graven image of the sacred pole he had made into the house of Jehovah. He seduced Judah and Jerusalem “to do worse than the nations that Jehovah had annihilated from before the sons of Israel.” (2 Ki. 21:2-9; 2 Chron. 33:2-9) Though Jehovah sent prophets, these were not heeded. Manasseh was also guilty of shedding innocent blood in great quantity (2 Ki. 21:10-16), which, according to the literature of the Jewish rabbis, included that of Isaiah, who they say was sawed apart at Manasseh’s command.—Compare Hebrews 11:37.
Manasseh was punished for paying no attention to Jehovah’s message, the king of Assyria taking him captive to Babylon, one of the Assyrian monarch’s royal cities. (2 Chron. 33:10, 11) ‘Manasseh of Judah’ is mentioned in Assyrian King Esar-haddon’s list of twenty-two tribute-paying ‘kings of the West-land.’ Manasseh’s name also appears in a list of kings tributary to Assurbanipal.
While in captivity, Manasseh repented, humbling himself and praying to Jehovah. God heard his request for favor and restored him to the kingship in Jerusalem. (2 Chron. 33:12, 13) Manasseh thereafter “built an outer wall for the city of David,” put military chiefs in Judah’s fortified cities and removed the foreign gods and the idol image from Jehovah’s house, as well as the altars he had built “in the mountain of the house of Jehovah and in Jerusalem.” Manasseh prepared the altar of Jehovah and began to sacrifice upon it, encouraging others also to serve Jehovah. However, the people were still sacrificing on the high places, though to Jehovah. (2 Chron. 33:14-17) At Manasseh’s death, he was succeeded in the kingship by his son Amon.—2 Chron. 33:20.
5. An Israelite “of the sons of Pahath-moab” who was among those accepting foreign wives and sending them away “along with sons” in Ezra’s day.—Ezra 10:30, 44.
6. Another Israelite, “of the sons of Hashum,” among those dismissing their foreign wives due to Ezra’s zealous stand for pure worship.—Ezra 10:33, 44.
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ManassitesAid to Bible Understanding
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MANASSITES
See MANASSEH No. 2.
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MandrakeAid to Bible Understanding
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MANDRAKE
A perennial herb of the potato family, with large, dark-green leaves that measure about a foot (.3 meter) in length and four inches (10 centimeters) in width. The leaves appear to grow directly from the taproot, fan out in a circle and lie close to the ground. From the center of this circle the flower stalks grow, each bearing only one white, bluish or purple flower. The fruit, about the size of a plum and ranging in color from orange to red, ripens about the time of the Palestinian wheat harvest. (Gen. 30:14) It has been described as smelling sweet and fresh like an apple. (See Song of Solomon 7:13.) The thick, frequently forked, taproot of the mandrake bears some resemblance to a man’s lower limbs. This has given rise to numerous superstitious beliefs and the ascribing of magical powers to the plant.
In ancient times the fruit of the mandrake was used in medicine as a narcotic and antispasmodic. Also, it was, and still is in some parts of the East, considered an aphrodisiac and able to increase human fertility or aid in conception. The Genesis record reports that Rachel agreed to exchange with her sister Leah an opportunity to have the marital due from her husband Jacob for some mandrakes. (Gen. 30:14, 15) While the Bible does not reveal her motive, possibly Rachel felt that these would help her conceive, thus ending the reproach of her barrenness. It was, however, not until some years after this incident that she actually became pregnant.—Gen. 30:22-24.
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ManehAid to Bible Understanding
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MANEH
See MINA.
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Manger, StallAid to Bible Understanding
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MANGER, STALL
The infant Jesus was laid in a manger and was seen there by shepherds, to whom the angelic announcement of his birth was made. (Luke 2:7, 12, 16) The Greek word for “manger” in this case is phatʹne, meaning “feeding place.” (Compare Luke 13:15.) Phatʹne may also possibly apply to the stall in which animals are kept. The Hebrew term ʼe·vusʹ is generally understood to mean “manger” and was rendered phatʹne in the Greek Septuagint Version, as were two other Hebrew words that have been translated “stalls” (2 Chron. 32:28) and “enclosures.”—Hab. 3:17.
In Palestine archaeologists have found large troughs cut out of single pieces of limestone and measuring about three feet (.9 meter) in length, eighteen inches (.46 meter) in width and two feet (.6 meter) in depth. These are thought to have served as mangers. It may also be that, as in more recent times, mangers were cut in the rock walls of eaves that were used for sheltering animals.
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ManifestationAid to Bible Understanding
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MANIFESTATION
[Gr., e·pi·phaʹnei·a, manifestation, appearance, coming into light or view].
The term is used in the Scriptures with reference to Jesus Chirst’s first presence on earth and especially with regard to various events during his second presence.
GOD’S SON MANIFESTED IN FLESH
It was with respect to the “manifestation of our Savior, Christ Jesus,” in the flesh that the apostle Paul wrote the words of 2 Timothy 1:9-11. The sending of God’s Son from heaven was to work toward the vindication of Jehovah’s name and sovereignty. It was also to result in the ‘abolition of death’ traceable to Adam and to bring to light the prospect of life and incorruption in heaven for some humans. As a feature of the development of the “sacred secret of this godly devotion,” Jesus was “made manifest in flesh.” (1 Tim. 3:16) Paul also called this act of God in sending his Son a ‘manifestation’ of God’s undeserved kindness “which brings salvation to all sorts of men . . . instructing us to repudiate ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things, while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus.” (Titus 2:11-13) Christ’s manifestation in glory, when accomplished, would also manifest the glory of God, who sent him.
CHRIST MANIFEST IN HEAVENLY GLORY
During Christ’s second presence, Jesus would turn his attention to his spiritual brothers who were sleeping in death. These would be the ones Paul spoke of, along with himself, who “have loved his manifestation” and who would receive the ‘crown of righteousness as a reward.’ (2 Tim. 4:8) When the Lord would “descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet,” the dead in union with Christ would rise first, and Christ would receive them home to himself. He would in this way be powerfully manifested in his glory to them. He would then proceed to make his second presence manifest to his brothers yet on earth, and would take them home to himself at the time of their death.—1 Thess. 4:15, 16; John 14:3; Rev. 14:13.
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