1 Chronicles 5:23-24 -

"The half-tribe of Manasseh" is here very briefly treated of. Manasseh and his brother Ephraim stand in the place of Joseph, both the children of Joseph's Egyptian wife, Asenath, and born before the famine. Though Manasseh was the elder, Jacob gave the chief blessing ( Genesis 48:10-22 ) to Ephraim. The Manassites were descended from Manasseh through his son Machir, born of a Syrian concubine. Machir evidently was spes gregis (though apparently not the only son, for see Asriel , or Ashriel , in above references), and is repeatedly mentioned with his son Gilead. It is probable that the division of the tribe was determined partly according to the energy of those who composed it at the time of division—the more warlike being more adapted to the east of Jordan. Nevertheless Machir is distinctly mentioned westward, as well as with Gilead eastward (comp. 5:14-17 ; Joshua 13:29-31 ). (For the further prosecution of this part of the subject, see Exposition, 1 Chronicles 7:14-19 .)