2 Chronicles Chapter 33
The Reigns of Manasseh and Amon
A. The reign of Manasseh, son of Hezekiah
1. 2 Chronicles 33:1–2, A summary of the reign of Manasseh, a fifty-five year rule of evil
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: 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.”
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign emphasizes how young and impressionable he was when placed on the throne. This also means that he was born during the final fifteen years of Hezekiah’s life, the additional years granted after Hezekiah’s illness, as recorded in 2 Kings 20:6, “And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria.” Those added years, though mercifully given, resulted in the birth of a son who would become one of Judah’s most destructive kings. Scripture records this without comment, allowing the weight of providence and consequence to be felt without speculation.
He reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem records both the length and tragedy of Manasseh’s rule. Fifty-five years was one of the longest reigns in Judah’s history, yet it was dominated by sustained rebellion against God. Longevity in leadership is not a measure of divine approval. God may permit a ruler to reign long for reasons of judgment, testing, or exposure of the people’s true condition. Time alone sanctifies nothing.
But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD establishes the divine verdict on his reign. This was not merely political failure or moral weakness, but covenant rebellion evaluated from God’s perspective. Manasseh’s evil was not accidental or ignorant, but deliberate and sustained. He ruled in full knowledge of Judah’s covenant history and rejected it.
Like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel shows that Manasseh intentionally adopted the practices of nations God had already judged. The LORD had expelled the Canaanites because of these very sins, yet Manasseh reintroduced them into the land God had purified. This was willful reversal of holy history. The king acted as though God’s past judgments were irrelevant warnings rather than solemn lessons.
2. 2 Chronicles 33:3–9, The specific sins of Manasseh
“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. Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 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. 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: 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. 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.”
He built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down shows deliberate rejection of righteous reform. Manasseh did not merely neglect his father’s work, he actively dismantled it. Revival is not self sustaining. Without continued obedience, even the most thorough reform can be undone within a generation. Manasseh represents generational backlash against godly leadership.
He reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves reveals state sponsored pagan worship. Baal and Asherah worship was not fringe practice under Manasseh, but officially endorsed. This mirrors the apostasy of Ahab in the northern kingdom. Manasseh did not simply drift into compromise, he aggressively promoted false religion.
He worshipped all the host of heaven and served them marks a turn toward astrological idolatry. This included worship of sun, moon, stars, and celestial powers. Scripture repeatedly condemns this practice, as in Deuteronomy 4:19, “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them.” This form of idolatry was particularly associated with Assyrian and Babylonian influence, showing Manasseh’s cultural alignment with pagan empires rather than covenant faith.
He built altars in the house of the LORD intensifies the offense. Pagan worship was no longer outside the temple, it was embedded within it. The place God had chosen for His name was desecrated by idol worship. This was spiritual treason, not ignorance.
He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD shows total corruption of sacred space. Every court meant for worship, prayer, and sacrifice to the LORD was repurposed for cosmic idolatry. The temple became a pagan observatory.
He caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom reveals the most horrific sin of all. This refers to child sacrifice to Molech. Manasseh murdered his own sons in ritual burning. This act alone placed him among the most depraved rulers in biblical history. God explicitly condemned this practice in Leviticus 18:21, “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech.”
He observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards shows deliberate embrace of the occult. These practices invited demonic influence into Judah at the highest level of authority. Scripture forbids these acts without exception, as seen in Deuteronomy 18:10–12, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch… For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.”
He set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God marks the climax of desecration. 2 Kings 21:7 identifies this image as Asherah. Asherah worship involved ritual sexual immorality. This means the temple was transformed into a center of spiritual and moral corruption. The house dedicated to the LORD was profaned by fertility cult practices.
In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen… will I put my name for ever recalls God’s covenant promise to David and Solomon. Manasseh knowingly violated this sacred trust. He did not sin in ignorance, but in defiance of clear revelation.
So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err shows the corrupting power of leadership. The king did not sin alone. He led the nation into greater evil than the heathen whom the LORD had destroyed. This is a devastating indictment. Pagan nations sinned without covenant light. Judah sinned against direct revelation.
This cultural collapse happened because the people followed willingly. 2 Kings 21:9 states, “But they hearkened not.” The nation desired these sins. They embraced the corruption. Manasseh provided permission and protection for what the people wanted.
This period represents the moral unraveling of Judah. What Hezekiah had built with repentance and obedience, Manasseh dismantled through rebellion and indulgence. The judgment of God was no longer merely deserved, it was inevitable unless repentance intervened.
B. Manasseh’s repentance
1. 2 Chronicles 33:10–11, God chastises Manasseh
“And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. 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.”
And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people reveals the extraordinary patience and mercy of God. Before judgment fell, God warned. He was under no obligation to do so. Given Manasseh’s crimes, especially child sacrifice, occult practices, and the desecration of the temple, immediate judgment would have been just. Yet God spoke. He sent prophets. 2 Kings 21:10–15 records that the LORD spoke by His servants the prophets, warning of coming judgment because of Manasseh’s abominations. This demonstrates that divine judgment is always preceded by divine warning.
But they would not hearken identifies the real problem. The issue was not lack of information, but refusal to obey. Manasseh and the people deliberately ignored God’s voice. Persistent rebellion eventually exhausts warnings. When correction is rejected, discipline must follow.
Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria shows that God uses even pagan nations as instruments of chastisement. Assyria did not act independently of God’s sovereignty. The same empire Manasseh admired, imitated, and aligned with became the rod of his discipline. Sin often forges the very chains that later bind the sinner.
Which took Manasseh among the thorns and bound him with fetters presents a vivid picture of humiliation. The phrase among the thorns may describe capture while hiding, or being dragged like a beast. Bronze fetters emphasize shame and restraint. The king who once commanded armies was now shackled. Pride had been stripped away. God reduced the mighty to helplessness so that repentance could begin.
And carried him to Babylon underscores the depth of the judgment. Though Assyria was the ruling power, Babylon functioned as a major administrative and detention center. The king who polluted the house of the LORD was removed from Jerusalem entirely. Exile mirrored his spiritual condition. He had lived alienated from God, now he lived alienated from his throne.
This captivity fulfilled the principle that those who refuse to listen to God’s word will eventually listen to God’s discipline. As one commentator observed, adversity often whips a soul toward heaven that prosperity would have driven toward destruction.
2. 2 Chronicles 33:12–13, The remarkable repentance of Manasseh
“And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.”
And when he was in affliction marks the turning point of Manasseh’s life. Pain accomplished what prosperity never could. Affliction stripped away illusions of power, control, and self sufficiency. God often whispers in blessing, but He shouts in suffering. Manasseh finally listened.
He besought the LORD his God indicates genuine prayer. This was not ritual, not manipulation, not desperation alone, but sincere appeal. The text emphasizes his God, showing that Manasseh personally acknowledged the LORD rather than treating Him as a distant national deity. The king who once prayed to demons now prayed to the living God.
And humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers identifies the core of repentance. Pride had defined Manasseh’s sin. Humility defined his return. The phrase God of his fathers is significant. Manasseh returned to the covenant God of David, Solomon, and Hezekiah. He did not invent a new spirituality. He returned to the faith he had rejected. This reflects the principle expressed in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Though Manasseh rebelled for decades, the truth planted in him was not destroyed.
And prayed unto him shows persistence and sincerity. Scripture does not record the content of Manasseh’s prayer here, but Jewish tradition preserves a prayer attributed to him, marked by deep confession and plea for mercy. Whether or not that text is authentic, the biblical testimony is clear, his repentance was real.
And he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication reveals one of the most astonishing statements in Scripture. God heard a man guilty of idolatry, sorcery, child sacrifice, mass bloodshed, and national corruption. This verse stands as a monument to divine mercy. No sinner is beyond repentance while life remains.
And brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom shows that God’s grace went beyond forgiveness to restoration. Manasseh was not only spared, he was reinstated. God returned him to the very throne he had abused. This does not minimize his sin, but magnifies God’s grace. Forgiveness does not deny guilt, it overcomes it.
Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God states the final outcome. Knowledge here is experiential, not theoretical. Manasseh knew by discipline, mercy, judgment, and restoration that the LORD alone is God. Idols had promised power and delivered bondage. The LORD demanded repentance and delivered freedom.
This repentance is central to the Chronicler’s theology. While Manasseh’s sins are recorded without excuse, they serve as the dark backdrop against which the brightness of grace is displayed. The Chronicler wants the reader to understand that no depth of sin places repentance out of reach, and no history of rebellion nullifies the possibility of mercy.
Manasseh’s story stands as one of the greatest Old Testament examples of late repentance. It is both a warning and a comfort. It warns that sin brings severe consequences. It comforts by declaring that repentance, even late in life, is met by a gracious God.
3. 2 Chronicles 33:14–17, The late deeds of Manasseh
“Now after this he built a wall without 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. 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 repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.”
Now after this marks a clear transition. Everything described in these verses flows directly out of Manasseh’s repentance. His actions demonstrate that his repentance was not merely emotional or verbal, but practical and reforming. Genuine repentance produces observable change in priorities, leadership, and conduct.
He built a wall without the city of David shows renewed concern for the security of Jerusalem and Judah. Earlier in his reign Manasseh showed no interest in protecting God’s people or the city God had chosen. Now, humbled and restored, he acted as a shepherd king rather than a self serving tyrant. The wall described likely repaired or reinforced a vulnerable section previously damaged, possibly during Assyrian incursions. Raising it up to a very great height indicates serious effort, planning, and investment.
And put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah reflects responsible governance. Manasseh no longer ruled recklessly. He organized defense, delegated authority, and took seriously his duty to protect the nation. Repentance does not make a man passive, it makes him diligent in righteous responsibility.
He took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD describes a complete reversal of his earlier policies. The same man who once filled the temple with idols now cleansed it. This is not partial reform. He removed foreign gods, the carved idol, and the pagan altars he himself had erected. He cast them out of the city, publicly rejecting what he had once promoted. This action parallels the reforms of Hezekiah, showing that Manasseh ultimately aligned himself with his father’s godly legacy.
He repaired the altar of the LORD shows restoration of proper worship. Repair implies prior damage and neglect. Manasseh did not merely remove false worship, he restored true worship. He sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings, offerings associated with fellowship, gratitude, and reconciliation rather than atonement alone. This reflects a heart now reconciled to God and thankful for mercy received.
And commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel demonstrates leadership repentance. Manasseh did not keep his faith private. He used his authority to redirect the nation toward covenant obedience. This command stands in sharp contrast to his earlier seduction of Judah into evil. Though his influence had once led many astray, he now sought to lead them back.
Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only introduces a sobering limitation. Pagan worship was eliminated, but unauthorized worship remained. These high places were not devoted to idols, but they still violated God’s command that worship be centralized at the temple. This shows that while Manasseh’s repentance was genuine, the spiritual damage of decades of corruption could not be fully undone.
Half a century of idolatry could not be reversed quickly. Cultural habits formed under evil leadership persisted even after reform began. This illustrates an important biblical principle. Personal repentance is immediately forgiven, but the consequences and influence of sin often linger. Reform came, but not completeness.
4. 2 Chronicles 33:18–20, Manasseh’s death and burial
“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. His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, 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. So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house, and Amon his son reigned in his stead.”
Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh indicates that the Chronicler had access to additional records beyond those preserved in Kings. This explains why Manasseh’s repentance is emphasized here but absent in 2 Kings 21. Chronicles is written with a theological purpose, highlighting repentance, restoration, and God’s covenant faithfulness.
His prayer unto his God and how God was intreated of him again emphasizes that repentance is central to Manasseh’s story. Scripture does not minimize his sin. It records it fully. Yet it also records his prayer and God’s gracious response. The Chronicler intentionally holds both together, severe sin and abundant mercy.
And all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places shows that forgiveness does not erase historical truth. God forgave Manasseh, but the record of his rebellion remained. This guards against cheap grace. Mercy does not deny reality, it redeems it.
So Manasseh slept with his fathers is a striking conclusion. Despite being one of Judah’s most wicked kings, his life ended in repentance and reconciliation. He truly rested with his fathers, not merely in burial, but in restored relationship with the covenant God of Israel. This demonstrates that final standing before God depends not on the beginning of one’s life, but on repentance and faith before its end.
And they buried him in his own house suggests a private burial rather than in the royal tombs, possibly reflecting lingering consequences of his reign. Even forgiven sin may affect honor and legacy. Yet the statement does not diminish the reality of his repentance.
Then Amon his son reigned in his stead sets the stage for the next tragedy. Manasseh repented late, and while his own soul was restored, the nation and his household were largely unchanged. His repentance did not undo the spiritual formation of his son, who would soon reveal how deeply corruption had taken root.
Manasseh’s life stands as one of Scripture’s clearest testimonies to sovereign grace. No sinner is beyond repentance. No rebellion is too deep for mercy. Yet it also stands as a solemn warning. Sin leaves scars on families, cultures, and nations that repentance, though real, may not fully erase in time.
C. The reign of Amon, son of Manasseh
1. 2 Chronicles 33:21–23, A two year evil reign
“Amon was twenty two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them. And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.”
Amon was twenty two years old when he became king places him as a grown man, not a child ruler easily excused by immaturity. His actions were deliberate and informed. He had personally witnessed the repentance of his father Manasseh, the removal of idols, the restoration of worship, and the clear mercy of God. His rebellion was therefore not ignorance, but rejection.
He reigned two years in Jerusalem highlights the brevity of his rule. Scripture often uses short reigns as an implicit judgment. Stability, longevity, and peace were frequently associated with obedience, while abrupt and violent ends marked wicked rulers. Amon’s reign was short because it was empty of repentance and void of divine favor.
But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done describes a tragic imitation. Amon followed Manasseh’s sins, not Manasseh’s repentance. He selectively inherited his father’s rebellion while rejecting his humility. This is one of the most sobering generational lessons in Scripture. Repentance in one generation does not automatically produce obedience in the next.
For Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them shows how deep the damage of Manasseh’s earlier reign had been. Even after repentance, the physical idols and cultural memory remained. Amon revived what should have been buried. Sin leaves artifacts, habits, and influences that later generations may resurrect.
And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself identifies the decisive difference between the two men. Manasseh’s repentance saved his soul, but Amon refused humility. Pride hardened him. He saw repentance as weakness rather than wisdom.
But Amon trespassed more and more indicates progressive rebellion. Sin never remains static. Without repentance it multiplies, intensifies, and accelerates. Amon’s reign was not merely sinful, it was worsening. His heart grew harder, his actions bolder, and his conscience duller.
This brief assessment contains no redeeming feature. Scripture offers no prayer, no reform, no humility, no mercy sought, no warning heeded. Amon’s life stands as a negative example without mitigation.
2. 2 Chronicles 33:24–25, The assassination of Amon
“Then his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house. But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.”
Then his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house records a violent and shameful end. This kind of palace conspiracy had been common among the kings of Israel, but rare in Judah. Its appearance here signals how far Judah had descended morally and politically under Manasseh and Amon. When covenant order collapses, chaos follows.
That he was killed in his own house underscores irony and judgment. The place of safety became the place of death. Amon could not rule himself, his household, or his servants, and he could not protect himself. Sin erodes authority from the inside out.
But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon marks a decisive and hopeful turn. Unlike Israel, which often accepted coups and dynastic overthrow, Judah’s people acted to preserve lawful order. They rejected assassination as a means of correction, even when the king had been wicked.
This action suggests a moral awakening among the people. After more than fifty years of corrupt leadership, they no longer tolerated lawlessness. They wanted justice, stability, and covenant continuity. This is a critical transition point in Judah’s history.
Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place confirms that God preserved the Davidic line. There was no change of dynasty, no military takeover, no civil war. The rightful heir was placed on the throne, and remarkably, that heir would become one of the godliest kings Judah ever knew.
This outcome demonstrates God’s sovereign mercy. Though Amon was evil and died in his sins, God was already preparing redemption through the next generation. Human failure did not nullify divine promise.
Amon’s only lasting contribution to Judah’s history was not his reign, but his son. Josiah would undo much of the damage done by Manasseh and Amon, restore the Law, cleanse the land, and lead the last great revival before Judah’s fall.
Amon stands as a warning. He had every advantage, godly heritage, prophetic history, personal exposure to repentance, and covenant privilege, yet he hardened himself. His life shows that proximity to grace does not equal reception of grace.
