2 Kings 21:6

4 ^aHe also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ^b“In Jerusalem I will put My name.”

5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the ^atwo courts of the house of the Lord.

6 ^aAlso he made his son pass through the fire, practiced ^bsoothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.

7 He even set a carved image of¹ Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, ^a“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;

8 ^aand I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.”

9 But they paid no attention, and Manasseh ^aseduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10 And the Lord spoke ^aby His servants the prophets, saying,

11 ^a“Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (^bhe has acted more wickedly than all the ^cAmorites who were before him, and ^dhas also made Judah sin with his idols),

12 therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both ^ahis ears will tingle.

13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem ^athe measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; ^bI will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

14 So I will forsake the ^aremnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies,

15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’ ”

16 ^aMoreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

17 Now ^athe rest of the acts of ^bManasseh—all that he did, and the sin that he committed—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

18 So ^aManasseh rested with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.

Amon’s Reign and Death

19 ^aAmon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

20 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, ^aas his father Manasseh had done.

Commentaries:

Matthew Henry

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2 Kings 21:1-26

Wicked reign of Manasseh. (1-9) The prophetic denunciations against Judah. (10-18) Wicked reign and death of Amon. (19-26)

Verses 1-9 Young persons generally desire to become their own masters, and to have early possession of riches and power. But this, for the most part, ruins their future comfort, and causes mischief to others. It is much happier when young persons are sheltered under the care of parents or guardians, till age gives experience and discretion. Though such young persons are less indulged, they will afterwards be thankful. Manasseh wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, as if on purpose to provoke him to anger; he did more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed. Manasseh went on from bad to worse, till carried captive to Babylon. The people were ready to comply with his wishes, to obtain his favour and because it suited their depraved inclinations. In the reformation of large bodies, numbers are mere time-servers, and in temptation fall away.

Verses 10-18 Here is the doom of Judah and Jerusalem. The words used represent the city emptied and utterly desolate, yet not destroyed thereby, but cleansed, and to be kept for the future dwelling of the Jews: forsaken, yet not finally, and only as to outward privileges, for individual believers were preserved in that visitation. The Lord will cast off any professing people who dishonour him by their crimes, but never will desert his cause on earth. In the book of Chronicles we read of Manasseh's repentance, and acceptance with God; thus we may learn not to despair of the recovery of the greatest sinners. But let none dare to persist in sin, presuming that they may repent and reform when they please. There are a few instances of the conversion of notorious sinners, that none may despair; and but few, that none may presume.

Verses 19-26 Amon profaned God's house with his idols; and God suffered his house to be polluted with his blood. How unrighteous soever they were that did it, God was righteous who suffered it to be done. Now was a happy change from one of the worst, to one of the best of the kings of Judah. Once more Judah was tried with a reformation. Whether the Lord bears long with presumptuous offenders, or speedily cuts them off in their sins, all must perish who persist in refusing to walk in his ways.

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Amon’s Reign and Death

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