How many times is Manasseh mentioned in the Bible?
The word Manasseh appears 143 times in the King James Version, in 132 verses. Counting every form (Manasseh, Manasseh's), it appears 147 times in 134 verses across 14 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Manasseh 145 times (148 with every form).
Manasseh in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Manasseh counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Manasseh | 143 | 145 |
| Manasseh's | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 147 | 148 |
What the name Manasseh means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Manasseh as "forgetfulness; he that is forgotten".
This is the 1869 traditional meaning; modern scholars often read names differently.
See every name and place with its meaning and count on Bible names and their meanings.
Source: Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869), checked 2026-10-22.
Which books mention Manasseh most
Manasseh appears in 14 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (43), then Numbers (21) and 1 Chronicles (20).
First and last mention of Manasseh
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.
And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.
The verse that uses it most is Genesis 48:14, 2 times (tied with Genesis 48:20, Numbers 2:20, Numbers 27:1, Joshua 13:29, Joshua 17:1 and 7 more):
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Where the two translations differ
3 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 3 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Deuteronomy 29:8: counted in the KJV only
And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
We took their land, and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites.
Judges 18:30: counted in the KJV only
And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
Judges 12:4: counted in the World English Bible only
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the middle of Ephraim, and in the middle of Manasseh.”
Matthew 1:10: counted in the World English Bible only
And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.
Common questions
How many times is Manasseh in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 147 of the 147 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Manasseh appears in 14 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (43), then Numbers (21) and 1 Chronicles (20).
Where is Manasseh first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 41:51: "And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house." The last is Ezekiel 48:5.
What does the name Manasseh mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Manasseh as "forgetfulness; he that is forgotten".
More word counts: Levi, Reuben, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, Simeon, Asher, Zebulun, or all 484 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-22.