THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES

2 Chronicles 33

1Manasseh's wicked reign and great idolatry. 10Rejecting God's admonitions, he is carried captive to Babylon, where he humbleth himself before God, and is restored to his kingdom. 14He fortifieth his dominions, and putteth down idolatry, restoring the worship of the true God. 18His acts and prayer: 20he dieth; Amon succeedeth him. 21Amon's wicked reign; he is slain by his servants. 25The people slay the murderers, and make Josiah king.


1MANASSEH1was 2twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

1 See a further exposition pertaining to this chapter 2 Kings 21:1, 2, etc., where this history is first recorded.

2 Hebr. a son of twelve years.

2But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto 3the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

3 See of these Deut. 18:9, 10, etc.

3¶For 4he built again the high places whicha Hezekiah his father had 5broken down, and he 6reared up 7altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the 8host of heaven, and served them.

4 Hebr. he returned and built; that is, he built again. See Num. 11 on verse 4.

a 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chron. 31:1; 32:12.

5 And that according to the express command of God, Exod. 34:13; Num. 33:52; Deut. 12:3.

6 In 2 Kings 21:3 he is compared to Ahab in respect of idolatry; of whose abominable idolatry see 1 Kings 16:31, 32, 33.

7 See Judges 2 on verse 11.

8 See Deut. 4 on verse 19; 2 Kings 21 on verse 3. Also below verse 5.

4Alsob he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, Inc Jerusalem shall 9my name be 10for ever.

b 2 Kings 21:4.

c Deut. 12:5, 11; 2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Kings 8:29; 9:3; 2 Chron. 7:16; Psalm 132:13, 14; Jer. 32:34.

9 See 1 Kings 8 on verse 16.

10 That is, during the time of the law, or as long as the law lasted. See Gen. 13 on verse 15.

5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the 11two courts of the house of the LORD.

11 Namely, in the priests’ court, and in the people’s court. See of these two courts 1 Kings 6 on verse 36; 1 Kings 7 on verse 9.

6And he caused 12his children to pass throughd 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: 13he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

12 In 2 Kings 21:6 is spoken but of one son, whom he caused to pass through the fire. This is to be understood especially of one, or this place is to be understood of one of his sons, as the plural number is thus often taken for the singular. See Gen. 19 on verse 29.

d Lev. 18:21; Deut. 18:10; 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chron. 28:3.

13 Hebr. multiplied to do evil. Also Exod. 36:5, the people multiply to bring, that is, bring very much; 1 Sam. 1:12, multiplied to pray, that is, prayed very much; 2 Chron. 36:14, multiplied to transgress by transgression, that is, transgressed very much; Isa. 55:7, he multiply to pardon, that is, He forgives much, and often; Amos 4:4, multiply to transgress, that is, transgress much.

7And 14he set a 15carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said 16to 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:

14 Contrary to God’s command, Exod. 20:4; Lev. 26:1; Deut. 5:8; 16:22, etc.

15 This image was called in 2 Kings 21:7 the image of the grove, or, the grove-god, because it had stood in an idolatrous grove, which Manasseh had made to the honor of idols. See verse 3.

16 See on verse 4.

8Neither will I any more 17remove 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 18law and the statutes and the ordinances 19by the hand of Moses.

17 That is, cause them to depart out of their land, and to be carried away captive, as was done to the ten tribes by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 2 Kings 18:11. Compare 2 Kings 21:8.

18 Understand by the word law, the moral law, by the statutes, the ceremonial law, by the ordinances, the civil laws; that is, all that God had commanded, as it is said 2 Kings 21:8. Compare the annotation at Gen. 26 on verse 5; Deut. 5 on verse 31; 1 Kings 2 on verse 3.

19 That is, which I have given and commanded by the ministry of Moses. Compare 2 Kings 21:8.

9So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do 20worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

20 See 2 Kings 21 on verse 9.

10And the LORD 21spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

21 Namely, by His servants the prophets, 2 Kings 21:10.

11¶Wherefore the LORD broughte upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh 22among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

e Deut. 28:36; Job 36:8

22 In which he had hid himself, when he was taken by surprise in the field by these robbers. Compare 1 Sam. 13:6.

12And when 23he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, 24and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

23 Or, And when He, or the king of Assyria, distressed him, namely, Manasseh.

24 Namely, testifying sorrow and repentance for his previous course of life, and promising amendment in the time to come.

13And prayed unto 25him: and 26he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh 27knew that the LORD he was God.

25 Namely, unto the Lord.

26 See similar phrase Gen. 25:21.

27 That is, perceived, and found indeed, and he was convinced in his conscience that the Lord alone was the true God, and not the idols. Thus is the Hebrew word taken, Gen. 3:7; 2 Chron. 32:31.

14Now after this he 28built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of 29Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the 30fish gate, and compassed about 31Ophel, and raised 32it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

28 That is, he finished the wall which Hezekiah had begun to build, 2 Chron. 32:5, or he mended and repaired the wall, which perhaps had suffered some damage.

29 See 1 Kings 1 on verse 33; 2 Chron. 32 on verse 4 and 2 Chron. 32 on verse 30.

30 See Neh. 3:3.

31 See 2 Chron. 27 on verse 3.

32 Namely, the wall.

15And he took away the 33strange gods, and 34the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the 35mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

33 See Gen. 35 on verse 2.

34 Of which was spoke in verse 7. See the annotation thereon.

35 That is, the mount upon which the house of the Lord stood, called Moriah. See 2 Chron. 3 on verse 1.

16And 36he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

36 Namely, that it might be suitable to offer thereon.

17Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, 37yet unto the LORD their God only.

37 Compare 2 Kings 3 on verse 2 and 2 Kings 3 on verse 3.

18¶Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the 38seers that spake to him 39in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the 40book of the kings of Israel.

38 That is, of the prophets. See 2 Chron. 9 on verse 29.

39 That is, by order and command of God. Also Deut. 18:19, 20; 2 Kings 2:24. See in this last reference the annotation.

40 That is, in the record or memorial of the acts of the kings of Israel.

1941His 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 42of the seers.

41 Which some perceive it to be what is read in the apocryphal books.

42 That is, of the prophets, as verse 18, so that here hosai would be for hosim. The prophets then have for the most part set down and delivered out of the histories and records of things that were done, that they might serve for admonitions and warnings unto the church. Other, in the acts of Hosai, conceiving this word to have been the name of a prophet of whom we read no more anywhere else.

20¶So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him 43in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

43 That is, in the garden of his house, 2 Kings 21:18.

21¶Amonfwas 44two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

f 2 Kings 21:19.

44 Hebr. a son of two and twenty years.

22But 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;

23And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon 45trespassed more and more.

45 Or, increased the guilt. Compare verse 6, and in the annotation an almost similar phrase.

24And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

25¶But the people of the land 46slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

46 That is, put them to death. See Gen. 8 on verse 21.