2 Chronicles 33:17

2 Chronicles 33:17 (KJV) provides a crucial insight into the spiritual state of Judah following the extraordinary repentance of King Manasseh. Despite the king's personal transformation and efforts to remove idolatry, the people still clung to certain unauthorized worship practices.

Context

This verse immediately follows the account of King Manasseh's profound wickedness—where he rebuilt high places, practiced idolatry, and even sacrificed his children (2 Chronicles 33:3-9). After being taken captive to Babylon, Manasseh humbled himself and sought the LORD, experiencing a miraculous repentance and restoration. Upon his return, he removed foreign gods and altars, and repaired the altar of the LORD (2 Chronicles 33:15-16). However, verse 17 reveals a persistent challenge: while the people now sacrificed "unto the LORD their God only," they continued to do so "in the high places." This highlights the deep-seated nature of religious practices and the difficulty of completely eradicating ingrained traditions, even after a significant spiritual awakening at the highest level of leadership. This sets the stage for the more thorough reforms under King Josiah decades later (2 Chronicles 34:3-7).

Key Themes

• Partial Obedience: The verse presents a paradox. The people were sacrificing to the true God (the LORD), which was good, but they were doing it in the wrong places (the high places). This illustrates the danger of partial obedience, where the who is right, but the how or where is contrary to God's explicit commands.
• Lingering Syncretism: The "high places" were often associated with pagan worship and had been commanded by God to be destroyed (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). While the people now directed their worship to Yahweh, using these sites represented a lingering compromise with forbidden practices and a failure to fully separate from the ways of the surrounding nations.
• The Challenge of Reform: Even after Manasseh's personal change and his efforts to remove idolatry from Jerusalem, the spiritual habits of the broader populace were difficult to shift entirely. This underscores that true, lasting spiritual reform often takes time and consistent effort across generations.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "high places" translates the Hebrew word bamot (בָּמוֹת). These were elevated locations, often hilltops, where altars were erected for religious sacrifices and rituals. While some were originally used for legitimate worship of YHWH, many had become corrupted by Canaanite practices and were explicitly forbidden by God as central to Israel's idolatrous tendencies. The KJV's "[yet]" emphasizes the contrast: despite Manasseh's reforms, this specific issue persisted.

Practical Application

For believers today, 2 Chronicles 33:17 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of purity in worship and complete obedience. It challenges us to examine our own practices: are there "high places" in our lives—traditions, habits, or methods—that, while perhaps well-intentioned, are not fully aligned with God's revealed will? True worship is not just about who we worship, but also how we worship and the spirit in which we do it (John 4:24). This verse encourages us to pursue holistic transformation, ensuring that all aspects of our faith and life are consecrated to the Lord according to His truth, avoiding any form of spiritual compromise or syncretism.