Topical Bible: Judgments: Manasseh

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Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah and Hephzibah, was the king of Judah who reigned for fifty-five years, the longest of any king in the history of Judah (2 Kings 21:1). His reign is marked by a significant departure from the religious reforms instituted by his father, Hezekiah, and is characterized by a return to idolatry and practices that provoked the LORD to anger.

Idolatry and Apostasy

Manasseh's reign is noted for its extensive idolatry. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, erected altars for Baal, and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done (2 Kings 21:3). He also worshiped all the host of heaven and served them, building altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My Name" (2 Kings 21:4). Manasseh's actions were a direct violation of the covenantal laws given to Israel, which prohibited the worship of other gods and the making of idols (Exodus 20:3-4).

Child Sacrifice and Occult Practices

Manasseh's transgressions extended beyond idolatry. He engaged in child sacrifice, making his son pass through the fire, a practice associated with the worship of the Ammonite god Molech (2 Kings 21:6). Additionally, he practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists, further provoking the LORD to anger (2 Kings 21:6). These practices were explicitly condemned in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

Prophetic Condemnation and Divine Judgment

The prophets of the LORD spoke against Manasseh's abominations, declaring that his actions would bring disaster upon Jerusalem and Judah. The LORD declared through His prophets, "I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish—wiping it and turning it upside down" (2 Kings 21:13). The severity of Manasseh's sins was such that it was said he led Judah into more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites (2 Kings 21:9).

Captivity and Repentance

The chronicler provides additional insight into Manasseh's life, noting that the LORD brought upon him the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11). In his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. The LORD was moved by his entreaty and brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God (2 Chronicles 33:12-13).

Reforms and Legacy

Following his repentance, Manasseh undertook reforms to undo some of the damage he had caused. He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city (2 Chronicles 33:15). He restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed fellowship and thank offerings on it, commanding Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel (2 Chronicles 33:16).

Despite his late reforms, the legacy of Manasseh's reign was one of significant spiritual decline, and his actions had long-lasting consequences for Judah. His son Amon continued in his father's earlier ways, and the judgment pronounced upon Judah was ultimately fulfilled with the Babylonian exile. Manasseh's life serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from the LORD and the possibility of redemption through genuine repentance.

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2 Chronicles 33:11
Why the LORD brought on 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.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Manasseh and Josiah
... 21:21, 22); he "humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father ... of impending
judgment upon Judah apply with equal force to the judgments that are ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 32 manasseh and josiah.htm

The Sins of Communities Noted and Punished.
... wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations
that Manasseh had provoked him withal." And after the judgments had been ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxix the sins of.htm

Thyatira
... and fornication and the persecution of the righteous at the hands of Manasseh... ...
failed to remove, and which will call down the yet greater judgments of "the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bullinger/commentary on revelation/thyatira.htm

The Kingdom of Judah.
... (3) The wicked reign of Manasseh, who sought to destroy all true worship and
established idolatrous worship in its stead. ... (4) That God's judgments were certain ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiv the kingdom of.htm

The Book of the Law
... This reform movement, by which threatened judgments were averted for a season, was ...
But Manasseh had dared set aside these statutes; and during his reign the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 33 the book of.htm

The Assyrian Captivity
... For a season these predicted judgments were stayed, and during the long reign of ...
"The Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh," with others ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 23 the assyrian captivity.htm

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
... they are prefixed and added to the solid group of Judgments, would seem ... The reactionary
reign of Manasseh had also brought out plainly the contrast between the ...
/.../viii the development of the.htm

Hezekiah
... But the terrible judgments befalling the ten tribes were awakening in the hearts
of ... from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

Were Christ and the Apostles Mistaken?
... 12. "These are the commandments and the judgments which the ... "And the children of
Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, ... ...
/.../concerning the assumptions of destructive criticism/iv were christ and the.htm

Introduction
... In this case Manasseh's revolt would have been part of that general revolt ... conceptions
of early Oriental history, and reversed the critical judgments which had ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm