Nevertheless, the people did sacrifice still in the high places ,.... Not in those that were built for idols, at least did not sacrifice to them; for it follows: yet unto the Lord their God only ; the Targum is,"to the name of the Word of the Lord their God.' read more
The people did sacrifice - "Nevertheless the people did sacrifice on the high places, but only to the name of the Word of the Lord their God." - Targum. 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
The penitent. In these words we have— I. THE LAST AND WORST SYMPTOM OF DEPARTURE FROM GOD — OBDURACY . "The Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken" (verse 10). Sin reaches its extremity when it deliberately and determinately closes its ear against the recognized voice of God. A defiant refusal to listen when God is speaking to us is surely the ne plus ultra of iniquity; guilt can go no further (see Proverbs 2:1-22 :24 33). II. ... read more
Manasseh's repentance. I. ITS IMPELLING CAUSE . 1 . The grace of God. That the regeneration and conversion of a soul is a work of Divine grace is taught hardly less clearly in the Old Testament ( Deuteronomy 30:6 ; 1 Kings 8:58 ; Psalms 110:3 ; Isaiah 26:12 ; Jeremiah 13:23 ; Jeremiah 24:7 ; Jeremiah 31:33 ; Ezekiel 11:19 ; Zechariah 12:10 ) than in the New ( John 1:13 ; John 3:3 ; John 6:44 , John 6:63 , John 6:65 ; Ephesians 2:1-10 ; Ephesians... read more
Compare Hezekiah's good work ( 2 Chronicles 31:1 ) with his son's bad work ( 2 Chronicles 33:3 ); the latter could undo his father's good, but now could not undo his own evil! The illegitimate worshippings and offerings of high places, though they had been "winked at" from time to time by some of even the better of the kings, were of course essentially counter to the one national worship in the one temple, and to the offerings and sacrifices of the one national altar. read more
Compare 2 Kings 21:2, note; 2 Kings 18:4, note. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 33:11-20
We have seen Manasseh by his wickedness undoing the good that his father had done; here we have him by repentance undoing the evil that he himself had done. It is strange that this was not so much as mentioned in the book of Kings, nor does any thing appear there to the contrary but that he persisted and perished in his son. But perhaps the reason was because the design of that history was to show the wickedness of the nation which brought destruction upon them; and this repentance of Manasseh... read more