1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Manasseh (Hebrew: מְנַשֶּׁה, Mənaššeh)
• Meaning: “Causing to forget” or “one who forgets,” referring to Joseph’s words in Genesis 41:51 — “God has made me forget all my toil”

2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Forty-fourth generation from Adam; thirty-fourth generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Hezekiah – faithful and reforming king of Judah
• Son: Amon – continued the royal succession
• Lineage Role: Fourteenth king of Judah; though infamous for wickedness, he remains a direct link in the Davidic and Messianic line

3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Reigned 55 years in Jerusalem—the longest reign of any king in Judah (2 Kings 21:1)
• Initially committed great evil: rebuilt pagan altars, practiced sorcery, desecrated the temple, and even sacrificed his own son (2 Kings 21:2–6)
• Led Judah into deeper idolatry than the nations God had destroyed
• Later, after being taken captive to Babylon by the Assyrians, he humbled himself and prayed to God (2 Chronicles 33:12–13)
• Returned to Jerusalem and began partial reforms—restoring the altar of the Lord and removing idols

4. Theological and Christological Significance
• Symbol of extreme sin met by divine mercy; his repentance prefigures the gospel message of grace and restoration
• Demonstrates God’s unbroken commitment to the Davidic covenant, even in the face of flagrant rebellion
• Typologically reflects the need for a greater king—Jesus—who would be perfectly faithful and bring full redemption
• Shows that no sin is beyond God’s forgiveness, which is fulfilled ultimately in Christ’s atonement

5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• One of the most morally complex figures in Judah’s history
• Despite his early wickedness, his late-life repentance is a powerful testimony to God’s grace
• Remembered both as a warning against idolatry and as a hope for restoration
• Included in Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:10), affirming God’s sovereign grace in the Messianic line

6. Summary Insight
• Manasseh’s life tells a redemptive story of rebellion and repentance—his return to God foreshadows the restorative power of Christ in even the darkest legacies.

7. Biblical References
• 2 Kings 21:1–18
• 2 Chronicles 33:1–20
• Matthew 1:10