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2 Chronicles 33

1

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

2

But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had 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 Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

4

Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had 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 the Lord.

6

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

7

And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

8

Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

9

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10

And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

11

Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

12

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

13

And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.

14

Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

15

And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

16

And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

17

Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the Lord their God only.

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 the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

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.

20

So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

21

Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

22

But he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;

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

24

And his servants conspired against him, and slew him 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.

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2 Chronicles 33

Manasseh, Hezekiah's son, abandons the covenant faithfulness of his father, leading Judah into extensive idolatry, witchcraft, and covenant violation, until the Assyrians capture him, after which, in captivity, he repents thoroughly and calls on the LORD, who restores him to his throne. Manasseh's initial reign represents perhaps the most dramatic departure from covenant faithfulness in the Chronicler's narrative: he actively undoes his father's reforms, rebuilds pagan shrines, practices forbidden arts, and leads Judah into levels of idolatry deeper than even Ahaz's apostasy. The Chronicler emphasizes that despite the LORD's repeated efforts to warn Manasseh through prophets, he refuses to listen, suggesting that hardening the heart against prophetic voices represents a critical stage in the progression toward judgment and that even divine warnings can be persistently rejected. Manasseh's capture by the Assyrians represents God's judgment on his covenant violation, and his humiliation in captivity functions as the condition that finally opens his eyes to his need for God and his dependence on divine mercy. The turning point occurs when Manasseh, bound and in distress, 'sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors,' demonstrating that even the most serious covenant violation can be forgiven when met with genuine repentance. Upon his restoration to the throne, Manasseh undertakes extensive religious reforms, removing idolatry, restoring the altar, and collecting offerings for the temple, establishing that authentic repentance manifests itself in concrete actions of reform and restoration. The narrative of Manasseh's repentance and restoration demonstrates the extraordinary grace of God and establishes that no covenant violation is so serious that God refuses to forgive the genuinely repentant heart, though the consequences of sin may persist.

2 Chronicles 33:8

The specification that the Lord had said He would make Judah's dwelling place secure in the land forever establishes the conditional promise underlying the covenant. The connection between proper worship and the security of dwelling in the land indicates that covenant blessing depends on obedience. The implication that Manasseh had violated the conditions underlying the promise indicates that his actions had forfeited the security that proper worship maintained. The contrast between the conditional promise and Manasseh's deliberate violation indicates that blessing flows from observance and judgment from transgression. The verse establishes the theological framework within which Manasseh's reign would be understood.

2 Chronicles 33:7

The carving of an image of Asherah and its placement in the house of God indicates the installation of an idol in the innermost sanctum of the temple. The explicit command of David and Solomon that the house shall be made holy forever establishes the contrast between the legitimate understanding of the temple's purpose and Manasseh's violation. The placement of the Asherah image represents the most direct and visible rejection of the temple's sanctification. The violation of the explicit command of David and Solomon indicates that Manasseh was consciously contradicting the most authoritative traditions of proper worship. The installation of the goddess image represents the climax of Manasseh's defilement of the temple.

2 Chronicles 33:1

Manasseh's accession at age twelve indicates a child coming to the throne, requiring regent oversight and establishing the pattern of a young king's reign. The fifty-five-year length of his reign indicates a long tenure that would see substantial developments and changes. The initial evaluation that he did evil in the sight of the Lord sets the tone for the narrative that will follow and indicates a reign characterized by spiritual failure. The early age at which he began to reign suggests that he lacked the maturity and formation necessary to resist idolatrous influences. The long reign indicates that his spiritual failures would extend across decades and affect the entire nation.

2 Chronicles 33:2

Manasseh's resumption of practices his father Hezekiah had removed indicates a deliberate reversal of his father's reformation. The building of high places, erection of altars, and planting of Asherah poles represents a comprehensive restoration of pagan worship infrastructure. The imitation of the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out indicates a conscious adoption of practices that had characterized the previous idolatrous regimes. The deliberate reversal of Hezekiah's reforms demonstrates not merely spiritual failure but active resistance to proper worship. The comprehensive nature of Manasseh's restoration of idolatry indicates the depth of his commitment to pagan worship.

2 Chronicles 33:3

Manasseh's building of altars in the house of the Lord indicates the contamination of the temple itself through the introduction of pagan worship centers. The building of altars to Baal and making Asherah poles represents the most fundamental violation of the temple's sanctity. The specification that these were built in the house of the Lord indicates that the temple itself was transformed into a venue for pagan worship. The violation of the temple represents the most direct assault on God's claim to exclusive worship and the most profound rejection of the covenant. The introduction of Baal worship into the temple indicates how far the spiritual corruption had progressed.

2 Chronicles 33:4

Manasseh's building of altars to the host of heaven in the courts of the house of the Lord indicates the extent of pagan religious practice installed within the sacred precinct. The reference to the host of heaven (stellar deities) indicates an astrological dimension to the pagan practice. The construction of these altars within the temple courts indicates that worship of celestial deities occurred in the very place designated for worship of the Lord alone. The explicit location within the Lord's house emphasizes the profundity of the desecration. The building of such altars represents a systematic transformation of the temple from a place of exclusive Yahwistic worship into a syncretistic worship center.

2 Chronicles 33:5

Manasseh's building of altars for the host of heaven in both courts of the house of the Lord emphasizes the thoroughness of the contamination. The specification of both courts indicates that no part of the temple remained unaffected by the pagan installation. The doubling of the reference emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the transformation and the totality of the temple's desecration. The explicit location in both courts of the temple indicates that pagan worship was not hidden or marginalized but openly established and systematized. The building of altars represents the institutionalization of pagan worship within the sacred center.

2 Chronicles 33:6

Manasseh's doing much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him indicates a pattern of deliberate action designed to transgress covenant boundaries and offend divine justice. The evaluative language establishes that his actions constituted profound spiritual violation. The specification that his evil was intended to provoke God suggests deliberate defiance rather than mere ignorance or accident. The comprehensive nature of his evil practices—spanning child sacrifice, pagan worship, divination, and witchcraft—indicates a totality of covenant violation. The language of provocation establishes that Manasseh's actions were understood as direct challenges to the Lord's authority.

2 Chronicles 33:9

Manasseh's leading Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray indicates that the king's evil actions extended beyond his personal practice to affect the entire nation. The specification that he caused them to do more evil than the nations indicates that Judah's spiritual corruption exceeded even that of the surrounding peoples. The causal connection between Manasseh's leadership and the national apostasy indicates that the king's influence extended throughout society. The comparative assessment that Judah's evil exceeded that of the surrounding nations indicates the depth of corruption. The leadership's role in promoting evil indicates the profound impact of institutional influence on national spiritual condition.

2 Chronicles 33:10

The Lord's speaking to Manasseh and Judah through His servants the prophets indicates divine effort to call the king and people to repentance. The sending of prophetic messengers represents God's gracious attempt to warn and redirect before implementing judgment. The specification that these were servants of the Lord indicates the divine authorization behind the prophetic warnings. The emphasis on communication through prophets reflects the established covenantal mechanism through which God warns His people. The sending of multiple messengers indicates the seriousness with which God treated the need for repentance.

2 Chronicles 33:11

The sending of the Assyrian army to capture Manasseh, with hooks put in his nose and binding him with bronze shackles, indicates the severe judgment consequent upon his covenant violation. The specific humiliation of having hooks placed in his nose indicates the degradation and the loss of dignity associated with capture. The binding with bronze shackles indicates the complete loss of freedom and autonomy. The capturing of Manasseh represents the practical outworking of the threat implied by covenant violation. The intervention of the Assyrian forces indicates the use of historical powers as instruments of divine judgment.

2 Chronicles 33:12

Manasseh's distress, leading him to entreat the face of the Lord his God, indicates the crisis that prompted spiritual repentance. The crisis of capture and degradation produced the humiliation necessary for genuine turning. The beseeching of God, even in distress, represents an opening toward restoration through divine grace. The appeal to

2 Chronicles 33:13

The Lord's hearing of Manasseh's supplication and listening to his entreaty indicates divine responsiveness to even the most degraded sinner's repentance. The restoration of Manasseh to Jerusalem and his kingdom indicates the complete reversal of judgment through divine mercy. The specification that he knew the Lord was God establishes the cognitive transformation that accompanied the repentance—Manasseh came to understand through bitter experience something he had rejected during his power. The restoration of authority indicates that even a king whose evil had been profound could experience divine restoration. The episode demonstrates that no sin is beyond the reach of divine mercy for those who genuinely repent.

2 Chronicles 33:14

Manasseh's building of an outer wall around the city of David and strengthening it indicates the renewal of fortifications and the practical reconstruction following restoration. The fortification work demonstrates the resumption of the king's responsibilities for the physical defense and development of the realm. The building of the wall indicates Manasseh's return to the responsibilities of kingship and his resumption of the role of patron of public works. The reconstruction suggests that the exile and captivity, though personally humiliating, had not destroyed his capacity to serve as king. The fortification activity indicates the continuation of normal royal functions following the spiritual restoration.

2 Chronicles 33:15

Manasseh's removal of the foreign gods, the image of Asherah from the house of the Lord, and all the altars he had built indicates a systematic reversal of his previous desecration. The comprehensive destruction of pagan worship apparatus indicates genuine reformation comparable to Hezekiah's. The specification that he cast the altars outside the city indicates a complete elimination of pagan worship from the sacred precincts. The removal of the Asherah image from the temple represents the reversal of the most profound violation of the temple's sanctity. The systematic nature of the removal indicates Manasseh's determined effort to undo the spiritual damage he had caused.

2 Chronicles 33:16

Manasseh's restoration of the altar of the Lord and sacrifice of peace offerings and thank offerings indicates the reconstitution of legitimate worship. The offering of thank offerings reflects Manasseh's gratitude for his restoration and redemption. The command to all Israel to serve the Lord their God establishes that Manasseh's personal reformation extended to national religious commitment. The restoration of the altar represents the symbolic center of the temple's recommitment to legitimate worship. The resumption of sacrifice indicates the reinstitution of the covenantal transaction through which the people maintained their relationship with God.

2 Chronicles 33:17

The provision that despite the reformation, the people still sacrificed at the high places, though only to the Lord their God, indicates an incomplete removal of alternative worship centers. The tolerance of the high places, while requiring sacrifice only to the Lord, represents a compromise between complete removal and continued idolatry. The specification that worship was directed toward the Lord alone establishes that the reformed practice, though not meeting the standard of exclusive centralization, remained focused on the covenant God. The incomplete nature of the reformation suggests that popular practice retained traditional elements even as it reformed in commitment. The high places' continued existence, while relegated to worship of the Lord alone, indicates the persistence of popular religious practice alongside official reform.

2 Chronicles 33:18

The deeds of Manasseh and his prayer to the Lord, along with the detailed account of how God was entreated, are recorded in the annals of the kings of Israel. The preservation of the narrative of Manasseh's fall and restoration indicates the chronicler's interest in the pattern of apostasy, judgment, and redemption. The specific attention to the prayer that prompted restoration indicates the theological importance of repentance and divine responsiveness. The reference to records indicates historical documentation of these events. The preservation of the account demonstrates how narrative tradition preserves the memory of divine grace toward even the most fallen.

2 Chronicles 33:19

The inclusion of Manasseh's prayer and God's response in the account indicates the theological significance attributed to the reversal of judgment. The accessible sources for additional information suggest that fuller records were available but the chronicler selected key moments for narration. The narrative pattern—apostasy, judgment, repentance, restoration—establishes a theological framework for understanding the pattern of the nation's spiritual development. The preservation of the account indicates that Manasseh's restoration was understood as an exemplary instance of the possibility of divine forgiveness. The focus on prayer and response emphasizes the mechanism through which restoration was achieved.

2 Chronicles 33:20

Manasseh's sleep with his fathers and burial in his own house indicate the completion of his reign and the honors of legitimate burial. The death of a king, even one who had failed and repented, concluded his earthly reign and transitioned him to the realm of the ancestors. The burial in his own house indicates that despite the devastation of his early reign, he retained sufficient standing to be buried with honor. The formula indicates respect for the repentant king despite the magnitude of his previous failures. The account establishes that repentance and restoration do not erase the consequences of previous sins but do permit divine forgiveness and renewal.

2 Chronicles 33:21

Amon's accession at age twenty-two and his twenty-two-year reign indicate another generation of kingship. The evaluation that he did evil in the sight of the Lord sets the tone for his reign as characterized by spiritual failure. The age of accession suggests a reasonably mature ruler, yet one who nonetheless chose the path of evil. The length of his reign indicates that his reign extended across two decades, allowing time for the development of spiritual corruption. The initial characterization establishes that Amon's reign would continue the pattern of spiritual failure evident in parts of Manasseh's reign.

2 Chronicles 33:22

Amon's imitation of his father Manasseh, serving carved images, and doing evil in the sight of the Lord indicates a regression to the early spiritual corruption of Manasseh's reign. The specificity that he did what was displeasing establishes his actions as consciously rejecting proper worship. The imitation of Manasseh's early evil indicates that Amon deliberately chose apostasy and rejected the example of Manasseh's repentance. The evaluation of his actions as displeasing to the Lord establishes that this was not thoughtless behavior but conscious violation. The regression to earlier patterns of evil indicates that a single generation of reformation had not been sufficient to establish lasting change.

2 Chronicles 33:23

Amon's failure to humble himself before the Lord, in contrast to Manasseh's repentance following his capture, indicates the absence of the spiritual conditions necessary for transformation. The explicit contrast with Manasseh establishes that repentance is not inevitable and that judgment can be met with hardness rather than transformation. The multiplication of his guilt indicates that continued evil compounds judgment and increases the severity of divine displeasure. The failure to humble himself represents a conscious rejection of the path of repentance that his father had taken. The accumulation of guilt indicates that judgment will be proportionate to the persistence of transgression.

2 Chronicles 33:24

The conspiracy of Amon's servants against him and their assassination of him in his house indicate the violent end to his reign. The death at the hands of his own officials suggests internal rejection of his rule and indicates the instability resulting from his spiritual failure. The specification that the death occurred in his house, his own residence, indicates the intrusion of violence into the royal household. The assassination represents a practical consequence of his rule's failure to inspire loyalty or respect. The violent end suggests that the judgment for his evil extended beyond spiritual consequences to affect his physical security.

2 Chronicles 33:25

The succession of Josiah following Amon's assassination sets the stage for another reform and another generation's spiritual testing. The conclusion of Amon's narrative with the establishment of his successor indicates the transition to a new regime with the potential for different directions. The movement from the evil reign of Amon to the establishment of Josiah indicates that divine providence continued to work through the succession of generations. The conclusion of the narrative regarding Manasseh and Amon establishes the pattern of alternating apostasy and reform that characterizes the later monarchy. The transition to Josiah's reign indicates the continuation of the nation's spiritual drama across generations.