2 Chronicles 33:1-25
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 builta 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 kingb 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,c 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.d
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;
23 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.
2 Chronicles 33:3. Made groves. This word should generally be rendered idols. Manasseh made images of Astartè, or Ashtaroth, and of all the idols of Ahaz. His ministers were idolaters, but concealed it during Hezekiah's reign. Host of heaven. He worshipped the animals in the signs of the Zodiac, and all the planets, as Jerome states on the tradition of the Jews: but others say Jove, Mars, Venus, Apollo, Latona, &c.
2 Chronicles 33:11. The Lord brought upon them the host of the king of Assyria and carried him to Babylon. It would appear from the text that the king of Assyria had now conquered Babylon, and transferred thither the seat of empire. Calmet, and our Prideaux, think that this king was Asar-haddon, who striving to recover his father's conquests in Palestine, sent his Tartan to Samaria, and to Jerusalem. Professor Strauchius, following this passage, has adopted the same opinion.
2 Chronicles 33:12. Humbled himself. This prince was a coward in war, and very deficient, it would seem, in his repentance. His prayer used to be placed at the end of this book.
2 Chronicles 33:18. Manasseh, and his prayer, which will be found in the Apocrypha. This prayer was much used in Jewish confessions.
REFLECTIONS.
What a loss is a good king to the nation, and to the church. The change of monarchs at this period was as the changes of day and night; one all luminous, another all darkness. Hezekiah, the good Hezekiah, is taken away from a people not worthy of so good a king. In one year all the glory of his reformation is as a neglected garden. The bitter weeds of idolatry and vice instantaneously spring up, and more than in the calamitous reign of that wicked Ahaz. The princes of Judah, who had secretly opposed every reformation, took their advantage to empoison the minority of Manasseh. The nobility, biassed by dissipation to idolatry, and averse to the temple by the payment of tithes, were ever prone to apostasy, and the enchantments of idol-worship. So, triumphing in success, they in a short time filled Jerusalem and all Judea with the idols which Hezekiah had destroyed. They had as many gods as cities, Jeremiah 11:13; nor were they content with this, but wanton with wickedness and infidel pride, they set up once more a carved image, or the abomination which maketh desolate in the temple of the Lord. The king, emulous to distinguish himself in this way, caused his own son to pass through the fire to Moloch. Oh that the great ones of the earth would be warned by the errors of past ages! Past ages, did I say; nay but by the errors of our own times. The nobility of France patronized the learned infidels, because they employed their wit in flattering vice, and in railing at revelation. Presently these nobility, as well as those of Judah who corrupted Manasseh from his good education, felt the bitter consequences of their crimes. Oh that they were wise; that they understood this; that they would consider their latter end, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever.
The indiscretions and errors of youth, when seduced by the more aged, have a first claim to divine compassion. The Lord therefore sent to warn Manasseh, and to declare that the line and plummet of vengeance which had befallen Samaria should befal Jerusalem. And what were the effects of this gracious warning? The king, hardened by his nobles, instead of repenting, ordered the prophet Isaiah, if we may follow Jerome, to be sawn asunder. Hebrews 11:37. How Hosea, Nahum, Joel, and Habakkuk escaped, we know not; but much innocent blood was shed in Jerusalem; for the truly faithful would not bow to idols.
When the wicked have unsheathed the sword against the church, it is God's turn next to unsheath his sword against the wicked. The Lord sent the bloody generals of Babylon to display their banners around Jerusalem: and now there was no Hezekiah to weep, and no Isaiah to comfort. The good men who had then saved the city were either martyred or dead. Judah was then in covenant with God; now they were nearly all out of his covenant. So there was now no destroying angel to enter the Assyrian camp, no victory given of the Lord. The wicked princes were confounded, the new gods could not save, and JEHOVAH laughed at their calamity, and mocked at their fears. So Jerusalem was ruined, and poor Manasseh led in chains to Babylon, to enjoy his tears in solitude; for God, it appears from his prayer in the Apocrypha, gave him deep and bitter repentance; and in a most unexpected manner restored him to his throne in Jerusalem, as viceroy to the king of Babylon. Hence we learn, that although sinners are sometimes hardened to blaspheme the more because of judgments; others, neither so old nor so hardened, are humbled under the mighty hand of God. Oh what calamities did a few years of sin bring on the country: and oh, what ruin, sinner, may a few years of folly bring on thy soul, and for ever. Manasseh, on restoration to his throne, endeavoured to repair his fault by the destruction of idols. But he could only check the evil; the moment he died it all shot up again in the short reign of Amon his son; and it was a mercy to Israel that Amon's reign was short. It made way for a prince of Hezekiah's temper and faith. Hence we conclude that the calamities of nations are often the defence of piety; and that the true church is irradiated, as the bush of Moses, and not consumed by the flame.