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.

MANASSITES

See MANASSEH No. 2.

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.

MANEH

See MINA.

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.

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.

As king and judge

When Christ was before Pontius Pilate, he said that his kingdom was no part of this world, though he did not deny being a king. (John 18:36, 37) He did not then manifest himself as a potentate, the time for taking his kingdom authority not having arrived. Nevertheless, there would come a time when “the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ” would be clearly recognized, when he would exercise authority as “the happy and only Potentate” and “the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords.”—1 Tim. 6:13-16; Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14.

In view of the coming Kingdom and of Christ’s manifestation, Paul said to Timothy: “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is destined to judge the living and the dead, and by his manifestation and his kingdom, preach the word.” (2 Tim. 4:1, 2) The apostle thus pointed to the time when Christ’s glorious position in heaven would be made unmistakably manifest, when he would make God’s judgments felt in the earth.

In destroying the “man of lawlessness”

In writing to Christians in Thessalonica “respecting the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul urged them not to be shaken from their reason or to be excited by any message “to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here.” The symbolic “man of lawlessness,” which had been operating for centuries in opposition to God and Christ, would then be brought to nothing “by the manifestation of his presence.” This “lawless one” would recognize Christ’s presence, not by faith, as would Christians, who loved his manifestation, but by Jesus’ power manifested in annihilating those of this composite “man.”—2 Thess. 2:1-8; see MAN OF LAWLESSNESS.

MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT AND THE TRUTH

After the holy spirit was poured out on Christ’s disciples, the fact of its invisible operation on these disciples was ‘manifested’ by visible evidences. Some of these were: the ability to speak in foreign tongues, gifts of healing, discernment of inspired utterances, and other miraculous gifts. (1 Cor. 12:7-10) The apostle Paul also speaks of “making the truth manifest” to others by the good conduct and preaching of Christians.—2 Cor. 4:2.

MANNA

(manʹna).

The main food of the Israelites during their forty-year trek in the wilderness. (Ex. 16:35) Manna was first provided by Jehovah in the wilderness of Sin during the last half of the second month after Israel’s coming out of Egypt in 1513 B.C.E. (Ex. 16:1-4) It served as food for them until they entered Canaan in 1473 B.C.E. and partook of the produce of the Promised Land.—Josh. 5:10-12.

Manna appeared on the ground with the evaporation of a layer of dew that developed in the morning, so that “upon the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flaky thing, fine like hoarfrost upon the earth.” When the Israelites first saw it, they said, “What is it?” or, literally, “Man hu’”? (Ex. 16:13-15; Num. 11:9) This is the probable origin of the name, the Israelites themselves beginning to call this food “manna.”—Ex. 16:31.

DESCRIPTION

Manna was “white like coriander seed” and had the “look” of bdellium gum, a waxlike and transparent substance having a form that resembles a pearl. Its taste was comparable to “that of flat cakes with honey” or “an oiled sweet cake.” After being ground in a hand mill or pounded in a mortar, manna was boiled or made into cakes and baked.—Ex. 16:23, 31; Num. 11:7, 8.

No natural substance known today fits the Biblical description of manna in every respect and so there is little basis for identifying it with a known product. This is especially so because miraculous aspects were involved in Jehovah’s providing manna for the Israelites. The availability of manna did not depend on the time of year or a particular wilderness location. Although breeding worms and beginning to stink on all the other days if kept overnight, the additional omer of manna gathered on the sixth day, to be used as food on the sabbath, did not spoil. No manna could be found on the sabbath, this serving to enforce sabbath observance on the Israelites.—Ex. 16:19-30.

Probably the family head gathered the manna for the entire household. Since the manna melted when the sun got hot, he doubtless quickly gathered the approximate supply needed for the household and afterward measured it. Whether little or much was gathered, depending upon the size of the household, the amount collected always proved to be one omer per person. (Ex. 16:16-18) The apostle Paul alluded to this when encouraging the Christians at Corinth to use their material surplus to offset the material deficiency of their brothers.—2 Cor. 8:13-15.

PURPOSE

Jehovah let the Israelites go hungry in the wilderness and then furnished manna to teach them “that not by bread alone does man live but by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth does man live.” Jehovah did this ‘in order to humble them and put them to the test so as to do them good in their afterdays.’ (Deut. 8:3, 16) When the Israelites tired of manna and began calling it “contemptible bread,” Jehovah punished their rebellion by sending poisonous serpents among them, causing the death of many.—Num. 21:5, 6.

The psalmist referred to manna as “the grain of heaven” (Ps. 78:24), “bread from heaven” (Ps. 105:40) and “the very bread of powerful ones.” (Ps. 78:25) Angels are described as being “mighty in power” (Ps. 103:20) and therefore could be called “powerful ones.” This, however, would not mean that angels actually eat manna but that God may have used angelic means in providing it for the Israelites. (Compare Galatians 3:19.) Or, since heaven is the dwelling place of the “powerful ones,” the expression “bread of powerful ones” may simply point to its heavenly source.

“HIDDEN MANNA”

So that future generations might see manna, Aaron was to deposit before Jehovah a jar containing an omer (2 dry quarts, 2.2 liters) of manna. After the golden ark of the covenant was completed, a “golden Jar” of manna was put inside this sacred chest. (Ex. 16:32-34; Heb. 9:4) It was literally, “hidden manna.” About five centuries later, however, when the Ark was transferred from the tent that David had erected for it to the temple that Solomon had built, the golden jar was missing. (2 Sam. 6:17; 1 Ki. 8:9; 2 Chron. 5:10) It had served its purpose.

Although the manna was a divine provision (Neh. 9:20), it did not sustain the lives of the Israelites forever. Christ Jesus made a point of this, and then added: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world.” (John 6:30-33, 48-51, 58) Christ’s faithful anointed followers life.” Christ used the jar of manna symbolically when he assured such ‘conquerors’ that they would receive the “hidden manna,” an imperishable food supply or that which results from such a supply, in their case, immortality and incorruptibility in heaven.—Rev. 2:17; 1 Cor. 15:53.

MANOAH

(Ma·noʹah) [rest].

A Danite man of the Shephelah town of Zorah (Josh. 15:33) and the father of Judge Samson. Manoah was a devout worshiper of Jehovah.

One day an angel appeared to Manoah’s barren wife, announcing that she would give birth to a son who would be a Nazirite of God. Upon being informed