King James Version
2 Kings 21
26 verses with commentary
Manasseh's Reign in Judah
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzi-bah.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing that external religious activit...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **Manasseh.**—This king was a tributary to Esar-haddon and Assurbanipal successively. (See Schrader, *Keilinschr.,* pp. 354-357, who says: M The conclusion is imperative that during the last period of the reign of Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal, certainly during the first period of the latter, Manasseh was tributary to the great king of Assyria.” (See the Notes on 2Chronicles 33:11.) His name, li...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 21
Chapter Outline
Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard.(1-4)
Naboth murdered by Jezebel.(5-16)
Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab.(17-29)
**Verses 1-4**
Naboth, perhaps, had been pleased that he had a vineyard situated so near the palace, but the situation proved fatal to him; many a man's possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to greatness, of bad cons...
Read full commentary →And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **And he did that which was evil.**—Perhaps under the pernicious influence of his courtiers. (Comp. the case of Rehoboam.)
**After the abominations.**—Comp. Deuteronomy 29:17; 1Kings 11:5.
**The heathen . . . cast.—***The nations . . . dispossessed*—*i.e., *the peoples of Canaan (2Kings 17:8).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 21
Chapter Outline
Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard.(1-4)
Naboth murdered by Jezebel.(5-16)
Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab.(17-29)
**Verses 1-4**
Naboth, perhaps, had been pleased that he had a vineyard situated so near the palace, but the situation proved fatal to him; many a man's possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to greatness, of bad cons...
Read full commentary →For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The reference to kingship reminds readers that ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **For he built up again.**—The LXX. and Vulg. imitate the Hebrew idiom, *and he returned and built—i.e.,* *and he rebuilt.*
**The high places . . . altars for Baal . . . a grove **(*an Ashērah*)*.*—“The idols, the sun-pillars, the *ashērim, *the sacred trees, and all the other pagan or half-pagan symbols, so plainly inconsistent with the prophetic faith, were of the very substance of Israel’s ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**30. Jezebel painted her face--**literally, "her eyes," according to a custom universal in the East among women, of staining the eyelids with a black powder made of pulverized antimony, or lead ore mixed with oil, and applied with a small brush on the border, so that by this dark ligament on the edge, the largeness as well as the luster of the eye itself was thought to be increased. Her object wa...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 21
Chapter Outline
Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard.(1-4)
Naboth murdered by Jezebel.(5-16)
Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab.(17-29)
**Verses 1-4**
Naboth, perhaps, had been pleased that he had a vineyard situated so near the palace, but the situation proved fatal to him; many a man's possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to greatness, of bad cons...
Read full commentary →And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical events. In Judah's later history, we see both g...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **He built altars**—*i.e.,* idolatrous altars (2Kings 21:5).
**In the house of the Lord**—*i.e., *in the two courts of it. This verse contains the *general *statement of what is *particularised *in 2Kings 21:5.
**In Jerusalem will I put my name.**—See 1Kings 14:21.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 21
Chapter Outline
Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard.(1-4)
Naboth murdered by Jezebel.(5-16)
Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab.(17-29)
**Verses 1-4**
Naboth, perhaps, had been pleased that he had a vineyard situated so near the palace, but the situation proved fatal to him; many a man's possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to greatness, of bad cons...
Read full commentary →And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical events. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine refor...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **In the two courts.**—Even in the inner and more sacred court, where the sacrifices were offered to Jehovah.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relation...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And he made his son . . .**—The LXX. has *his sons; *so Chronicles.
**Dealt with familiar spirits . . .***—made a necro-mancer*—i.e., formally appointed such a person as a court official (1Kings 12:31). (See the Notes on chaps. 16:3, 17:17, and especially 2Chronicles 33:6.)
“In the time from Manasseh onwards, Moloch-worship and worship of the Queen of Heaven appear as prominent new features ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasiz...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **A graven image of the grove.**—*The graven image of the Ashērah *(2Kings 21:3).
**In the house of which the Lord said . . .**—See 1Kings 8:16; 1Kings 9:3. It is meant that the Asherah was erected within the Temple itself, probably in the holy place—an act which was the climax of Manasseh’s impiety. (Comp. 23:4; Ezekiel 43:7; Jeremiah 7:30 *seq*.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later hist...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Neither will I make the feet** ***(foot**)* **of Israel move** (*wander*) **. . .**—Comp. the promise in 2Samuel 7:10. The reference is to the migration to Egypt; and the thought is that the permanent possession of the Promised Land depends on the permanent adherence of the nation to Jehovah only.
**Only if.**—*If only.*
**According to all.**—Chronicles rightly has simply (*to do*)* all;* an...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35. found no more of her than the skull, and the palms of her hands, &c.--**The dog has a rooted aversion to prey on the human hands and feet.
2Ki 9:36, 37. Jezebel Eaten by Dogs.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical events. ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Seduced them.**—*Led them astray.* Chronicles renders the same verb *made them to err.*
**To do more evil.**—To *do the evil more . . .* The LXX. *adds:* “in the eyes of Jehovah.” The idolatry of Judah was worse than that of the Canaanites, because *they* worshipped only their national gods, whereas Judah forsook its own God and was ready to adopt almost any foreign *cultus* with which it wa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36. This is the word of the Lord--**(See 1Ki 21:23). Jehu's statement, however, was not a literal but a paraphrased quotation of Elijah's prophecy.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical events. The prophetic ministry served as God's primary means of covenant enforcement, calling...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **By His servants the prophets** **. . .**—This general expression is used because the historian found no name assigned in his source. It is possible that Isaiah was still living under Manasseh, and protested in the manner here described against his apostacy. More probably, however, the protests in question were those of that great prophet’s disciples: the style is not Isaiah’s. 2Chronicles 3...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The reference to kingship reminds readers that all human authority is subo...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **And hath done.**—The *and* is not in the Hebrew, though the Syriac and Arabic supply it. It is not wanted, for the sense is, *namely, because he hath done wickedly,* &c.
**The Amorites.**—A general designation of the native races of Canaan, just as in Homer Achaeans. Danaans, &c., in turn represent the Greeks. (See Amos 2:9,’ Ezekiel 16:3; and comp. 1Kings 21:26.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Whosoever heareth of it.**—Literally, *his hearers.* Many MSS. And the Heb. margin read *her *(*i.e.,* its) *hearer.*
**Both his ears shall tingle.**—The dreadful news shall affect him like a sharp piercing sound. (See the same metaphor in 1Samuel 3:11; Jeremiah 19:3.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 10
2Ki 10:1-17. Jehu Causes Seventy of Ahab's Children to Be Beheaded.
**1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria--**As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab. Their being all assembled in that capital might arise from their being left there on the king's departure for Ramoth-gilead, or from their taking...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. wiping: Heb. he wipeth and turneth it upon the face thereof
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **And I will stretch over Jerusalem** **. . .**—Comp. Amos 7:7-9; Isaiah 34:11; Lamentations 2:8. The sense is, I will deal with Jerusalem by the same rigorous rule of judgment as I have dealt already with Samaria. The figure of the measuring line and plummet suggests the idea that Jerusalem should be levelled and “laid even with the ground.”
**As a man wipeth a (the) dish . . .**—The wiping ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 10
2Ki 10:1-17. Jehu Causes Seventy of Ahab's Children to Be Beheaded.
**1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria--**As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab. Their being all assembled in that capital might arise from their being left there on the king's departure for Ramoth-gilead, or from their taking...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing that e...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Forsake.**—Or, *cast off;* LXX., ἀπώσομαι. Judges 6:13.
**The remnant of mine inheritance.**—The Northern Kingdom had already been depopulated.
**A prey and a spoil.**—Isaiah 42:22.; Jeremiah 30:16.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 10
2Ki 10:1-17. Jehu Causes Seventy of Ahab's Children to Be Beheaded.
**1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria--**As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab. Their being all assembled in that capital might arise from their being left there on the king's departure for Ramoth-gilead, or from their taking...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing that exter...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Have provoked me.**—*Have been provoking; i.e.,* continually.
**Their fathers came forth.**—The LXX. has probably preserved the original reading: *I* *brought forth their fathers.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 10
2Ki 10:1-17. Jehu Causes Seventy of Ahab's Children to Be Beheaded.
**1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria--**As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab. Their being all assembled in that capital might arise from their being left there on the king's departure for Ramoth-gilead, or from their taking...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. from: Heb. from mouth to mouth
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood** **. . .**—The narrative is taken up again from 2Kings 21:9. The “innocent blood” shed by Manasseh was that of the prophets of Jehovah and their followers. “As the nation fell back into the grooves of its old existence, ancient customs began to reassert their sway. The worship which the prophets condemned, and which Hezekiah had proscribed, was too dee...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. he that was over the house--**the governor or chamberlain of the palace.
**the bringers-up of the children--**Anciently, and still also in many Eastern countries, the principal grandees were charged with the support and education of the royal princes. This involved a heavy expense which they were forced to bear, but for which they endeavored to find some compensation in the advantages of th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-16**
When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made ...
Read full commentary →Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The reference to kingship reminds readers that all human authority is subordinate to God's ultimate k...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh** **. . .**—See 2Chronicles 33:11-19 for the story of his captivity, repentance, and restoration, which is now allowed by the best critics to be genuine history, though at one time it was the fashion to consider it an edifying fiction of the chronicler’s.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. take ye the heads of the men, your master's sons--**The barbarous practice of a successful usurper slaughtering all who may have claims to the throne, has been frequently exemplified in the ancient and modern histories of the East.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing that external religious ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **In the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza.**—His house was apparently not the royal palace built by Solomon, but another which Manasseh had built for himself. Thenius argues that the garden of Uzza lay in the Tyropœon, at the foot of the spur of Ophel. (Comp. 2Samuel 6:8; 1Chronicles 8:7; Ezra 2:49; Nehemiah 7:51).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →Amon's Reign in Judah
Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**THE REIGN OF AMON** (2Kings 21:19-26).
(19) **Amon.**—The Vatican LXX. reads Αμώς*,* Amos (So Josephus Άμωσός)*.* The name is perhaps that of the Egyptian sun-god *Amen* (Greek Αμμών), as Anion’s father was an idolater.
**Meshullemeth.**—Feminine form of Meshullam, “friend” *i.e.* of God; Isaiah 42:19. Ewald compares the Latin Pius, Pia, as a proper name.
**Jotbah.**—Thenius imitates the name wi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate, &c.--**The exhibition of the heads of enemies is always considered a glorious trophy. Sometimes a pile of heads is erected at the gate of the palace; and a head of peculiarly striking appearance selected to grace the summit of the pyramid.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical events. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-11. said to all the people, Ye be righteous, &c.--**A great concourse was assembled to gaze on this novel and ghastly spectacle. The speech which Jehu addressed to the spectators was artfully framed to impress their minds with the idea that so wholesale a massacre was the result of the divine judgments denounced on the house of Ahab; and the effect of it was to prepare the public mind for ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing that external religious activity cannot substitu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-11. said to all the people, Ye be righteous, &c.--**A great concourse was assembled to gaze on this novel and ghastly spectacle. The speech which Jehu addressed to the spectators was artfully framed to impress their minds with the idea that so wholesale a massacre was the result of the divine judgments denounced on the house of Ahab; and the effect of it was to prepare the public mind for ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The divine name emphasizes Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel and His sovereign control over historical events. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **And he forsook the Lord** **. . .***—And he forsook Jehovah, the God of his fathers;* abandoned his worship altogether, and gave himself up to foreign superstitions which his father had introduced. It is noteworthy that the long reign of Manasseh-Amon is described by the sacred historian simply on the side of its relation to the religion of Israel. The astonishing corruption of worship whic...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-11. said to all the people, Ye be righteous, &c.--**A great concourse was assembled to gaze on this novel and ghastly spectacle. The speech which Jehu addressed to the spectators was artfully framed to impress their minds with the idea that so wholesale a massacre was the result of the divine judgments denounced on the house of Ahab; and the effect of it was to prepare the public mind for ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The reference to kingship reminds readers that all human authority is subordinate to God's ultimate kingship. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-roote...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **The servants of Amon**—*i.e.,* according to the common use of the phrase, his courtiers or palace officials. Nothing further is known of the circumstances of the murder. For a conjecture, see 2Chronicles 33:25.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The reference to kingship reminds readers that all human authority is subordinate to God's ultimate kingship. In Juda...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24)**The people of the land.**—Thenius thinks these are the militia, as in 2Kings 11:14; but in neither case does his opinion appear likely.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. We are the brethren of Ahaziah--**that is, not full, but step-brothers, sons of Jehoram by various concubines. Ignorant of the revolution that had taken place, they were travelling to Samaria on a visit to their royal relatives of Israel, when they were seized and put to death, because of the apprehension that they might probably stimulate and strengthen the party that still remained fait...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. The reference to kingship reminds readers that all human authority is subordinate to God's ultimate kingship. In Judah's later history, we se...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. We are the brethren of Ahaziah--**that is, not full, but step-brothers, sons of Jehoram by various concubines. Ignorant of the revolution that had taken place, they were travelling to Samaria on a visit to their royal relatives of Israel, when they were seized and put to death, because of the apprehension that they might probably stimulate and strengthen the party that still remained fait...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead. Josiah: Gr. Josias
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.</strong><br><br>This verse contributes to the overall theme of chapter 21: Unprecedented wickedness brings irreversible judgment. In Judah's later history, we see both genuine reforms and deep-rooted corruption, revealing that external religious activity cannot substitute for heart transforma...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **In his sepulchre** **. . .**—Which he had caused to be prepared near his father’s (2Kings 21:16).
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bible Hub
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-18. Jehonadab the son of Rechab--**(See 1Ch 2:55). A person who, from his piety and simple primitive manner of life (Jr 35:1-19), was highly esteemed, and possessed great influence in the country. Jehu saw in a moment the advantage that his cause would gain from the friendship and countenance of this venerable man in the eyes of the people, and accordingly paid him the distinguished attention...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-29**
Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the ...
Read full commentary →