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2 Chronicles 33

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Manasseh’s Wicked Reign Begins 1–10

1
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. ​
2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. ​
3
For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. ​
4
And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. ​
5
And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah.
6
He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. ​
7
And he set the graven image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: ​
8
neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses.
9
And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel. ​
10
And Jehovah spake to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed.

Manasseh Captive and Repentant 11–20

11
Wherefore Jehovah brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. ​
12
And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ​
13
And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God. ​
14
Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he compassed Ophel about with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. ​
15
And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of Jehovah, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. ​
16
And he built up the altar of Jehovah, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace-offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Jehovah, the God of Israel.
17
Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only unto Jehovah their God. ​
18
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 Jehovah, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel. ​
19
His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.
20
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 21–25

21
Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. ​
22
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed unto all the graven images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
23
And he humbled not himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more. ​
24
And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house. ​
25
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. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Chronicles 33

Verse 1

twelve years old … fifty and five years — Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah, as Matthew's line has it, 'Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon' (Matt 1:10). 2 Kgs 21:1 gives the same age and length of reign and names his mother, Hephzibah. His reign follows Hezekiah's, in which 'the wrath of the LORD came not upon them' (32:26).

Verse 2

the abominations of the heathen — To'evah, abomination, is the word of Deut 18:9, 'thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations'. 'Cast out' is yarash, to dispossess, the verb for the LORD driving the nations from the land. Ahaz had done the same, 'after the abominations of the heathen' (2 Chr 28:3), and 2 Kgs 21:2 repeats the line.

Verse 3

built again the high places — 'Broken down' is nathats, the verb of 31:1, 'threw down the high places'. Manasseh's list includes the 'host of heaven', which the Law forbids, 'served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven' (Deut 17:3), and the asherim ('groves') of Deut 16:21.

Verse 4

altars in the house of the LORD — The LORD had said 'In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever', as in 2 Chr 7:16 and 2 Kgs 21:7. 2 Kgs 21:5 adds that the altars were 'for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD'. The Law had set one place for offerings (Deut 12:11), and the house was that place.

Verse 6

pass through the fire — The phrase is that of Lev 18:21, 'let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech', and Deut 18:10 forbids the maker of his son 'to pass through the fire', the 'observer of times' and 'enchanter'. Ahaz had 'burnt his children in the fire' in the same valley of Hinnom (2 Chr 28:3). 'Wrought much' is rabah, to multiply, which returns in v.23.

Verse 7

a carved image, the idol — Two words, pesel and semel, a carved image and a likeness. It was set in the house of which the LORD had said to David and Solomon, 'In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen … will I put my name for ever', as in 2 Chr 7:16 and 2 Kgs 21:7. The second commandment forbids any 'graven image' (Ex 20:4).

Verse 9

made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err — Ta'ah, to wander, is the verb in both places, so Manasseh caused the wandering. 2 Kgs 21:9 says the same, 'Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations', and Jeremiah names him as the cause of Judah's removal: 'because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah' (Jer 15:4; compare 2 Kgs 24:3).

Verse 11

among the thorns — Choach is a thorn or bramble, and the king was taken 'among the thorns' and 'bound … with fetters' (nechushtayim, a pair of bronze chains). The Law had warned of a nation 'which neither thou nor thy fathers have known' (Deut 28:36). The captors are the Assyrian captains, and the place he is carried to is Babylon.

Verse 12

when he was in affliction — Tsarar is to be in a strait, and chalah, 'besought', is to entreat. 'Call upon me in the day of trouble' is the LORD'S invitation in Ps 50:15. Kana', 'humbled himself', is the verb Pharaoh would not obey (Ex 10:3) and Hezekiah did (2 Chr 32:26); here it is 'greatly'.

Verse 13

he was intreated of him — Athar is to pray, and in this form to be moved by prayer; it is used of the LORD in Ezra 8:23, 'he was intreated of us', and 1 Chr 5:20. 'Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God' is the knowledge Moses sets before Israel: 'that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God' (Deut 4:35).

Verse 14

west side of Gihon — The Gihon is the spring Hezekiah had stopped and led to the west of the city of David (32:30). The wall ran to 'the fish gate', named in Zeph 1:10 and Neh 3:3, and round Ophel, where Jotham had 'built much' (2 Chr 27:3). The 'captains of war' were set 'in all the fenced cities of Judah'.

Verse 15

the strange gods, and the idol — Nekar, foreign, is the word of Jacob's order, 'Put away the strange gods that are among you' (Gen 35:2), when he hid them under the oak at Shechem. Manasseh took away the gods and the idol he had set in the house, and the altars on the mount of the house, and 'cast them out of the city'.

Verse 17

yet unto the LORD their God only — The high places continued, though the offerings were to the LORD alone. Asa's reign has the same note, 'the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days' (2 Chr 15:17). The Law had named one place for offerings, not 'every place that thou seest' (Deut 12:13).

Verse 18

the words of the seers — Chozim is the plural of chozeh, the 'seer' Gad of 29:25. v.19 gives what is written 'among the sayings of the seers': his prayer, how God was intreated of him, 'all his sin, and his trespass', and the places where he built high places. The 'prayer unto his God' of this verse is the prayer of v.13.

Verse 21

two and twenty years old … two years — Amon is the son of Manasseh and father of Josiah in Matthew's line, 'Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias' (Matt 1:10). 2 Kgs 21:19 gives the same age and length and names his mother, Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz. His brief reign stands between Manasseh's fifty-five years and Josiah's thirty-one (34:1).

Verse 23

humbled not himself — The verb is kana', used of Manasseh in v.12 and of Hezekiah in 32:26. 'Trespassed more and more' uses rabah, to multiply, the verb of 'wrought much evil' in v.6. v.22 says Amon 'sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them'.

Verse 24

his servants conspired against him — 2 Kgs 21:23 gives it in the same words: 'the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house'. Amon was buried 'in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza' (2 Kgs 21:26). The conspiracy is also the way Joash died (2 Chr 24:25).

Verse 25

the people of the land — They slew the conspirators and made Josiah king. The same body took Jehoahaz, Josiah's son, and 'made him king in his father's stead' (2 Chr 36:1), and 2 Kgs 21:24 records this verse's events. Josiah was 'eight years old when he began to reign' (2 Chr 34:1).