Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah — Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, *Menasseh*) accedes as a child (twelve years old), yet his fifty-five-year reign is the longest in Judean history. His extended tenure presents paradox: the longest reign accompanies the most comprehensive apostasy. The mother's name, Hephzibah (חֶפְצִיבָה, 'My Delight Is in Her'), suggests her importance in his early upbringing. The length of his reign indicates that his wickedness was not cut short by divine judgment during his lifetime.

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