Matthew Poole's Commentary Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: Manasseh’s wicked reign, 2 Chronicles 33:1-10. His captivity, 2 Chronicles 33:11. His prayer and reformation, 2 Chronicles 33:12-17. His acts, 2 Chronicles 33:18,19, and death, 2 Chronicles 33:20. Amon’s wicked reign; is slain by his servants, 2 Chronicles 33:21-24. They being slain, Josiah succeedeth him, 2 Chronicles 33:25. This and the following verses, to ver 11, are taken out of 2 Kings 21:1 &c. But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. No text from Poole on this verse. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. No text from Poole on this verse. Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. No text from Poole on this verse. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. No text from Poole on this verse. And he caused his children to pass through 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: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. No text from Poole on this verse. And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to 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: No text from Poole on this verse. Neither will I any more remove 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 law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. No text from Poole on this verse. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. No text from Poole on this verse. And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. No text from Poole on this verse. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. Among the thorns; in some thicket where he thought to hide himself from the Assyrians till he could make an escape, as the Israelites formerly used to do, 1 Samuel 13:6. Or, with hooks; a metaphorical expression. Or, in his forts, i.e. in one of them. Carried him to Babylon; either therefore Esar-haddon, Sennacherib’s successor, had recovered Babylon from Merodach-baladan; or rather, the king of Babylon is here called the king of Assyria, because at this time he had added Assyria to his empire; who having been informed by his ambassadors of the great riches which were in Hezekiah’s treasures at Jerusalem, which he was desirous to enjoy; and withal, being assured of Manasseh’s degeneracy from the piety and virtue of his father, and from that God whose power alone made Hezekiah formidable, he thought this a fit season to invade Manasseh’s kingdom; which he did with success. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, No text from Poole on this verse. And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. i.e. He was convinced by his own experience of God’s power, justice, and goodness, that Jehovah alone was the true God, and not those idols which he had worshipped, by which he had received great hurt, and no good. Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. He built a wall; he repaired and strengthened that wall which Hezekiah had built, 2 Chronicles 32:5, and which possibly the king of Assyria, when he last took Jerusalem, had caused to be thrown down, either wholly or in part. On the west side of Gihon; on the west side of the city of David, to which Hezekiah had brought this water-course down, 2 Chronicles 32:30, into the great pool which he had made to receive it; and possibly this wall was built to secure the free use of it to the citizens when they should be distressed or besieged by an enemy. Compassed about Ophel with a wall. Of Ophel see before, 2 Chronicles 27:3. And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. No text from Poole on this verse. And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. That thereby he might, as far as he could, repair the injuries which he had done to God by his impious commands, 2 Chronicles 33:9. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only. No text from Poole on this verse. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. i.e. Of Judah, oft called Israel, as hath been noted before. He speaks not of that part of the canon, called the Book of Kings, for these things are not mentioned there; but of their public records, where all things were particularly mentioned, and whence the most important things were taken by the prophets, and put into those canonical books His 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 of the seers. Or rather, of Hosai, a writer so called; for when the sacred penmen make a reference, they constantly refer us to some particular book or certain author, as to the chronicles of the kings of Israel, or Judah; to the prophecy of Ahijah, or Oded, &c. So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. In his own house, i.e. in his garden; of which See Poole "2 Kings 21:18". Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem. No text from Poole on this verse. But 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; No text from Poole on this verse. And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. No text from Poole on this verse. And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house. No text from Poole on this verse. But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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