2 Kings 21:1-18

2 Kings 21:1-18

[1] Manasseh  was twelve  years  old  when he began to reign,  fifty  and five  years  in Jerusalem.  And his mother's  name  was Hephzibah.  [2] And he did  that which was evil  in the sight  of the LORD,  after the abominations  of the heathen,  whom the LORD  cast out  before  the children  of Israel.  [3] For he built up  again  the high places  which Hezekiah  his father  had destroyed;  and he reared up  altars  for Baal,  and made  a grove,  as did  Ahab  king  of Israel;  and worshipped  all the host  of heaven,  and served  [4] And he built  altars  in the house  of the LORD,  said,  In Jerusalem  will I put  my name.  [5] And he built  altars  for all the host  of heaven  in the two  courts  of the house  of the LORD.  [6] And he made his son  pass  through the fire,  and observed times,  and used enchantments,  and dealt  with familiar spirits  and wizards:  he wrought  much  wickedness  in the sight  of the LORD,  to provoke him to anger.  [7] And he set  a graven image  of the grove  that he had made  in the house,  of which the LORD  said  to David,  and to Solomon  his son,  In this house,  and in Jerusalem,  which I have chosen  out of all tribes  of Israel,  will I put  my name  for ever:  [8] Neither will I make the feet  of Israel  move  any more  out of the land  which I gave  their fathers;  only if they will observe  to do  according to all that I have commanded  them, and according to all the law  that my servant  Moses  commanded  [9] But they hearkened  not: and Manasseh  seduced  them to do  more evil  than did the nations  whom the LORD  destroyed  before  the children  of Israel.  [10] And the LORD  spake  by  his servants  the prophets,  saying,  [11] Because Manasseh  king  of Judah  hath done  these abominations,  and hath done wickedly  above all that the Amorites  did,  which were before  him, and hath made Judah  also to sin  with his idols:  [12] Therefore thus saith  the LORD  God  of Israel,  Behold, I am bringing  such evil  upon Jerusalem  and Judah,  that whosoever heareth  of it, both  his ears  shall tingle.  [13] And I will stretch  over Jerusalem  the line  of Samaria,  and the plummet  of the house  of Ahab:  and I will wipe  Jerusalem  as a man wipeth  a dish,  wiping  it, and turning  it upside down.  [14] And I will forsake  the remnant  of mine inheritance,  and deliver  them into the hand  of their enemies;  and they shall become a prey  and a spoil  to all their enemies;  [15] Because they have done  that which was evil  in my sight,  and have provoked  me to anger,  since the day  their fathers  came forth  out of Egypt,  even unto this day.  [16] Moreover Manasseh  shed  innocent  blood  very  much,  till he had filled  Jerusalem  from one end  beside his sin  wherewith he made Judah  to sin,  in doing  that which was evil  in the sight  of the LORD.  [17] Now the rest  of the acts  of Manasseh,  and all that he did,  and his sin  that he sinned,  are they not written  in the book  of the chronicles  of the kings  of Judah?  [18] And Manasseh  slept  with his fathers,  and was buried  in the garden  of his own house,  in the garden  of Uzza:  and Amon  his son  reigned  in his stead.

What does 2 Kings 21:1-18 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Manasseh began reigning as vice-regent with his father Hezekiah when he was12years old in697 B.C. This arrangement continued for11years until Hezekiah died in686 B.C. For a total of55 years Manasseh was king of Judah. He reigned longer than any Hebrew king, and he was Judah"s worst king spiritually.
"Manasseh was "the Ahab of Judah" and the antithesis of the great David." [1]
Among his other serious sins, Manasseh built idol altars in Yahweh"s temple ( 2 Kings 21:4). This diminished the reputation of Yahweh considerably, as well as diverting worship from Him. Canaanite idolatry, Ahab"s Baalism, Canaanite astral worship, Ahaz"s human sacrifice, and Saul"s spiritism were all heresies he revived even though the Law of Moses condemned them ( Exodus 20:3-5). He did not follow David"s example, he defiled the temple with idolatry, and he rejected the Mosaic Covenant. Thus he not only acted opposite to Hezekiah, but he also scorned the examples of Moses, Joshua , David, and Solomon. In his day the people were more wicked in their religious practices than even the Canaanites had been ( 2 Kings 21:9).
Isaiah and Micah were two of the prophets that God had used to warn the nation before Manasseh"s reign, and their influence undoubtedly continued after their deaths. According to Jewish tradition, Manasseh sawed Isaiah in two (cf. Hebrews 11:37). The early church father Justin Martyr (ca. A.D150) wrote that the Jews sawed him to death with a wooden saw. [2] However, this tradition is quite late and may be inaccurate. We have no record that any prophets ministered during Manasseh"s reign, with the possible exception of Nahum , whose recorded ministry was against Assyria. Some scholars believe Nahum ministered at about the same time as Jeremiah ,, Zephaniah , and Habakkuk , namely, after Manasseh"s reign. I think Nahum probably ministered during Manasseh"s reign (ca660-650 B.C.).
Not only did Manasseh apostatize himself, he also led the nation in departing from God ( 2 Kings 21:11). The "line of Samaria" ( 2 Kings 21:13) refers to the righteous standard God had used to measure Samaria"s fidelity to His will. The "plummet of Ahab"s house" ( 2 Kings 21:13) was the same plumb line of righteousness by which God had judged Ahab"s family. God would abandon His people temporarily but not permanently ( 2 Kings 21:14; cf. Deuteronomy 28:63-64).
Manasseh"s murders included those of his own children ( 2 Kings 21:6) as well as Isaiah , evidently. Manasseh"s many sins stained Judah deeply. Even Josiah"s later reforms could not avert God"s judgment ( 2 Kings 23:36). His "garden variety" burial reflects the fact that his behavior resulted in his people esteeming him lightly. God had disciplined him personally (cf. 2 Chronicles 33:11-13), and he had become a channel of God"s discipline for Judah.
Perhaps we should view the fact that God allowed such a wicked king to rule his people so long, as an evidence of His longsuffering desire that Manasseh and Judah would repent. The king did repent later in life ( 2 Chronicles 33:12-19). His long life was not a blessing for faithfulness, as Hezekiah"s had been, but an instrument of chastening for Judah.