Manasseh was twelve years old ,.... From hence to the end of 2 Chronicles 33:9 the same things are recorded, almost word for word, as in 2 Kings 21:1 , see the notes there. See Gill on 2 Kings 21:1 . read more
The apostate. Well indeed was it for King Hezekiah that he did not foresee, though he may have feared (see previous homily), the character and the course of his son and successor. Had he done so, not all his riches and honour, not all his treasuries and storehouses, not all his flocks and herds, not all his watercourses and other works, would have removed sorrow from his heart. There has never, in any land, been a greater change, a sadder reaction, than that experienced by Judah when the... read more
Uncertain repentances. While the father Hezekiah filled one of the niches of the throe typical best kings, his son Manasseh, the thirteenth King of Judah, by mournful contrast, occupies one of those of the three worst of all the kings of both lines, the other two being Jeroboam and Ahab. His reign, filling the longest space of all, viz. fifty-five years, occupies but a very unequal space on the page of the present history, and a yet shorter in the parallel ( 2 Kings 21:1-18 ). Eventful... read more
The reign of Manasseh. I. ITS EARLY COMMENCEMENT . Manasseh, "One who forgets" (Gesenius)—an exceedingly appropriate name for one who in his lifetime forgat God and every good thing; in the inscriptions Minasi; perhaps so called "in allusion to the zeal with which the northern tribe had joined in Hezekiah's reforms" ( 2 Chronicles 30:11 ), or to the desire which prevailed in Hezekiah's reign for a union of the two kingdoms" (Stanley)—was twelve years old when he ascended his... read more
Caused his children . Parallel ( 2 Kings 21:6 ), "his son ," in the singular number (see also 2 Kings 16:3 compared with our 2 Chronicles 28:3 ). There can be no doubt that this worst of cruel abominations, learned from Ammon and Moab, amounted to nothing less than the sacrifice of the child in the fire. It is, perhaps, something remarkable that we do not encounter anywhere any description of the exact manner of administration of this cruelty, and of its taking effect on the pitiable... read more
The evil of Manasseh and Amon (33:1-25)Manasseh receives the full blame for destroying all the good work that his father had done. Over his long reign of fifty-five years he dragged the nation down to its lowest spiritual condition ever. Although he made a brief attempt at reform towards the end of his life, he could not undo the damage of the previous half a century. Nor was any king after him able to reform Judah sufficiently to save it from judgment. Like Israel, Judah would go into... read more
pass through the fire. Compare Leviticus 18:21 .Deuteronomy 18:10 . 2 Kings 23:10 . 2Ki 28:3 . observed times. Consulted auguries. times = clouds, which were watched for auguries. familiar spirit. See note on Leviticus 19:31 . evil = the evil. Hebrew. ra'a' (with Art). App-44 . read more
N. Manasseh 33:1-20Manasseh was one of the few examples of an evil Judean king who became good. Nevertheless his many years of wickedness made captivity inevitable for Judah (2 Kings 23:26; Jeremiah 15:4)."Manasseh’s acts are . . . a calculated attempt to throw off the lordship of Yahweh, to claim independence from the Covenant, to drive him from the land which he had given Israel." [Note: McConville, p. 250.] "If Manasseh had searched the Scriptures for practices that would most anger the Lord... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 33:1-10
We have here an account of the great wickedness of Manasseh. It is the same almost word for word with that which we had 2 Kgs. 21:1-9, and took a melancholy view of. It is no such pleasing subject that we should delight to dwell upon it again. This foolish young prince, in contradiction to the good example and good education his father gave him, abandoned himself to all impiety, transcribed the abominations of the heathen (2 Chron. 33:2), ruined the established religion, unravelled his... read more