2 Chronicles33

King Manasseh of Judah reigned for fifty-five years, initially committing great evil in the sight of the LORD, surpassing even the abominations of the heathen. He rebuilt high places, erected altars to Baalim and the host of heaven, practiced child sacrifice and divination, and placed an idol in the very house of God. Consequently, the LORD allowed the Assyrians to capture him and carry him to Babylon. In his affliction, Manasseh humbled himself and prayed to the LORD, who heard his supplication and restored him to his kingdom, leading to his subsequent reforms.
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Manasseh’s Wicked Reign Begins

1
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: ​
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But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. ​
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For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. ​
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Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. ​
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And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
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And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. ​
7
And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: ​
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Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.
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So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. ​
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And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

Manasseh Captive and Repentant

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Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. ​
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And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, ​
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And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. ​
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Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. ​
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And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. ​
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And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
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Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only. ​
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Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. ​
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His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.
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So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

The Short, Evil Reign of Amon

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Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem. ​
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But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
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And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. ​
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And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house. ​
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But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. ​

Study Notes for 2 Chronicles 33

Verse 1

Manasseh reigned for 55 years, the longest tenure of any king of Judah or Israel. His great age meant his evil influence permeated the nation deeply, severely undermining the reforms of his father Hezekiah.

Verse 2

The Chronicler emphasizes that Manasseh actively adopted and promoted the idolatrous practices of the nations whom God had previously judged and cast out of the land.

Verse 3

Manasseh not only restored the high places but also established altars for Baalim (Canaanite fertility gods) and Asherah (represented by 'groves'), promoting intense syncretism and pagan worship.

Verse 4

Building altars within the very courts of the Temple was a profound act of sacrilege, directly violating the covenant requirement that Jerusalem was the exclusive place where God had chosen to set His name.

Verse 6

Causing children to pass through the fire refers to child sacrifice, likely to the god Molech, practiced in the Valley of Hinnom. This, along with intense sorcery and divination, demonstrates a complete rejection of Mosaic Law.

Verse 7

Setting a carved idol within the Holy House itself was the ultimate blasphemy, challenging God's exclusive presence and sanctuary. The Chronicler reminds the reader of the eternal promises made to David regarding the Temple.

Verse 9

Manasseh's influence was so destructive that he led the people of Judah to commit worse sins than the native Canaanites whom God had previously destroyed, thus sealing Judah’s fate.

Verse 11

The judgment came through the Assyrians, likely under Esarhaddon or Ashurbanipal. Being taken to Babylon (a major Assyrian administrative center) confirms the fulfillment of prophetic warnings regarding vassal disobedience.

Verse 12

This account of Manasseh’s repentance is unique to 2 Chronicles and is central to the Chronicler's theology: even the most wicked king can find mercy if he genuinely humbles himself before God.

Verse 13

God’s hearing of Manasseh’s prayer and his subsequent restoration to the throne emphasizes divine sovereignty and mercy. Manasseh’s restored political power served as tangible proof that 'the LORD he was God.'

Verse 14

Upon his return, Manasseh undertook significant building and fortification projects, demonstrating his restored political authority and perhaps a commitment to stabilizing the kingdom he had destabilized.

Verse 15

Manasseh initiated a reform, removing the foreign idols and altars he had previously erected. This effort paralleled, though was less thorough than, the purges executed by his father Hezekiah.

Verse 17

This verse reveals the limitation of Manasseh’s reform; while the people worshipped Yahweh, they continued to use the decentralized high places. This mixed worship remained a persistent spiritual problem in Judah.

Verse 18

The Chronicler references external documents, including the 'book of the kings of Israel' and the 'words of the seers,' confirming his reliance on various prophetic and historical sources to detail Manasseh’s repentance.

Verse 21

Amon reigned only two years, indicating a period of political instability immediately following Manasseh's long rule.

Verse 23

Amon’s crucial failure was that he did not 'humble himself,' meaning he rejected the path of repentance his father had taken in affliction. He perpetuated and intensified the initial wickedness of Manasseh.

Verse 24

Amon's assassination suggests that his wickedness and failure to achieve stability led to internal revolt among his court officials.

Verse 25

The 'people of the land' (likely the loyal landed gentry) intervened, executing the conspirators and ensuring the Davidic line continued by placing Amon’s eight-year-old son, Josiah, on the throne.

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