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Commentary on 2 Kings 21 verses 1–9
How delightful were our meditations on the last reign! How many pleasing views had we of Sion in its glory (that is, in its purity and in its triumphs), of the king in his beauty! (for Isa 33:17 refers to Hezekiah), and (as it follows there, Kg2 21:20) Jerusalem was a quiet habitation because a city of righteousness, Isa 1:26. But now we have melancholy work upon our hands, unpleasant ground to travel, and cannot but drive heavily. How has the gold become dim and the most fine gold changed! The beauty of Jerusalem is stained, and all her glory, all her joy, sunk and gone. These verses give such an account of this reign as make it, in all respects, the reverse of the last, and, in a manner, the ruin of it.
I. Manasseh began young. He was but twelve years old when he began to reign (Kg2 21:1), born when his father was about forty-two years old, three years after his sickness. If he had sons before, either they were dead, or set by as unpromising. As yet they knew of nothing bad in him, and they hoped he would prove good; but he proved very bad, and perhaps his coming to the crown so young might help to make it so, which yet will by no means excuse him, for his grandson Josiah came to it younger than he and yet acted well. But being young, 1. He was puffed up with his honour and proud of it; and thinking himself very wise, because he was very great, valued himself upon his undoing what his father had done. It is too common for novices to be lifted up with pride, and so to fall into the condemnation of the devil. 2. He was easily wrought upon and drawn aside by seducers, that lay in wait to deceive. Those that were enemies to Hezekiah's reformation, and retained an affection for the old idolatries, flattered him, and so gained his ear, and used his power at their pleasure. Many have been undone by coming too soon to their honours and estates.
II. He reigned long, longest of any of the kings of Judah, fifty-five years. This was the only very bad reign that was a long one; Joram's was but eight years, and Ahaz's sixteen; as for Manasseh's, we hope that in the beginning of his reign for some time affairs continued to move in the course that his father left them in, and that in the latter end of his reign, after his repentance, religion got head again; and, no doubt, when things were at the worst God had his remnant that kept their integrity. Though he reigned long, yet some of this time he was a prisoner in Babylon, which may well be looked upon as a drawback from these years, though they are reckoned in the number because then he repented and began to reform.
III. He reigned very ill.
1.In general, (1.) He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and which, having been well educated, he could not but know was so (Kg2 21:2): He wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, as if on purpose to provoke him to anger, Kg2 21:6. (2.) He did after the abominations of the heathen (Kg2 21:2) and as did Ahab (Kg2 21:3), not taking warning by the destruction both of the nations of Canaan and the house of Ahab for their idolatry; nay (Kg2 21:9), he did more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed. When the holy seed degenerate, they are commonly worse than the worst of the profane.
2.More particularly, (1.) He rebuilt the high places which his father had destroyed, Kg2 21:3. Thus did he trample upon the dust, and affront the memory, of his worthy father, though he knew how much he was favoured of God and honoured of men. He concurred, it is probable, with Rabshakeh's sentiments (Kg2 18:22), that Hezekiah had done ill in destroying those high places, and pretended the honour of God, and the edification and convenience of the people, in rebuilding them. This he began with, but proceeded to that which was much worse; for, (2.) He set up other gods, Baal and Ashtaroth (which we translate a grove), and all the host of heaven, the sun and moon, the other planets, and the constellations; these he worshipped and served (Kg2 21:3), gave their names to the images he made, and then did homage to them and prayed for help from them. To these he built altars (Kg2 21:5), and offered sacrifices, no doubt, on these altars. (3.) He made his son pass through the fire, by which he dedicated him a votary to Moloch, in contempt of the seal of circumcision by which he had been dedicated to God. (4.) He made the devil his oracle, and, in contempt both of urim and prophecy, he used enchantments and dealt with familiar spirits (Kg2 21:6) like Saul. Conjurers and fortune-tellers (who pretended, by the stars or the clouds, lucky and unlucky days, good and bad omens, the flight of birds, or the entrails of beasts, to foretel things to come) were great men with him, his intimates, his confidants; their arts pleased his fancy, and gained his belief, and his counsels were under their direction. (5.) We find afterwards (Kg2 21:16) that he shed innocent blood very much in gratification of his own passion and revenge; some perhaps were secretly murdered, others taken off by colour of law. Probably much of the blood he shed was theirs that opposed idolatry and witnessed against it, that would not bow the knee to Baal. The blood of the prophets is, in a particular manner, charged upon Jerusalem, and it is probable that he put to death many of them. The tradition of the Jews is that he caused the prophet Isaiah to be sawn asunder; and many think the apostle refers to this in Heb 11:37, where he speaks of those that had so suffered.
3.Three things are here mentioned as aggravations of Manasseh's idolatry: - (1.) That he set up his images and altars in the house of the Lord (Kg2 21:4), in the two courts of the temple (Kg2 21:5), in the very house of which God had said to Solomon, Here will I put my name, Kg2 21:7. Thus he defied God to his face, and impudently affronted him with his rivals immediately under his eye, as one that was neither afraid of God's wrath nor ashamed of his own folly and wickedness. Thus he desecrated what had been consecrated to God, and did, in effect, turn God out of his own house and put the rebels in possession of it. Thus, when the faithful worshippers of God came to the place he had appointed for the performance of their duty to him, they found, to their great grief and terror, other gods ready to receive their offerings. God had said that here he would record his name, here he would put it for ever, and here it was accordingly preserved, while the idolatrous altars were kept at a distance; but Manasseh, by bringing them into God's house, did what he could to alter the property, and to make the name of the God of Israel to be no more in remembrance. (2.) That hereby he put a great slight upon the word of God, and his covenant with Israel. Observe the favour he had shown to that people in putting his name among them, - the kindness he intended them, never to make them move out of that good land, - and the reasonableness of his expectations from them, only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, Kg2 21:7, Kg2 21:8. Upon these good terms did Israel stand with God, and had as fair a prospect of being happy as any people could have; but they hearkened not, Kg2 21:9. They would not be kept close to God either by his precepts or by his promises; both were cast behind their back. (3.) That hereby he seduced the people of God, debauched them, and drew them into idolatry, Kg2 21:9. He caused Judah to sin (Kg2 21:11), as Jeroboam had caused Israel to sin. His very example was enough to corrupt the generality of unthinking people, who would do as their king did, right or wrong. All that aimed at preferment would do as the court did; and others thought it safest to comply, for fear of making their king their enemy. Thus, one way or other, the holy city became a harlot, and Manasseh made her so. Those will have a great deal to answer for that not only are wicked themselves, but help to make others so.
For it is written thus in the fourth book of Kings and the second book of Chronicles, or of Days: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the abominable practices of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he erected altars for Baal, made a sacred pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem I will put my name.’ He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.” And Manasseh raised altars and served Baal there and said, “My name will last forever.” “He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. He made his son pass through fire; he practiced soothsaying and augury and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. The carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, ‘In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever; I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land that I gave to their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.’ ” But they did not listen; Manasseh misled them to do more evil than the nations had done that the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.The Lord said by his servants the prophets, “Because King Manasseh of Judah has committed these abominations, has done things more wicked than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has caused Judah also to sin with his idols; therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I am bringing on Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line for Samaria and the plumb line for the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. I will cast off the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies; they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their ancestors came out of Egypt, even to this day.” Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he caused Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” “Therefore the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him with fetters and brought him to Babylon.” And he was bound and shackled all over with iron in the house of the prison. And bread made of bran was given to him scantly and by weight, and water mixed with vinegar but a little and by measure, so much as would keep him alive; and he was in straits and sore afflictions. “While he was in distress he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. He prayed to him,” saying, “O Lord, almighty God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and of their righteous seed, who have made heaven and earth, with all the ornaments thereof, who have bound the sea by the word of your commandment, who have shut up the deep and sealed it by your terrible and glorious name, whom all people fear and tremble before your power; for the majesty of your glory cannot be borne, and your angry threatening toward the sinner is insupportable. But your merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for you are the most high Lord, of great compassion, long suffering, very merciful and who repents of the evils of humankind. You, O Lord, according to your great goodness, have promised repentance and forgiveness to them who have sinned against you, and of your infinite mercy you have appointed repentance to sinners, that they may be saved. You therefore, O Lord, that are the God of the just, have not appointed repentance to the just as to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who have not sinned against you; but you have appointed repentance to me that am a sinner: for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied; my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of my iniquity. I am bowed down with many iron bands; for I have provoked your wrath and done evil before you, setting up abominations and multiplying offenses. Now, therefore, I bow the knee of my heart, beseeching you of grace. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my iniquities; wherefore I humbly beseech you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and do not destroy me with my iniquities. Be not angry with me forever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me into the lower part of the earth. For you are the God, even the God of them that repent, and in me you will show your goodness; for you will save me that am unworthy, according to your great mercy. Therefore I will praise you forever all the days of my life; for all the powers of the heavens do praise you, and yours is the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
“And God heard his plea” and had compassion on him. And there appeared a flame of fire about him, and all the iron shackles and chains that were about him fell off; and the Lord healed Manasseh from his affliction and “restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord indeed was God.” And he worshiped the Lord God alone with all his heart and with all his soul, and all the days of his life; and he was esteemed righteous. “He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them out of the city. He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of well-being and of thanksgiving; and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord the God of Israel.” … You have heard, our beloved children, how the Lord God for a while punished him who was addicted to idols and had slain many innocent persons; and yet that he received him when he repented, and forgave him his offenses and restored him to his kingdom. For he not only forgives the penitent, but also reinstates them in their former dignity.
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 matter? By repentance and self-examination. For there is no sin that does not yield and give way to the power of repentance, or rather to the grace of Christ. Since if we would but only change, we have him to assist us. And if you are desirous to become good, there is none to hinder us; or rather there is one to hinder us, the devil, yet he has no power, so long as you choose what is best and so attract God to your aid.
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SUMMARY
Second Kings 21:4 records a profound act of spiritual rebellion by King Manasseh of Judah, who deliberately constructed altars for pagan deities within the very confines of the Temple in Jerusalem. This egregious act directly violated the LORD's explicit command that His name, signifying His unique presence, exclusive claim, and sovereign authority, was to be placed solely in Jerusalem, making the Temple the consecrated center of worship for His people. Manasseh's actions represented a direct assault on divine holiness, a profound act of apostasy, and a fundamental breach of the foundational covenant relationship between God and Israel, setting the stage for Judah's eventual downfall.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to underscore the gravity of Manasseh's sin. Contrast is central, starkly juxtaposing Manasseh's wicked actions with the LORD's explicit, prior declaration of holiness and exclusivity for the Temple. The act of building pagan altars stands in direct and defiant opposition to the divine purpose for which the Temple was established. There is also a strong element of Irony, as the very place designated for the exclusive worship of the one true God is deliberately defiled by structures dedicated to false deities. This profound perversion of sacred space underscores the depth of Manasseh's spiritual depravity and the audacity of his rebellion. Furthermore, the Temple itself functions as powerful Symbolism, representing God's presence, covenant faithfulness, and the purity of Israel's worship. Manasseh's defilement of this central symbol signifies the deep corruption of the nation's spiritual heart and its covenant relationship with Yahweh. The repeated emphasis on God "putting His name" in Jerusalem serves as a powerful motif throughout the Deuteronomistic history, highlighting God's sovereign choice and exclusive claim, which Manasseh so brazenly challenged.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
2 Kings 21:4 profoundly underscores the theological truth of God's absolute holiness and His demand for exclusive worship. Manasseh's actions were not merely a breach of ritual, but a direct assault on the very nature of Yahweh, who had revealed Himself as the one true God, intolerant of rivals. The concept of God "putting His name" in Jerusalem signifies His unique, personal presence and the exclusivity of His covenant claim over His people and their worship. This act of desecration demonstrates the severe danger of syncretism and spiritual compromise, illustrating how the introduction of foreign worship practices can fundamentally corrupt a nation's relationship with God and lead to divine judgment. It emphasizes that true worship requires undivided devotion and adherence to God's revealed will, without admixture from pagan influences, for God will not share His glory with another.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The account of Manasseh's desecration of the Temple serves as a timeless and potent warning against spiritual compromise and the insidious nature of idolatry. Just as the physical Temple was meant to be a consecrated space for God's exclusive presence, believers today are called to recognize their own bodies as "temples of the Holy Ghost" (1 Corinthians 6:19). This profound spiritual reality calls us to vigilantly guard our hearts, minds, and lives from anything that would defile our relationship with God or introduce rival loyalties. Modern idolatry may not involve the construction of physical altars to foreign gods, but it can manifest in the worship of success, materialism, self, comfort, power, or any pursuit that subtly or overtly displaces God from His rightful, supreme position in our lives. This verse challenges us to critically examine our allegiances and motivations, ensuring that our worship, both personal and corporate, is pure, undivided, and truly centered on the one true God, who desires genuine and exclusive devotion over superficial ritual or outward conformity. The seriousness of Manasseh's rebellion reminds us of the enduring holiness of God and His unwavering demand for exclusive devotion from those who bear His name.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was building altars in the Temple such a severe offense?
Answer: Building altars for pagan gods within the Temple was a severe offense for several critical reasons, representing the pinnacle of Manasseh's apostasy. First, it was a direct and blatant violation of God's explicit command for exclusive worship, as stated in the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Second, the Temple was consecrated as the unique dwelling place where God had chosen to "put His name" (1 Kings 8:29), signifying His exclusive presence, ownership, and authority. Introducing foreign altars into this most sacred space was an act of profound desecration, a direct affront to God's holiness and His covenant relationship with Israel. It challenged His sovereignty and purity, essentially inviting rival deities into His own house. This act demonstrated a complete disregard for divine authority, a rejection of Israel's unique identity, and a profound betrayal of the spiritual heritage of the nation.
What does it mean for God to "put His name" in Jerusalem?
Answer: When God declares that He will "put His name" in Jerusalem (or specifically the Temple within Jerusalem), it signifies far more than simply naming a place. It conveys several profound theological truths:
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The desecration of the Temple by Manasseh, and God's declaration that His name would be put in Jerusalem, finds its ultimate fulfillment and radical transformation in Jesus Christ. While the physical Temple was repeatedly defiled by human sin and ultimately destroyed, Jesus Himself declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), speaking profoundly of the temple of His own body. Christ is the true and perfect Temple, the ultimate dwelling place of God's presence, for "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). His righteous indignation and cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:12-13) foreshadowed His mission to purify true worship and establish a new covenant where God's presence is no longer confined to a physical structure but dwells fully and perfectly in His Son. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus made the perfect and final offering, rendering all other altars and sacrifices obsolete and establishing the new and living way to God (Hebrews 10:10-14). Now, through faith in Him, believers are incorporated into Christ, becoming living temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), called to offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and pure worship, with God's name truly dwelling within them, not in a building made with human hands, but in the heart of every true worshiper.