2 Chronicles 33:11

THE CAPTIVITY OF MANASSEH IN BABYLON BY ASSYRIAN KINGS

"Wherefore Jehovah brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in distress he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem, unto his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God."

This, of course, is information found nowhere else in the Bible; and it was was once common among critics to reject this episode as unhistorical. Fortunately, wiser scholars now accept what is recorded here as authentic history. The Chronicler does not give us the date in Manasseh's reign when this happened; but Ellison placed the event very late in Manasseh's reign. "This explains why Manasseh's repentance and reformation (2 Chronicles 33:12-17) are not mentioned in Kings, and why they left no lasting impression."[1] This also explains why the altars of the host of heaven were apparently not removed by Manasseh. He was a vassal of Assyria and would have been afraid to remove them. Such subservience of Manasseh to the Assyrian overlords has been proved by the Babylonian inscriptions.[2]

In the light of all the facts, there is no reason whatever to doubt a single word of what is recorded here. Jacob M. Myers also found nothing at all improbable about what is written here.[3] "It may be taken for granted that vassal kings were allowed to return to their countries after being put under the threat of divine retribution with its terrible consequences."[4]

J Barton Payne in Wycliffe Bible Commentary also dated this period of Manasseh's conversion during the last six years of his reign. "It was perhaps in 648 B.C., when Ashurbanipal overcame a four-year revolt led by his brother in Babylon. Egypt took that opportunity to throw off the Assyrian yoke, and Manasseh might have attempted the same thing with less success. It was in that affliction that Manasseh humbled himself. God sometimes has to drive men to their conversion."[5]