Manasseh

Manasseh was the thirteenth king of Judah, ruling from 697 to 642 BC. He was king for many years and became known for doing evil things (2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chronicles 33:1–9). This was surprising because his father, King Hezekiah, was a good and faithful king (2 Kings 20:21).

In 697 BC, Manasseh became co-ruler with his father, Hezekiah, at age twelve (2 Chronicles 33:1). In 686 BC, Hezekiah died, and Manasseh became the only king. He was king for fifty-five years (2 Kings 21:1). He was king longer than any other king in Judah or Israel. Sadly, he was the most wicked king of Judah. He rebuilt the high places for pagan worship, encouraged the worship of Baal, the sun, the moon, and the stars, and even sacrificed his son (2 Kings 21:2–9; see 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31). He allowed divination (seeking knowledge of the future through supernatural methods) and sorcery (using magic with the help of evil spirits) in Judah. He “shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem… with innocent blood” (2 Kings 21:16; 24:3–4).

Assyrian records say that Manasseh sent men to move timber from Lebanon to Nineveh for King Esarhaddon, who ruled from 680 to 669 BC. He also paid tribute to King Ashurbanipal, who ruled from 668 to 626 BC, after an Assyrian military campaign in Egypt in 667 BC. Manasseh was more loyal to Assyria than to the Lord.

Due to Manasseh's great sin, God decided to "wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes out a bowl—wiping it and turning it upside down" (2 Kings 21:13). However, Manasseh repented late in life. The Assyrian army captured him, put a hook through his nose, and exiled him to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:10–13). There, Manasseh turned to the Lord. God heard his prayers, restored him as king, and blessed the rest of his reign as Manasseh worked to restore proper worship of God alone (2 Chronicles 33:14–17).

Sadly, Manasseh's sins had spread among the people of Judah (2 Chronicles 33:17). God did not change his decision to judge the kingdom (2 Kings 23:26; 24:3–4). This shows how serious Manasseh's sins were. Even Jeremiah, one hundred years later, declared, "I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 15:4). The destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple and the exile of Judah's people followed.

When Manasseh died in 642 BC at age 67, he was buried in his own garden (2 Kings 21:18). He was not buried with respected leaders like Jehoiada and Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 24:15–16; 32:33).

Passages for Further Study

2 Kings 20:21–21:18; 23:26; 24:3; 2 Chronicles 32:33–33:20; Jeremiah 15:4