331 Manasseh was twelve e years old when he became king , and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem . 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before e the sons of Israel . 3 For he rebuilt e the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down ; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim , and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He built altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord had said , "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever ." 5 For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord . 6 He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom e ; and he practiced witchcraft , used divination , practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists . He did much evil in the sight of the Lord , provoking Him to anger. 7 Then he put the carved image of 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 from all the tribes of Israel , I will put My name forever ; 8 and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers , if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law , the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses ." 9 Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before e the sons of Israel . 10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people , but they paid no attention .
11 Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks , bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon . 12 When he was in distress , he entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before e the God of his fathers . 13 When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication , and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom . Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God . 14 Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon , in the valley , even to the entrance of the Fish Gate ; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high . Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah . 15 He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord , as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem , and he threw them outside the city . 16 He set up the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel . 17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places , although only to the Lord their God . 18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh even his prayer to his God , and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel , behold , they are among the records of the kings of Israel . 19 His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin , his unfaithfulness , and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images , before he humbled himself, behold , they are written in the records of the Hozai . 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers , and they buried him in his own house . And Amon his son became king in his place .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 33:1-20
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 33:1-20
(Read 2 Chronicles 33:1-20)
We have seen Manasseh's wickedness; here we have his repentance, and a memorable instance it is of the riches of God's pardoning mercy, and the power of his renewing grace. Deprived of his liberty, separated from his evil counsellors and companions, without any prospect but of ending his days in a wretched prison, Manasseh thought upon what had passed; he began to cry for mercy and deliverance. He confessed his sins, condemned himself, was humbled before God, loathing himself as a monster of impiety and wickedness. Yet he hoped to be pardoned through the abundant mercy of the Lord. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah was God, able to deliver. He knew him as a God of salvation; he learned to fear, trust in, love, and obey him. From this time he bore a new character, and walked in newness of life. Who can tell what tortures of conscience, what pangs of grief, what fears of wrath, what agonizing remorse he endured, when he looked back on his many years of apostacy and rebellion against God; on his having led thousands into sin and perdition; and on his blood-guiltiness in the persecution of a number of God's children? And who can complain that the way of heaven is blocked up, when he sees such a sinner enter? Say the worst against thyself, here is one as bad who finds the way to repentance. Deny not to thyself that which God hath not denied to thee; it is not thy sin, but thy impenitence, that bars heaven against thee.