2 Chronicles 33:23

KJV

And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

KJV (with Strong's)

And humbled {H3665} not himself before {H6440} the LORD {H3068}, as Manasseh {H4519} his father {H1} had humbled {H3665} himself; but Amon {H526} trespassed {H819} more and more {H7235}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He did not humble himself before ADONAI, as M'nasheh his father had done; rather, this Amon kept adding to his guilt.

Berean Standard Bible

but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.

American Standard Version

And he humbled not himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
2 Chronicles 33:23 delivers a stark condemnation of King Amon of Judah, whose brief reign was characterized by an unyielding refusal to humble himself before the LORD. In sharp contrast to his father Manasseh, who eventually repented of his profound wickedness, Amon deliberately chose a path of escalating transgression, demonstrating a hardened heart and a complete disregard for divine authority and the powerful example of spiritual transformation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse immediately follows the account of King Manasseh's unprecedented wickedness and his dramatic, albeit late, repentance and restoration (2 Chronicles 33:1-20). Amon, Manasseh's son, inherited the throne, and the Chronicler highlights his failure to learn from his father's ultimate spiritual turnaround. The narrative here serves as a bridge, contrasting Manasseh's eventual humility with Amon's stubborn pride, setting the stage for the righteous reign of Josiah, Amon's son, which begins in [2 Chronicles 34](/2_chronicles/34 "2 Chronicles 34 - Josiah's Righteous Reign"). The brevity of Amon's two-year reign and the swiftness of his demise underscore the severe consequences of his unrepentant heart, particularly when juxtaposed with Manasseh's extended life after repentance.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Amon reigned from 642-640 BC, a period immediately following the long and tumultuous reign of Manasseh (697-642 BC). Manasseh had not only reintroduced pagan worship, including Baalism and child sacrifice, but had also actively persecuted those who remained faithful to Yahweh, filling Jerusalem with innocent blood ([2 Kings 21:16](/2_kings/21-16 "2 Kings 21:16 - Manasseh's Bloodshed")). However, after being taken captive by the Assyrians, Manasseh humbled himself and was restored by God ([2 Chronicles 33:11-13](/2_chronicles/33-11 "2 Chronicles 33:11-13 - Manasseh's Humiliation and Repentance")). Amon, therefore, grew up amidst his father's initial idolatry but also witnessed his dramatic conversion and subsequent efforts to reverse some of his earlier evils. Culturally, the concept of a king's humility before his deity was understood as an act of submission to divine sovereignty, essential for maintaining covenant blessings and national stability. Amon's refusal to humble himself was not merely a personal failing but a rejection of the covenant relationship between Judah and the LORD, despite the recent, powerful testimony of his own father's experience.

* **Key Themes:** The verse powerfully illustrates several enduring themes. Firstly, it highlights the **danger of unrepentant pride**, contrasting Amon's stubborn refusal to humble himself with Manasseh's eventual submission to God. This underscores that true humility is a prerequisite for divine favor and spiritual restoration, a theme prevalent throughout wisdom literature such as [Proverbs 3:34](/proverbs/3-34 "Proverbs 3:34 - God Scorns the Scornful"). Secondly, the passage emphasizes **individual spiritual responsibility**. Despite growing up under the influence of Manasseh's initial wickedness and later witnessing his profound repentance, Amon made his own deliberate choice to persist in sin. This demonstrates that each person is accountable for their own spiritual trajectory, regardless of their upbringing or immediate spiritual examples, a principle echoed in [Ezekiel 18](/ezekiel/18 "Ezekiel 18 - Individual Accountability"). Finally, the phrase "trespassed more and more" reveals the **escalating nature of unchecked sin**. Amon's wickedness was not static; it deepened and intensified, illustrating how a hardened heart can lead to a progressive alienation from God and a compounding of guilt, a warning found in [Hebrews 3:13](/hebrews/3-13 "Hebrews 3:13 - The Deceitfulness of Sin").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **humbled (Hebrew, _kānaʿ'_):** This verb signifies "to bow down," "to be subdued," "to submit," or "to abase oneself." It implies a voluntary act of submission, often involving a recognition of one's own weakness or guilt before a superior power, particularly God. In a spiritual context, it denotes repentance, a turning away from pride and self-sufficiency towards dependence on divine grace. Amon's failure to _kānaʿ'_ indicates a deliberate, stubborn resistance to God's authority and a rejection of the path of repentance that his father ultimately embraced.
* **trespassed (Hebrew, _ʾāšam'_):** This term carries the meaning "to be guilty," "to offend," or "to incur guilt." It refers to an offense against a divine or human law, often implying a breach of covenant or a violation of sacred trust. The act of "trespassing" leads to a state of culpability and requires atonement or punishment. Amon's repeated and increasing acts of _ʾāšam'_ signify a continuous and deepening state of rebellion against God's commands, accumulating divine displeasure.
* **more and more (Hebrew, _larbeh l'ashom'_):** This idiomatic phrase, literally "to multiply to be guilty" or "to increase in guilt," emphasizes the progressive and intensifying nature of Amon's sin. It is not merely a static state of wickedness but an active, deliberate, and escalating commitment to evil. This indicates a hardening of his heart, a deepening of his rebellion, and a conscious choice to multiply his offenses against God, suggesting a greater degree of culpability than a mere lapse.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And humbled not himself before the LORD":** This clause highlights Amon's critical spiritual failure. Unlike many biblical figures who, when confronted with their sin or divine judgment, bowed in submission and repentance, Amon deliberately chose not to. This was not an oversight but an active refusal to acknowledge God's sovereignty, his own sinfulness, or the need for a change of heart. His pride prevented him from seeking reconciliation with the covenant God of Israel.
* **"as Manasseh his father had humbled himself":** This phrase provides the crucial contrast that amplifies Amon's culpability. Manasseh, despite a reign of unparalleled wickedness, eventually experienced a profound spiritual transformation, humbling himself before God in captivity and being restored. Amon had a living, powerful testimony of repentance and divine grace in his own father, yet he consciously rejected this example. His sin was therefore compounded by his deliberate disregard for such a clear demonstration of God's capacity to forgive and restore.
* **"but Amon trespassed more and more":** This final clause describes the trajectory of Amon's spiritual decline. His refusal to humble himself led not to stagnation, but to an active and increasing pursuit of wickedness. The repetition "more and more" underscores the intensifying nature of his offenses, indicating a heart that was not merely resistant but actively hardening itself against God, piling up transgression upon transgression. This suggests a deliberate and progressive commitment to evil, leading to his swift and violent end.

#### Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs **Contrast** as its central literary device. By juxtaposing Amon's unrepentant heart with Manasseh's eventual humility, the Chronicler sharply highlights Amon's spiritual failure and underscores the gravity of his choices. This contrast is not merely descriptive but serves a didactic purpose, emphasizing the importance of repentance and the peril of pride. Furthermore, the phrase "trespassed more and more" utilizes **Intensification** or **Hyperbole** to convey the escalating nature of Amon's sin. This repetition emphasizes the progressive hardening of his heart and the compounding of his guilt, suggesting a deliberate and active pursuit of wickedness rather than a passive decline. There is also an element of **Irony**, as Amon, having witnessed his father's dramatic repentance from severe idolatry, chose to emulate Manasseh's *earlier* wickedness without embracing his *later* transformation, thereby spurning a clear path to restoration.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The account of Amon serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of human responsibility and divine expectation. God consistently calls His people to humility and repentance, offering grace to those who respond with a contrite spirit. Amon's story illustrates the tragic consequences of spurning this divine invitation, demonstrating that a hardened heart leads to escalating sin and eventual judgment. His failure to humble himself, despite witnessing the transformative power of repentance in his own father, underscores that spiritual choices are deeply personal and that individual accountability before God is paramount. It highlights that God's patience and kindness are meant to lead to repentance, and to reject them is to incur greater guilt.

* [James 4:6](/james/4-6 "God Opposes the Proud")
* [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Pride Goes Before Destruction")
* [Romans 2:4](/romans/2-4 "God's Kindness Leads to Repentance")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The brief but potent narrative of King Amon offers timeless lessons for believers today. It serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual growth and salvation are not inherited but are the result of personal, deliberate choices. We are each accountable for our own response to God's call for humility and repentance, regardless of our family's spiritual legacy or the examples we've witnessed. Amon's failure to learn from his father's dramatic repentance underscores the danger of spiritual complacency and the peril of a hardened heart; unchecked sin tends to escalate, leading to deeper entanglement and greater alienation from God. Therefore, we are called to cultivate a spirit of ongoing humility, to be quick to confess sin, and to actively pursue repentance, recognizing that God's grace is always available to those who humble themselves before Him. We must constantly examine our hearts to ensure we are not "trespassing more and more" but are instead growing in grace and obedience.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what specific areas of my life might I be resisting God's call to humble myself, perhaps out of pride or self-reliance?**
* **How am I learning from the spiritual journeys of others, both their successes and their failures, to inform my own walk with God?**
* **What practical steps can I take today to cultivate a more humble and repentant heart, preventing the "trespassing more and more" that characterized Amon's reign?**

### FAQ
**Why is Amon's sin highlighted as worse than Manasseh's, given Manasseh's initial profound wickedness?**

Answer: The text does not necessarily state that Amon's *initial* wickedness was worse than Manasseh's, but rather that his *response* to the opportunity for repentance was worse. Manasseh's reign was marked by extreme idolatry and bloodshed, arguably far more extensive than Amon's brief two years. However, Manasseh eventually humbled himself greatly before the LORD after being taken captive by the Assyrians, and God restored him ([2 Chronicles 33:12-13](/2_chronicles/33-12 "2 Chronicles 33:12-13 - Manasseh's Repentance")). Amon, on the other hand, had the clear, recent, and powerful example of his own father's dramatic repentance and restoration, yet he chose to ignore it. His sin was therefore compounded by his deliberate rejection of this light and grace. It highlights that culpability is often measured not just by the degree of sin, but by the degree of light and opportunity for repentance that is spurned. The principle of individual accountability is paramount; Amon was judged for his own choices, not merely for inheriting his father's earlier disposition ([Ezekiel 18:20](/ezekiel/18-20 "Ezekiel 18:20 - The Son Shall Not Bear the Iniquity of the Father")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
King Amon's tragic story, marked by his refusal to humble himself and his escalating trespasses, stands in stark contrast to the perfect humility and obedience found in Jesus Christ. Amon's pride led to his downfall, but Christ, though "in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" ([Philippians 2:6-7](/philippians/2-6 "Philippians 2:6-7 - Christ's Humiliation")). Where Amon "humbled not himself," Jesus perfectly embodied humility, even to the point of death on a cross ([Philippians 2:8](/philippians/2-8 "Philippians 2:8 - Christ's Obedience to Death")). Amon "trespassed more and more," accumulating guilt, but Christ, who "knew no sin, became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). He bore the weight of all human trespasses, offering a complete and final atonement. Amon's story serves as a negative illustration of the human condition apart from grace, highlighting our inherent tendency towards pride and rebellion. Yet, it also implicitly points to the only solution: the one who perfectly humbled Himself, not for His own sin, but for ours, inviting all who are weary and burdened to "take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" ([Matthew 11:29](/matthew/11-29 "Matthew 11:29 - Jesus' Invitation to the Weary")). Through Christ, the path of humility and repentance, which Amon rejected, becomes the very means of salvation and restoration.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

2 Chronicles 33:12

And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

2 Chronicles 33:19

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.

Jeremiah 8:12

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Jeremiah 7:26

Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

2 Chronicles 28:22

And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this [is that] king Ahaz.

2 Chronicles 33:1

¶ Manasseh [was] twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: