2 Chronicles 33

2 Chronicles 33:1

N. King Manasseh (33:1-20)33:1-11 In spite of having such a devout father, Manasseh had the most evil reign in Judah. It was also the longest, fifty-five years. The list of Manasseh’s sins is also very lengthy. He polluted God’s city and temple with his idols and revived the practice of burning children to Molech in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. He was an inveterate murderer (2Ki_21:16); Josephus states that daily executions were ordered by him. Tradition says that he murdered Isaiah the prophet by having him sawn in two (the reference in Heb_11:37 to being “sawn in two” may include this tradition). When Manasseh refused to listen to the LORD and turn from his wickedness, the LORD moved the king of Assyria to take him away to Babylon, which was then under Assyrian control. 33:12-20 Only 2 Chronicles mentions Manasseh’s repentance (the reference in verse 18 is not to the canonical Books of Kings but to a lost secular chronicle). After serving every kind of detestable idol for years, Manasseh learned that the LORD is God, and he was converted. He did what he could to lead the people back to faithfulness to Jehovah and to purge idolatry from his realm. The high places mentioned in verse 17 were used for sacrificing to the LORD away from Jerusalem. This was forbidden by the law, but went on anyway.

2 Chronicles 33:21

O. King Amon (33:21-25)After Manasseh’s death his son did not follow his reforms but rather his earlier sins. Young King Amon lasted only two years before he was killed by his own servants in his own house. Then the people of the land executed Amon’s killers and replaced him with his son Josiah.