Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 1. MAnaſſeh was twelve years old when he began to reigne, &c.] So that he was borne three years after his fathers recovery from his dangerous ſickneſſe, chap. 20.6. and he began to reigne about foure and twenty years after the ruine of the kingdome of the ten tribes: for Samaria was taken in the ſixth yeare of Hezekiah, chap. 18.10. after which he reigned three and twenty years, chap. 18.2. and then Manaſſeh ſucceeded him, being then but a child; (of whoſe tender years it ſeems the princes took advantage, that never in their hearts had approved the reformation that Hezekiah had made, and ſo drew him to reeſtabliſh his grandfathers idolatry) yet he reigned, as is noted in the following words, longer then any of the kings of Judah to wit, fifty and five years.
Verſ. 2. And he did that which was evil in the ſight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, &c.] Conſidering all the particulars that are here afterwards mentioned, it is evident that he did worſe then all that had been before him: it is noted, chap. 20.5. that one of the chief things that made Hezekiah mourn ſo bitterly, when the Prophet told him he ſhould die of his ſickneſſe, was becauſe he had then no ſonne to ſucceed him; but alas, could he have foreſeen what a ſonne hee ſhould leave behind him, the want of an heire could not be ſo bitter, as this would have been:
Verſ. 5. And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two courts of the houſe of the Lord.] That is, not onelyonly in the peoples, but in the prieſts court alſo he built altars for the worſhip of the ſunne, moon, and ſtarres.
Verſ. 6. And he made his ſonne paſſe through the fire.] See the note chapter 16.3.
Verſ. 7. And he ſet a graven image of the grove that he had made in the houſe, &c.] That is one of the idols of the grove which he had made, he ſet up in the Temple; or a graven image made as a repreſentation of the grove which he had made: and indeed that there was an image with a carved grove about it, ſeems to be moſt probable, becauſe it is ſaid, chap. 23.6. that Joſiah brought out the grove from the houſe of the Lord without Jeruſalem unto the brook Kidron, and burnt it, &c.
Verſ. 9. Manaſſeh ſeduced them to do more evil, then did the nations whom the Lord deſtroyed, &c.] To wit, becauſe the Iſraelites ſet up more idols then ever the Canaanites had; but eſpecially, becauſe they ſinned againſt more light and means of grace then ever the other enjoyed,
Verſ. 13. And I will ſtretch over Jeruſalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the houſe of Ahab, &c.] That is, I will deal with Jeruſalem as I have dealt with Samaria, and with the houſe of Manaſſeh as with the houſe of Ahab; as I did utterly deſtroy Samaria and the family of Ahab; ſo will I utterly deſtroy Jeruſalem, and the houſe of Manaſſeh: and indeed the poſterity of Manaſſeh was cut off, as was the poſterity of Ahab, Jer. 22.30. becauſe workmen do try places, which they would have to be levelled, with the line and with the plummet, therefore the Lord to imply that he would utterly pull down and deſtroy Jeruſalem and lay it as it were levell with the ground, as he had already dealt with Samaria, and the houſe of Ahab; he expreſſeth it with this phraſe, that he would ſtretch over Jeruſalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the houſe of Ahab: the like phraſe is uſed, Iſai. 34.11. He ſhall ſtretch out upon it the line of confuſion, and the ſtones of emptineſſe: and to the ſame purpoſe is the next expreſſion here uſed; and I will wipe Jeruſalem as a man wipeth a diſh, wiping it, and turning it upſide down; that is, as a man wipeth a diſh that hath had ſome oyle, or other thing in it, turning it upſide down, and wiping it, that he may be ſure the leaſt drop or crumb may no where be found upon it; ſo the Lord will utterly overthrow the ſtate of Jeruſalem, turning it upſide down, and will clear her of all her wealth, yea of all her inhabitants, ſo that there ſhall be nothing left not carried away.
Verſ. 14. And I will forſake the remnant of mine inheritance, &c.] That is, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: and becauſe they flattered themſelves in this, that they were the Lords inheritance, therefore by calling them the remnant of his inheritance, he implies that though they were his inheritance, yet he would forſake them.
Verſ. 16. Moreover Manaſſeh ſhed innocent bloud very much, &c.] To wit, the bloud of the prophets that condemned his evil courſes, and others that oppoſed his evil wayes.
Verſ. 17. Now the reſt of the acts of Manaſſeh, and all that he did, &c.] Some of theſe we have added, 2. Chron. 33. as firſt, that the captains of the hoſt of the king of Aſſyria invaded the land, and carried away Manaſſeh priſoner to Babylon: Secondly, how being in that affliction, he repented him of his ſinnes, and ſo the Lord brought him again to Jeruſalem; the king of Babylon being content, as it may ſeem, to ſet him free upon condition that he ſhould oppoſe the Egyptian king, which may be the cauſe, why Joſiah would needs fight againſt Pharaoh Necho, 2. Chron. 35.20. And thirdly, that being returned, he fortified Jeruſalem, ſuppreſſed idolatry, and did again ſet up the true worſhip of God.
Verſ. 18. And was buried in the garden of his own houſe, in the garden of Uzzah.] It is likely this was done by the kings appointment after his repentance; as judging himſelf unworthy to be buried in the ſepulchre of the kings of Judah, becauſe of the abominations of his younger years. Why this garden was called the garden of Uzzah, we cannot ſay: yet ſome Interpreters held that it was called ſo, becauſe it was in the place where Uzzah was ſmitten, for touching the ark with his hand, 2. Sam. 6.7. or becauſe it had been formerly his garden.
Verſ. 26. And he was buried in his ſepulchre, in the garden of Ʋzzah.] That is Amon: to wit, becauſe his father Manaſſeh was buried there.