2 Chronicles 33

MAnasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign This, and the following Verses to v. 11. are taken out of 2 King. 21. 1, &c., and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

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.

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.

Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

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

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:

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.

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

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

Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns In some Thicket where he thought to hide himself from the Assyrians till he could make an escape, as the Israelites formerly used to do, 1 Sam. 13. 6. Or, with hooks; a Metaphorical Expression. Or, in his Forts, i. e. in one of them., and bound him with setters, and carried him to Babylon Either therefore Esarhaddon Sennacheribs Successor had recovered Babylon from Merodach-Baladan: Or rather the King of Babylon, is here called the King of Assyria, because by this time he had added Assyria to his Empire, who having been informed by his Ambassadours of the great Riches which were in Hezekiahs Treasures at Jerusalem, which he was desirous to enjoy; and withall being assured of Manasseh his degeneracy from the Piety and Virtue of his Father, and from that God whose Power alone made Hezekiah formidable, he thought this a Fit Season to invade Manasseh's Kingdom; which he did with Success..

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

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 i. e. He was convinced by his own Experience of Gods Power, Justice, and Goodness, that Jehovah alone was the True God, and not those Idols which he had worshipped, by which he had received great Hart and no Good,.

Now after this he built a wall He repaired and strengthened that Wall which Hezekiah had built, ch. 32. 5. and which possibly the King of Assyria, when he last took Jerusalem, had caused to be thrown down, either wholly, or in part. without the city of David, on the west-side of Gihon On the West-side of the City of David, to which Hezekiah had brought this Water-course down, chap. 32. 30. into the great Pool which he had made to receive it; and possibly this Wall was built to secure the Free Use of it to the Citizens when they should be distressed or besieged by an Enemy., in the valley, even to the entring in at the fish-gate, and compassed about Ophel With a Wall. Of Ophel see before, ch. 27. 3., and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

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.

And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings, and thankofferings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel That thereby he might, as far as he could, repair the Injuries which he had done to God by his Impious Commands, v. 9..

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

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 books of the kings of Israel i. e. Of Judah; oft called Israel, as has been noted before. He speaks not of that part of the Canon called the Book of Kings, for these things are not mentioned there, but of their Publick Records, where all things were particularly mentioned, and whence the most important things were taken by the Prophets, and put into those Canonical Books..

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 Or rather, of Hosai, a Writer so called. For when the Sacred Pen-men make a Reference, they constantly refer us to some particular Book or certain Author, as to the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, or Iudah; to the Prophecy of Ahijah, or Oded, &c..

So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house i. e. In his Garden; of which see on 2 King. 21. 18., and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

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

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.

And humbled not himself before the LORD as Manasseh his father had humbled himself: but Amon trespassed more and more.

And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

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.