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2 Chronicles 33:11-17

King James Version (KJV)

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— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

11. 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. 12. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13. 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. 14. 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. 15. 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. 16. 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. 17. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, [yet] unto the LORD their God only.

2 Chronicles 33:11-17 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 33:11

Theological / Devotional

Which took Manasseh. This section dealing with Manasseh’s captivity and repentance and his restoration and reforms (vs. 11-17) is peculiar to Chronicles. Esarhaddon (681-669 B.C.) and Ashurbanipal (669-627? B.C.) both list Manasseh among the kings of Western Asia who were their vassals.

Thorns. Heb. chochim, which some interpret as thorns put through noses or cheeks of captives to lead them on a rope. Assyrian reliefs picture distinguished captives as being led away by hooks passed through their lips or nostrils (see Isa. 37:29; cf. Amos 4:2).

Others interpret chochim as “hollows,” “recesses.”

Carried him to Babylon. Babylonia was part of the Assyrian Empire, and a number of Assyrian kings with the title of king of Babylon reigned over it as well as over their own nation of Assyria (see Vol. II, pp. 61, 156, 157). It was thus that an Assyrian king could take a king of Judah captive to Babylon rather than to Nineveh. The king who took Manasseh to Babylon could have been either Esarhaddon, who ruled Assyria and Babylon throughout his reign, or Ashurbanipal, who took the title for a short time, although during most of his reign Babylon was governed by a separate king under Assyrian supervision.

By SdaBc