2Ki 21 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Kgs 21:1-2: 21:1-2 fifty-five years: Manasseh’s long reign (697–642 BC ) certainly cannot be attributed to his faithfulness to the Lord but to the Lord’s continued honoring of his covenant promises (see also 8:19 ; 19:34 ; 20:6 ; 2 Sam 7:11-16 ). External conditions were largely stable. Though the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon (680–669 BC ) and Ashurbanipal (668–626 BC ) conducted a number of military campaigns, none was directed against Judah until later in Manasseh’s reign, probably around 650–648 BC (see 2 Chr 33:10-13 ). Ashurbanipal’s attention was on building projects, religious pursuits, and the arts, including a great library. • He did what was evil: Manasseh was the most wicked of Judah’s kings; discussion of his reign focuses on his evil religious practices.

Summary for 2Kgs 21:1-2: 21:1-2 ^a fifty-five years: Manasseh’s long reign (697–642 BC) certainly cannot be attributed to his faithfulness to the Lord but to the Lord’s continued honoring of his covenant promises (see also 8:19 ^b; 19:34 ^c; 20:6 ^d; 2 Sam 7:11-16 ^e). External conditions were largely stable. Though the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon (680–669 BC) and Ashurbanipal (668–626 BC) conducted a number of military campaigns, none was directed against Judah until later in Manasseh’s reign, probably around 650–648 BC (see 2 Chr 33:10-13 ^f). Ashurbanipal’s attention was on building projects, religious pursuits, and the arts, including a great library.

• He did what was evil: Manasseh was the most wicked of Judah’s kings; discussion of his reign focuses on his evil religious practices.
Summary for 2Kgs 21:3-5: 21:3-5 ^g Manasseh’s spiritual infidelity included rebuilding local pagan shrines that his father had destroyed (18:3 ^h). He also promoted wicked religious practices associated with the worship of Baal and set up an Asherah pole (see 18:3 ⁱ; 1 Kgs 16:32 ^j) and reintroduced astral worship. God had judged the northern kingdom for these sins (2 Kgs 17:16 ^k).
21:6 ^l Manasseh’s wickedness included participation in the abominable Molech rites and all manner of forbidden cult and occult practices (16:3 ^m; see Lev 18:21 ⁿ).

• the Lord’s ... anger: God responded to Manasseh’s detestable religious practices with his righteous judgment, just as he had with the northern kingdom (2 Kgs 17:18-20 ^o).
21:11 ^p The Amorites were the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the land, known for their wickedness.

• Manasseh practiced the idolatry of the Amorites as Ahab had done (1 Kgs 21:26 ^q).
21:12 ^r Based on what had happened to the northern kingdom (17:7-23 ^s) and to Ahab’s family (9:24-26 ^t, 30-37 ^u; 10:1-8 ^v; 1 Kgs 22:37-38 ^w), Manasseh should fully expect God to execute justice against him and the people of Judah.
Summary for 2Kgs 21:14-15: 21:14-15 ^x the remnant: Those not killed in God’s impending judgment would be at the mercy of their captors. This prophecy was fulfilled when thousands of Judeans were taken into captivity in the Babylonian invasion during the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC (25:8-21 ^y; 2 Chr 36:20 ^z; Jer 39:9 ^aa; 52:15 ^ab).
21:16 ^ac innocent blood: Beyond his loathsome spiritual sin, Manasseh was guilty of murder. Jewish tradition holds that Isaiah was one of many prophets that Manasseh put to death.
21:17 ^ad everything he did: The Chronicler records that Manasseh was captured by an Assyrian king, probably when King Ashurbanipal resided in Babylon (about 650–648 BC). This experience humbled Manasseh and brought repentance. After his release, he attempted spiritual reforms, but they were too late in his reign to be effective (2 Chr 33:11-17 ^ae).
21:18 ^af The garden of Uzza is otherwise unknown (but see also 21:26 ^ag). Unlike his father, Hezekiah, who had been buried with honor, Manasseh was not buried in the royal tombs (2 Chr 32:33 ^ah).
Summary for 2Kgs 21:19-22: 21:19-22 ^ai Amon’s brief reign (642–640 BC) simply perpetuated his father’s wickedness. Manasseh’s repentance and reforms came too late to have any effect on Amon or on the people of Judah.

• He abandoned the Lord: Amon became a total apostate (see also 2 Chr 33:23 ^aj).
21:26 ^ak Like his father, Manasseh (21:17 ^al), Amon was denied burial in the royal tombs and was interred in the garden of Uzza.