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Commentary on 2 Chronicles 33 verses 11–20
We have seen Manasseh by his wickedness undoing the good that his father had done; here we have him by repentance undoing the evil that he himself had done. It is strange that this was not so much as mentioned in the book of Kings, nor does any thing appear there to the contrary but that he persisted and perished in his son. But perhaps the reason was because the design of that history was to show the wickedness of the nation which brought destruction upon them; and this repentance of Manasseh and the benefit of it, being personal only and not national, is overlooked there; yet here it is fully related, and a memorable instance it is of the riches of God's pardoning mercy and the power of his renewing grace. Here is,
I. The occasion of Manasseh's repentance, and that was his affliction. In his distress he did not (like king Ahaz) trespass yet more against God, but humbled himself and returned to God. Sanctified afflictions often prove happy means of conversion. What his distress was we are told, Ch2 33:11. God brought a foreign enemy upon him; the king of Babylon, that courted his father who faithfully served God, invaded him now that he had treacherously departed from God. He is here called king of Assyria, because he had made himself master of Assyria, which he would the more easily do for the defeat of Sennacherib's army, and its destruction before Jerusalem. He aimed at the treasures which the ambassadors had seen, and all those precious things; but God sent him to chastise a sinful people, and subdue a straying prince. The captain took Manasseh among the thorns, in some bush or other, perhaps in his garden, where he had hid himself. Or it is spoken figuratively: he was perplexed in his counsels and embarrassed in his affairs. He was, as we say, in the briers, and knew not which way to extricate himself, and so became an easy prey to the Assyrian captains, who no doubt plundered his house and took away what they pleased, as Isaiah had foretold, Kg2 20:17, Kg2 20:18. What was Hezekiah's pride was their prey. They bound Manasseh, who had been held before with the cords of his own iniquity, and carried him prisoner to Babylon. About what time of his reign this was we are not told; the Jews say it was in his twenty-second year.
II. The expressions of his repentance (Ch2 33:12, Ch2 33:13): When he was in affliction he had time to bethink himself and reason enough too. He saw what he had brought himself to by his sin. He found the gods he had served unable to help him. He knew that repentance was the only way of restoring his affairs; and therefore to him he returned from whom he had revolted. 1. He was convinced the Jehovah is the only living and true God: Then he knew (that is, he believed and considered) that the Lord he was God. He might have known it at a less expense if he would have given due attention and credit to the word written and preached: but it was better to pay thus dearly for the knowledge of God than to perish in ignorance and unbelief. Had he been a prince in the palace of Babylon, it is probable he would have been confirmed in his idolatry; but, being a captive in the prisons of Babylon, he was convinced of it and reclaimed from it. 2. He applied to him as his God now, renouncing all others, and resolving to cleave to him only, the God of his fathers, and a God on covenant with him. 3. He humbled himself greatly before him, was truly sorry for his sins, ashamed of them, and afraid of the wrath of God. It becomes sinners to humble themselves before the face of that God whom they have offended. It becomes sufferers to humble themselves under the hand of that God who corrects them, and to accept the punishment of their iniquity. Our hearts should be humbled under humbling providences; then we accommodate ourselves to them, and answer God's end in them. 4. He prayed to him for the pardon of sin and the return of his favour. Prayer is the relief of penitents, the relief of the afflicted. That is a good prayer, and very pertinent in this case, which we find among the apocryphal books, entitled, The prayer of Manasses, king of Judah, when he was holden captive in Babylon. Whether it was his or no is uncertain; if it was, in it he gives glory to God as the God of their fathers and their righteous seed, as the Creator of the world, a God whose anger is insupportable, and yet his merciful promise unmeasurable. He pleads that God has promised repentance and forgiveness to those that have sinned, and has appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved, not unto the just, as to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but to me (says he) that am a sinner; for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea: so he confesses his sin largely, and aggravates it. He prays, Forgive me, O Lord! forgive me, and destroy me not; he pleads, Thou art the God of those that repent, etc., and concludes, Therefore I will praise thee for ever, etc.
III. God's gracious acceptance of his repentance: God was entreated of him, and heard his supplication. Though affliction drive us to God, he will not therefore reject us if in sincerity we seek him, for afflictions are sent on purpose to bring us to him. As a token of God's favour to him, he made a way for his escape. Afflictions are continued no longer than till they have done their work. When Manasseh is brought back to his God and to his duty he shall soon be brought back to his kingdom. See how ready God is to accept and welcome returning sinners, and how swift to show mercy. Let not great sinners despair, when Manasseh himself, upon his repentance, found favour with God; in him God showed forth a pattern of long-suffering, as Ti1 1:16; Isa 1:18.
IV. The fruits meet for repentance which he brought forth after his return to his own land, Ch2 33:15, Ch2 33:16. 1. He turned from his sins. He took away the strange gods, the images of them, and that idol (whatever it was) which he had set up with so much solemnity in the house of the Lord, as if it had been master of that house. He cast out all the idolatrous altars that were in the mount of the house and in Jerusalem, as detestable things. Now (we hope) he loathed them as much as ever he had loved them, and said to them, Get you hence, Isa 30:22. "What have I to do any more with idols? I have had enough of them." 2. He returned to his duty; for he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had either been abused and broken down by some of the idolatrous priests, or, at least, neglected and gone out of repair. He sacrificed thereon peace-offerings to implore God's favour, and thank-offerings to praise him for his deliverance. Nay, he now used his power to reform his people, as before he had abused it to corrupt them: He commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. Note, Those that truly repent of their sins will not only return to God themselves, but will do all they can to recover those that have by their example been seduced and drawn away from God; else they do not thoroughly (as they ought) undo what they have done amiss, nor make the plaster as wide as the wound. We find that he prevailed to bring them off from their false gods, but not from their high places, Ch2 33:17. They still sacrificed in them, yet to the Lord their God only; Manasseh could not carry the reformation so far as he had carried the corruption. It is an easy thing to debauch men's manners, but not so easy to reform them again.
V. His prosperity, in some measure, after his repentance. He might plainly see it was sin that ruined him; for, when he returned to God in a way of duty, God returned to him in a way of mercy: and then he built a wall about the city of David (Ch2 33:14), for by sin he had unwalled it and exposed it to the enemy. He also put captains of war in the fenced cities for the security of his country. Josephus says that all the rest of his time he was so changed for the better that he was looked upon as a very happy man.
Lastly, Here is the conclusion of his history. The heads of those things for a full narrative of which we are referred to the other writings that were then extant are more than of any of the kings, Ch2 33:18, Ch2 33:19. A particular account, it seems, was kept, 1. Of all his sin, and his trespass, the high places he built, the groves and images he set up, before he was humbled. Probably this was taken from his own confession which he made of his sin when God gave him repentance, and which he left upon record, in a book entitled, The words of the seers. To those seers that spoke to him (Ch2 33:18) to reprove him for his sin he sent his confession when he repented, to be inserted in their memoirs, as a token of his gratitude to them for their kindness in reproving him. Thus it becomes penitents to take shame to themselves, to give thanks to their reprovers, and warning to others. 2. Of the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the Lord (Ch2 33:10, Ch2 33:18), the reproofs they gave him for his sin and their exhortations to repentance. Note, Sinners ought to consider, that, how little notice soever they take of them, an account is kept of the words of the seers that speak to them from God to admonish them of their sins, warn them of their danger, and call them to their duty, which will be produced against them in the great day. 3. Of his prayer to God (this is twice mentioned as a remarkable thing) and how God was entreated of him. This was written for the generations to come, that the people that should be created might praise the Lord for his readiness to receive returning prodigals. Notice is taken of the place of his burial, not in the sepulchres of the kings, but in his own house; he was buried privately, and nothing of that honour was done him at his death that was done to his father. Penitents may recover their comfort sooner than their credit.
What sort of comfort, to be every day looking for punishment and vengeance? No, if you would have some comfort from this delay, take it by gathering for yourself the fruit of amendment after repentance. Since if the mere delay of vengeance seems to you a sort of refreshment, far more is it gain not to fall into the vengeance. Let us then make full use of this delay, in order to have a full deliverance from the dangers that press on us. For none of the things enjoined is either burdensome or grievous, but all are so light and easy that if we only bring a genuine purpose of heart, we may accomplish all, though we be chargeable with countless offenses. For so Manasseh had perpetrated innumerable pollutions, having both stretched out his hands against the saints, and brought abominations into the temple, and filled the city with murders and wrought many other things beyond excuse; yet nevertheless after so long and so great wickedness, he washed away from himself all these things. How and in what manner? By repentance and consideration.
Manasseh, having exceeded all in fury and tyranny, and having subverted the legal form of worship, and shut up the temple and caused the deceit of idolatry to flourish and having become more ungodly than all who were before him, when he afterwards repented was ranked among the friends of God. Now if, looking to the magnitude of his own iniquities, he had despaired of restoration and repentance, he would have missed all that he afterwards obtained; but as it was, looking to the boundlessness of God’s tender mercy instead of the enormity of his transgressions, and having broken in two the bonds of the devil, he rose up and contended with him and finished the good course.
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SUMMARY
This verse meticulously details King Manasseh's extensive post-repentance building and defense initiatives in Jerusalem and throughout Judah. Undertaken "after this"—a pivotal phrase referring to his dramatic humbling, sincere prayer, and miraculous restoration by God—these actions include the construction of a new outer wall for Jerusalem, the strategic fortification of the Ophel ridge, and the comprehensive placement of military commanders in Judah's fortified cities. These tangible works serve as irrefutable evidence of his transformed heart and renewed commitment to responsible, righteous leadership, standing in stark contrast to his earlier reign of profound idolatry and wickedness.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage in 2 Chronicles 33:14 effectively employs several literary devices to convey its profound message of transformation and restoration. Contrast is paramount, highlighting the stark difference between Manasseh's earlier reign of spiritual and physical destruction (2 Chronicles 33:1-9) and his post-repentance actions of building and fortifying. This contrast underscores the transformative power of God's grace and genuine repentance. The specific geographical details—"west side of Gihon," "fish gate," and "Ophel"—function as Specificity and Verisimilitude, lending credibility and a strong sense of historical reality to the account. These precise locations emphasize the tangible and extensive nature of Manasseh's efforts, making his transformation concrete and measurable. Furthermore, the "wall," "Ophel," and "captains of war" serve as Metonymy or Synecdoche, representing Manasseh's broader commitment to national security, responsible governance, and the rebuilding of a kingdom he had previously undermined. The emphasis on "very great height" for the wall also employs Hyperbole to underscore the impressive scale and formidable nature of these defensive works, signaling a significant and impactful change in his leadership.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Manasseh's story, culminating in the actions of 2 Chronicles 33:14, offers a profound theological lesson: genuine repentance is not merely an internal change of heart but manifests in tangible, outward actions that align with God's will and benefit others. His building of walls and fortification of cities, a reversal of his earlier destructive spiritual policies, serves as a powerful illustration of "fruit in keeping with repentance" (Luke 3:8). It demonstrates that God's grace is so immense that even the most wicked sinner can be transformed and used for constructive purposes. This narrative offers profound hope that no one is beyond the reach of divine mercy and that true spiritual renewal leads to practical obedience and responsible stewardship of one's sphere of influence, proving that God can indeed "create in me a clean heart" (Psalm 51:10).
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Manasseh's remarkable transformation, from a king who actively dismantled the spiritual and physical well-being of his nation to one who diligently built up its defenses, provides a powerful and enduring message for believers today. His story reminds us that God's capacity for forgiveness and restoration knows no bounds, regardless of the depth or duration of past sin. It challenges us to consider that true repentance is never passive; it is an active turning from destructive patterns and an intentional engagement in constructive, God-honoring actions. Just as Manasseh rebuilt walls, we are called to rebuild trust, mend relationships, or contribute positively to our communities after periods of spiritual wandering or personal failure. This verse encourages us to look for tangible ways to demonstrate our faith and to use our renewed purpose to fortify our spiritual lives and contribute to the well-being of those around us, recognizing that God can use anyone, even those with the darkest pasts, for His redemptive purposes, transforming them into instruments of His grace and agents of positive change.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the significance of Manasseh's building projects after his repentance?
Answer: Manasseh's building projects, meticulously detailed in 2 Chronicles 33:14, were profoundly significant as a tangible, public demonstration of his transformed heart and renewed priorities. Prior to his repentance, Manasseh had actively engaged in destructive spiritual practices, building pagan altars and even placing an idol within the very Temple of the Lord (2 Chronicles 33:3-7). His subsequent act of building defensive walls and fortifying cities was a complete reversal of this destructive pattern, symbolizing his commitment to constructive, responsible leadership and the physical well-being of his kingdom. It showcased the "fruit in keeping with repentance," where a genuine change of heart leads to a visible change in actions, demonstrating that God's grace enables individuals to move from destruction to restoration and positive contribution.
Why did Manasseh focus so heavily on military fortifications?
Answer: Manasseh's intense focus on military fortifications, including the new outer wall, the strengthening of the Ophel ridge, and the strategic placement of "captains of war" in Judah's cities, stemmed from both practical necessity and his deeply personal experience. Having been captured by the Assyrians himself and taken to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11), he had a firsthand, painful understanding of Judah's vulnerability to external threats. His actions reflect a king who, having been humbled and miraculously restored, was now diligently fulfilling his divinely appointed duty to protect his people and territory. In the ancient Near East, strong city defenses were paramount for survival, national stability, and projecting strength. Therefore, his extensive defensive efforts were a responsible and strategic response to the volatile geopolitical realities of his time, ensuring the security of Jerusalem and the broader kingdom of Judah against potential invaders.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Manasseh's dramatic transformation from a king of unparalleled wickedness to one who actively builds and fortifies his kingdom, as seen in 2 Chronicles 33:14, serves as a powerful Old Testament foreshadowing of the ultimate redemptive and transformative work of Jesus Christ. While Manasseh's repentance led him to build physical walls for the security of an earthly kingdom, Christ came to build an eternal, spiritual kingdom and a new humanity. Manasseh's restoration, though profound, was still imperfect and temporary, limited by his human nature and the constraints of the Old Covenant. The true and lasting transformation, the complete forgiveness of sins, and the empowerment for new life come solely through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross. He is the ultimate "builder" of His church (Matthew 16:18), establishing a kingdom that needs no physical walls for defense, for its security rests in His sovereign power and eternal reign (Hebrews 12:28). Through His Spirit, Christ enables us to tear down spiritual strongholds of sin and build lives of righteousness and obedience (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), making us living stones in His spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:5), a far greater and more enduring work than any earthly fortification. His work of redemption not only cleanses us from sin but also empowers us to "build up" one another in love and truth (Ephesians 4:12-16), reflecting the ultimate divine builder.