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2 Kings 21

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The Wicked Reign of Manasseh 1–9

1
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. ​
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 destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, 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 will I put my name. ​
5
And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah.
6
And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised augury, and used enchantments, 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 Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Jehovah 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 cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
9
But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel. ​

God Pronounces Judgment on Jerusalem 10–18

10
And Jehovah spake by his servants the prophets, saying, ​
11
Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, that were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols;
12
therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
13
And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ​
14
And I will cast off the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
15
because they have done that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.
16
Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. ​
17
Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
18
And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. ​

The Brief Reign of Amon 19–26

19
Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
20
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father. ​
21
And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:
22
and he forsook Jehovah, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of Jehovah.
23
And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house. ​
24
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. ​
25
Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
26
And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

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

Study Notes for 2 Kings 21

Verse 1

his mother's name was Hephzibah — Hephzibah means 'my delight is in her', the name Zion is promised in Isa 62:4: 'thou shalt be called Hephzibah… for the LORD delighteth in thee'. Manasseh's fifty-five years are the longest reign of any king of Judah, and he is in Matthew's genealogy: 'Ezekias begat Manasses' (Matt 1:10).

Verse 2

after the abominations of the heathen — The phrase is the one used of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:3): the practices of the nations 'whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel'. Moses had warned against learning them (Deut 12:31), and verse 11 says Manasseh did 'wickedly above all that the Amorites did'.

Verse 3

built up again the high places — The high places that 'Hezekiah his father had destroyed' (2 Kings 18:4) were rebuilt, with altars for Baal and an asherah (KJV 'grove') 'as did Ahab' (1 Kings 16:33). Worship of 'all the host of heaven' was forbidden in Deut 4:19 and Deut 17:3.

Verse 4

altars in the house of the LORD — The LORD had said of the temple, 'I have hallowed this house… to put my name there for ever' (1 Kings 9:3). Ahaz had set one foreign altar in the court (2 Kings 16:10–11). Manasseh built altars in the house itself, and verse 5 adds 'altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts'.

Verse 6

observed times, and used enchantments — The practices are those listed in Deut 18:10–11, and Lev 19:31 forbids 'familiar spirits' and 'wizards'. Chronicles places the fire in 'the valley of the son of Hinnom' (2 Chr 33:6). Josiah later 'put away' the workers with familiar spirits and the wizards (2 Kings 23:24).

Verse 7

a graven image of the grove — The image was set in the house where the LORD had said to David and Solomon, 'will I put my name for ever' (compare 1 Kings 9:3 and 2 Sam 7:13). Verse 8 gives the condition: Israel would remain in the land 'only if they will observe to do' what the LORD commanded. Chronicles records that the idol was later taken out (2 Chr 33:15).

Verse 9

Manasseh seduced them — The verb ta'ah means to cause to wander or err, as Chronicles has it: 'Manasseh made Judah… to err, and to do worse than the heathen' (2 Chr 33:9). The measure here is the nations the LORD destroyed, and verse 11 names the Amorites, of whom the LORD had said to Abraham, 'the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full' (Gen 15:16).

Verse 10

by his servants the prophets — The prophets are not named here. The wording is that of 2 Kings 17:13, 'my servants the prophets', and Chronicles says 'the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken' (2 Chr 33:10). Jeremiah later says Judah would be removed 'because of Manasseh' (Jer 15:4).

Verse 13

the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab — The same measuring standard that was applied to Samaria and Ahab's house, whom Jehu destroyed (2 Kings 10:17), is applied to Jerusalem. Mishqeleth, the plummet, occurs only here and in Isa 28:17. Lamentations 2:8 reads, 'he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying'.

Verse 16

innocent blood very much — 'From one end to another' is literally 'from mouth to mouth'. Moses had said that blood defiles the land (Num 35:33). The book returns to this when Babylon comes: the LORD sent it 'for the sins of Manasseh… And also for the innocent blood that he shed… which the LORD would not pardon' (2 Kings 24:3–4).

Verse 18

the garden of Uzza — Manasseh was buried 'in the garden of his own house', and Amon in the same garden (v.26). Chronicles tells what 2 Kings does not: Manasseh was taken to Babylon in fetters, 'humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers', and was brought back, after which 'Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God' (2 Chr 33:11–13).

Verse 20

as his father Manasseh did — Amon is named by his father's acts. Chronicles adds that Amon 'humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more' (2 Chr 33:23). He sacrificed to the carved images that Manasseh had made (2 Chr 33:22).

Verse 23

conspired against him — The verb qashar is the same as in the deaths of Joash (2 Kings 12:20) and Amaziah (2 Kings 14:19), both killed by conspirators. Amon was killed 'in his own house', and his reign lasted two years (v.19). Chronicles repeats the account (2 Chr 33:24).

Verse 24

the people of the land — This body acted when Athaliah fell: 'all the people of the land rejoiced' (2 Kings 11:20). They kill the conspirators and set Josiah on the throne, and after Josiah's death they do the same for Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:30). Josiah was eight years old (2 Kings 22:1).