2 Chronicles 33
1 Manasseh's wicked reign.
3 He sets up idolatry, and will not be admonished.
11 He is carried into Babylon.
12 Upon his prayer to God he is released and puts down idolatry.
18 His acts.
20 He dying, Amon succeeds him;
21 who is slain by his servants.
25 The murderers being slain, Josiah succeeds him.
Manasseh <04519> [A.M. 3306-3361. B.C. 693-643. Manasseh.]
[Manasses. twelve.]
horrible <08441> [like unto.]
rebuilt <07725 01129> [he built again. Heb. he returned and built.]
<03169> [which Hezekiah.]
set <06965> [he reared.]
made Asherah poles <0842 06213> [made groves.]
stars <06635> [the host.]
built <01129> [he built.]
Jerusalem <03389> [In Jerusalem.]
two <08147> [in the two.]
passed <05674> [caused.]
divination <06049> [he observed.]
reading .... He ................... did <06213> [dealt.]
put .... image <06459 07760> [he set a carved image.]
The Targumist says, "He set up an image, the likeness of himself, in the house of the sanctuary." In the parallel passage it is, "a graven image of the grove," or rather, Asherah or Astarte. Manasseh, as Bp. Patrick observes, seems to have studied to find out what God had forbidden in his law, that he might practice it: a most prodigious change from the height of piety in his father's time, into the sink of impiety in this!
temple ............... temple <01004> [in the house.]
God's ..... God ... said <0559 0430> [God had said.]
<0977> [which I have.]
again <03254> [will I.]
carefully <0518 08104> [so that they.]
obey .... commanded <06213 06680> [to do all.]
given <03027> [by the hand.]
misled ..... Judah <08582 03063> [made Judah.]
so .... sinned <07451 06213> [to do worse.]
nations <01471> [the heathen.]
Lord <03068> [A.M. 3327. B.C. 677. the Lord.]
commanders <08269> [the captains.]
[of the king. Heb. which were the king's.]
hooks <02336> [among the thorns.]
The word {bachochim} may possibly her signify with fetters or chains, as the kindred word {chachim} denotes, Eze 19:4, 9. The Syriac and Arabic have alive, probably reading {bechayim}.
bound <0631> [bound him.]
bronze chains <05178> [fetters. or, chains.]
pain <06887> [And when.]
Manasseh <02470> [he besought.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
humbled <03665> [humbled.]
responded <06279> [he was intreated.]
back <07725> [brought him.]
realized <03045> [knew.]
built up <01129> [A.M. 3327-3361. B.C. 677-643. he built.]
Gihon <01521> [Gihon.]
Fish Gate <08179 01709> [fish gate.]
terrace <06077> [Ophel. or, the tower.]
placed <07760> [put.]
removed <05493> [he took.]
<01129> [repaired.]
peace offerings <08002> [peace.]
thank offerings <08426> [thank.]
told <0559> [commanded.]
[See on ch.]
people <05971> [people.]
rest <03499> [A.M. 3306-3361. B.C. 698-643. the rest.]
[See on]
prayer <08605> [his prayer.]
prophets <02374> [the seers.]
events ............. words .................... Annals <01697> [in the book.]
prayer give an account of how .... responded <08605 06279> [his prayer also.]
[all his sins.]
before ... humbled <06440 03665> [before he.]
<02374> [the seers. or, Hosai.]
So the Targum and Vulgate: the Syraic has Hanun the prophet; and the Arabic, Saphan the prophet. This record is totally lost; for the captivity and repentance of Manasseh are related no where else; and the prayer of Manasseh in the Apocrypha was probably composed long afterwards: it is not acknowledged as canonical even by the Romish church, though it was anciently used as a form of confession, and as such still received by the Greek church.
Manasseh <04519> [Manasseh.]
Amon <0526> [Amon.]
twenty-two years ........... two years <08141 08147> [A.M. 3361-3363. B.C. 643-641. two years.]
did ............. Manasseh ... done ........... Manasseh <06213 04519> [as did Manasseh.]
sacrifices ...... his <0526 02076> [for Amon sacrificed.]
Amon's conduct is recorded as like his father Manasseh, in sacrificing to graven images; by which some think it is an evidence that Manasseh did not truly repent, but they forget how many good kings had wicked sons. In one point of view Manasseh was defective, although it cannot be supposed that it affected his eternal state; for when he cast out the images, he did not utterly deface and destroy them, according to the law in De 7:5, which required, moreover, that the graven images should be burnt with fire. How necessary that law was, this instance shows; for the carved images being only thrown aside, and not burnt, Amon knew where to find them, soon set them up, and sacrificed to them.
humble <03665> [humbled.]
[trespassed more and more. Heb. multiplied trespass.]
[A.M. 3363. B.C. 641.]
executed <05221> [slew.]
people .............. they <05971> [the people.]
Josiah <02977> [Josiah.]
