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| 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: |
Was twelve years old – If properly trained he should have had by this time a fairly well-developed character for righteousness. R3598:3
When he began – Isaiah, his supposed grandfather, having died previously. R2386:3
To reign – The brightest children the most precocious, are in greatest danger if placed in positions of responsibility and influence early in life, without experienced advisors. R2386:6
Fifty and five years – Link No.40 in the chain of Bible chronology. B50; R1980:4
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| 2 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. |
That which was evil – Hezekiah, though a good man, was evidently a poor father. R3598:2, R4839:2
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| 3 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. |
He built again – Probably within 10 years of his accession to power. R2386:6
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| 4 Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. |
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| 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. |
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| 6 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. |
Children to pass – Children were sometimes offered in sacrifice to the false deities on the outstretched arms of a great, hollow brass image, heated by fires built underneath. R4840:1
Son of Hinnom – In Greek, Ge-Hinnom or Gehenna, illustrating the Second Death. R4840:4
Used witchcraft – It is sufficient that God warns us not to have anything to do with occult powers. R5800:1, R265:4
A familiar spirit – A wicked spirit, who pretended to be able to give him superhuman wisdom and advice. R2387:2
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| 7 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: |
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| 8 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. |
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| 9 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. |
To do worse – More evil. Sin is constitutional derangement. Through the fall the whole human family is prone to sin so that it requires continual effort under the guidance of the Lord not to go backward into sin. R3598:6
Than the heathen – The nations. The Amalekites, the Perizzites, the Hittites, and all those nations whom the Lord drove out of Canaan to make room for Israel. R3598:6
A lesson for spiritual Israel: there is a continual warfare between the flesh and the spirit and we must be continually on guard. R3599:1
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| 10 And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. |
The LORD spake – Probably through the prophets Micah and Nahum. R2387:3
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| 11 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. |
To Babylon – The very story of the Chronicles has been found written on clay tables. R2101:5*
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| 12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, |
Was in affliction – The judgment of the Lord as a punishment for sin which came upon Manasseh eventuated in a blessing for the evil-doer, illustrating the principle that will go into effect in the Millennial age. R3599:1
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| 13 And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. |
Was intreated of him – Illustrating the mercy of God to the truly repentant. R3599:4
Then Manasseh knew – The clear intimation is that previously he did not know; that his sins were largely of ignorance. R2388:1
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| 14 Now after this he built a wall outside of 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. |
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| 15 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. |
And he took away – 674 BC, corresponding to the antitypical cleansing of the sanctuary in 1846. R3574:4*
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| 16 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.
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| 17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only. |
In the high places – The evil effects of Manasseh's reign were never thoroughly effaced before his death. R3599:4
Many of the Lord's jewels are today suffering for sins that are past and forgiven. R3599:5
The degradations coming to the world through sin will survive the forgiveness of their sins. R3599:5
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| 18 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. |
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| 19 His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sins, 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. |
They are written – Showing that the prophets did not confine themselves to oral teachings. R1145:3
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| 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. |
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| 21 Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem. |
Two years – Link No.41 in the chain of Bible chronology. B50; R1980:4
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| 22 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; |
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| 23 And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. |
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| 24 And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house. |
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| 25 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. |
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