LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

LITERARY ANALYSIS OF AN OLD TESTAMENT NARRATIVE

2 CHRONICLES 33:1-20

A PAPER

SUBMITTED TO DR. DONALD HOLDRIDGE

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CLASS

OLD TESTAMENT ORIENTATION 1

OBST 591

BY

ROBERT E. TEVIS III

SID# L24432782

DECEMBER 9, 2011

2

LITERARY ANALYSIS OF MANASSEH’S STORY IN 2 CHRONICLES 33:1-20

The story of King Manasseh found in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 is a story of repentance, even

after years of horrible sin. Manasseh (709-642 BC) reigned for 55 years. He began his kingship

at the age of twelve. The first ten years of his reign was possibly a coregency with his father,

Hezekiah.1 Though Manasseh was the longest reigning king of Judah, the biblical text reflects

varied assessments of Manasseh and his piety. He is both a villain and a man of repentance.

It is clear that Manasseh led the people of Judah away from worship of the LORD (2

Chronicles 33:9). The people under his leadership followed the practices of the ancient

Canaanites; worshipped pagan gods in the high places; built altars to Baals and the “host of

heavens” (star worship much like today’s zodiac); and worshipped using Asherah poles.

Manasseh made "his son pass through the fire” (vs. 6) and even set up an idol in the Temple of

God. While some scholars think verse 6 does not mean he killed his sons to pagan gods, it at

least means that he dedicated them to these pagan gods.

The Chronicler tells us that the LORD spoke to the people and their king (2 Chronicles

33:10), but they did not listen. God then sends the Assyrians to capture Judah and their king to

Babylon. This Babylonian captivity is where Manasseh repents.

While in captivity, Manasseh humbles himself “greatly” and prays to God (2 Chronicles

33:18-19). God restores him back to his office as king in Jerusalem. The Chronicler tells us that

Manasseh knew that “the LORD was God,” which is similar to a very common expression by

Ezekiel, the prophet of the Exile: “you/they will know that I am the LORD” (see Ezekiel 5:13;

7:27; and 13:21).

1 Mordechai Cogan and Hayim Tadmor, Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries, Vol. 11: II Kings (Garden City: Double Day, 1988), 266

3

Manasseh then spends the rest of his reign faithful to the LORD. He continues his

father's reform movement, and continues his military activity. He even rebuilds walls to protect

Judah from Assyrian and foreign attack. As usual for his description of kings, the Chronicler

concludes with references to other literary works and Manasseh’s tomb location.

2 Chronicles 33:1-20 can be broken down into four sections: (1) relapse under Manasseh

(vs. 1–10); (2) Manasseh’s captivity, repentance, and restoration (vs. 11–13); (3) Manasseh’s

reforms (vs. 14–17); and (4) summary and conclusion (vs. 18–20).2

The Chronicler’s Literary Features and Techniques

The setting of 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 should not be removed from the Chroniclers

description of the reign and religious reforms of Hezekiah, which begins in chapter 29. Taking

his father’s kingship into account, it might explain Manasseh’s voyage into sin at the beginning

of chapter 33. Manasseh may have begun a counterreformation, winning the support of the

people, in political opposition to Hezekiah's religious policies.3 Manasseh at this time may have

even offended his political master Ashurbanipal (668–627 B.C.).4 Archeology shows that

Ashurbanipal mentions him among vassal kings who participated in a campaign against Egypt.

Manasseh is also listed among twenty-two kings of Hatti, the seashore, and the islands, who were

summoned to Nineveh by Esarhaddon (650–669 B.C.) to bring building materials for a new

palace.5

Each time a king is introduced in Chronicles, his age, the length of his reign and a

statement about his status in the sight of the Lord are given. The Chronicler usually cites the

2 J. A. Thompson, The New American Commentary, vol. 9: 2 Chronicles, electronic ed., Logos Library System; (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 367.

3 W. G. Hulbert, "Good King and Bad King: Traditions about Manasseh in the Bible and Late Second Temple Judaism," Stone-Campbell Journal 11:1 (2008):71-81.

4 James E. Smith, The Books of History (Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1995), 2 Ch 33:11–17.5 James B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3rd edition (NJ:

Princeton, 1969), 294

4

name of the King’s mother, but for the first time he does not for Manasseh. This may have been

done because she was not a Jew. The Chronicler rounds out the character of Manasseh by stating

that “he did evil in the sight of the LORD.” (vs. 2) This description lets us know that we are

about to read an example of what happens when a king engages in pagan practices, actions

forbidden by God in Deuteronomy 12:29-31.

When Manasseh is taken away because of this disobedience, he is treated much as one

would subdue an animal: nose rings and hooks are used to humiliate him completely before his

captors.6 This also stands to contrast what Manasseh had done to Judah in verse 9: he led them

like animals to sin like the Canaanites. Both the Canaanites and Manasseh were driven out of the

land like animals!

The Chronicler masterfully paints Manasseh’s story with a happy ending. The theme

verse of the book of 2 Chronicles is 7:14-15 where God promises healing after humbling.

Manasseh’s story explicitly demonstrates how this works. Watch as the conflict rises and then is

answered in Manasseh’s repentance in FIGURE 1:

The Chronicler also uses intertextuality (drawing on parallels of other stories that

happened earlier in the Bible) in verses 6-8 when it parallels Deuteronomy 18:9–13 when listing

6 Raymond B. Dillard, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 15: 2 Chronicles (Dallas: Word, Inc., 2002), 268.

5

sin. It is almost as if the Chronicler is saying that Manasseh was TOTALLY disobedient. In

comparing Judah and Manasseh’s sins to those of the pre-Israelite Canaanites, the Chronicler (in

verse 2) also implies that the Israelites deserve the same fate as the Canaanites who preceded

them. The repetition in verse 9 is even more condemning.7

It should also be noted that Manasseh is a recurring figure in the post-Exile Jewish

Literature called the Pseudepigrapha. While not biblical, this literature serves as historic

documents that can be studied. It teaches us what some intertestamental Jews thought of

Manasseh. In the Lives of the Prophets 1 and others, Manasseh is charged with cutting the

prophet Isaiah in half after rejecting his instructions and prophecies. He was viewed as a prophet

killer! In The Prayer of Manasseh, Manasseh’s prayer of repentance is supposedly recorded and

the term "God of our father" is used in relationship to THE LORD. He was also viewed as

completing his father’s and ultimately King David’s ways.

Narrative Problem: Why Does 2 Kings 21:1-18 End Differently?

One of the striking features of 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 is that it paints Manasseh in a

different light than 2 Kings 21:1-18. They are parallel stories. In Kings, there is no repentance

and no restoration. Why do these two accounts end differently? This must be answered if one

believes that both are the inerrant Word of God.

2 Kings is more explicit in its description of how sinful Manasseh becomes. This is in

line with the purpose of the book: to show the Israelites why the Exile was their fault. 2 Kings

leaves out Manasseh’s repentance to fulfill this purpose and even states that Manasseh killed

many innocent people in Jerusalem (21:16). Due to his many sins, the LORD even pronounces

judgment on Manasseh (21:13). This is left out of Chronicles, but repeated in 2 Kings 23:26,

7 Thompson, 368.

6

24:3, and again in Jeremiah 15:4. The Chronicler also omits comparing Manasseh with Ahab (2

Kings 21:3).

The Chronicler is not as explicit (even though he is still damning) in naming Manasseh’s

sins because its focus is different. Some scholars believe that 2 Chronicles 33:11-17 (the verses

that are different) was added to show why a wicked king would reign for so long.8 Others see it

a metaphor of Judah.9 In the Septuagint, Chronicles is named in Greek as “Paraleipomena” or

“the things omitted,” indicating that it was considered a supplement to the books of Samuel and

Kings.10 This would explain this added commentary.

Manasseh’s mother is also listed in Kings, but not Chronicles. Her name was Hephzibah

(see 2 Kings 21:1). It is ironic that her name is left out of Chronicles since her name has great

meaning to the restoration text in Chronicles. Hephzibah means “my delight is in her” and is

even another name for the restored Zion or Jerusalem (see Isaiah 62:4). Maybe the Chronicler

does not list her name since she is of foreign origin.

Do you focus on the account from Kings or Chronicles? Where other nations’ historians

saw political and military movements, the Chronicler saw the hand of God behind every event.11

Keep in mind that Chronicles was written after the Exile at about 450 BC and was written to a

broken hearted people. It shows that God will restore them. By reporting Manasseh’s humbling

himself and praying, the Chronicler is reiterating the centrality of Solomon’s prayer in 2

Chronicles 7:14.12 Both 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33 serve two different purposes. Though

this may be too simplified, Kings was written to show the reason for the Exile while Chronicles

8 Jacob M. Myers, Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries, Vol. 13: II Chronicles (Garden City: Double Day, 1988), 198.

9 Peter Ackroyd, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah (London, SCM Press, 1973), 198.10 Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 697.11 W. M. Schniedewind, “The Source Citations of Manasseh: King Manasseh in History and

Homily,” Vetus Testamentum XLI, (1991): 450–61, and Dillard, 2 Chronicles, 265.12 Dillard, 268.

7

was written to show God’s faithfulness despite the Exile. Do you want to focus on humanity and

its fallen state or repentance and restoration? Both are appropriate at different times.

Theological & Practical Applications of 2 Chronicles 33:1-20

Manasseh lived before the cross. He did not know of Christ’s sacrifice, but he and the

Chronicler did believe God’s response to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14–15 (ESV): — if my

people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from

their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. “This

place” was the Temple, the place of sacrifice and worship. Christ fulfilled both functions of “this

place” by ending the need for the sacrificial system by His sacrifice at the cross and by being the

Truth and Spirit by which we worship (John 4:24). Manasseh did not know that Christ would go

to such excruciating pain to fulfill forgiveness and yet he still repented. Therefore, Manasseh’s

actions before the cross are an example for us who live in faith after the cross.

This gives great hope for any sinner. In 2 Chronicles 33:2-8, Manasseh’s sins are listed

as: ancient paganism, idol worship, use of astrology in false worship, spending resources on

idols, defaming places set aside for God’s worship, dedicating (possibly killing) his sons to false

gods, witch-craft, and practicing Wicca-like activity. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Chronicler

spends the most verses on his last and perhaps greatest sin: he defamed the house of God with

placing an idol there and thus rejected God’s promise from Moses and spitting on 2 Chronicles

7:14-15.

Today, we might not literally make idols and bow down to them. We might not literally

sacrifice our children to false gods. We might not set false idols in our churches. BUT we do

find Christians today dabbling in studying the zodiac; Wicca is unfortunately alive and well in

8

America; abortion easily disposes of our children to the god of ease; according to Anderson

Cooper, Americans spend $2 billion a year on psychics; children of Christians are often “carried

away” by the idols of tolerance that lead to belief in naturalism, atheism or other religions; and

the most dangerous movement in the Church today (the “Name it / claim it” movement) replaces

the cross with the dollar sign. There can even be made a case still today that the prayers to saints

in some churches have replaced prayers to God.

Paganism and idolatry was a problem for the first century church. For the Apostle Paul,

idolatry was symptomatic of the deeper disease of human alienation from God.13 He speaks

figuratively of idolatry as any allegiance to something other than God. In most cases that

allegiance is ultimately to oneself. It is making an idol of oneself and one’s desires (see Romans

1:18–32 and Galatians 5:19–21). In this light, idolatry is still a problem in the Church today.

How does a Christian live out the biblical principles found in Manasseh’s stories? The

audience of 2 Chronicles needed to be reminded of God’s faithfulness and Christian’s today still

need to be reminded of the same as well. If a blatant sinner like Manasseh can fall on God's

grace and be forgiven, then people today have hope! There are four basic principles that should

be learned from Manasseh’s story: Sin spreads like a contagious disease; repentance makes a

difference AND is available to everyone; God still listens to your prayer; and past sins can still

have future ramifications even after repentance.

1. Sin spreads like a contagious disease.

Manasseh’s sin teaches us what sin does today: it spreads like a disease! In fact, sin

spreads in two ways: to others and by getting worse. Being the king, Manasseh had the national

spotlight on him, especially being Hezekiah’s boy. The people may have looked to the priests to

set the standards of what was acceptable for Judah, but they looked to the king to see if he was

13 Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1987), 514.

9

going to follow them. Manasseh’s sin “seduced” all of Judah (vs. 9). Like a disease, his sin

spread to the people. Just like the hooks used to carry him away to captivity by the Assyrians,

Manasseh’s sins hook the people of God. They are carried along by his example. They followed

him to reject God’s promises and live like pagans without God.

The Chronicler also makes the point that Manasseh’s sin kept getting worse. He went

from rebuilding the “high places” in verse 3 to dedicating his children to false gods in verse 6

and finally replacing God with an idol in verse 7. Just like cancer, his sin spread and got worse.

His sin was so gangrenous that God said in Jeremiah 15:4 that due to what Manasseh did in

Jerusalem, the people of Judah would wind up horrifically deformed.

Sin may spread like disease by growing and being contagious, but there is a cure! The

cure, though, is much like chemotherapy for cancer patients: it hurts. The Bible teaches us that it

will take God's discipline to lead people to change their lives and repentance. Manasseh learned

this hard truth by being pierced with hooks, by his kingdom being taken away, and by his being

placed in exile in Babylon. Hebrews 12:11 (ESV) tells us, however, that “For the moment all

discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness

to those who have been trained by it.” The result of God’s disciples will either be a life of pain

or a "harvest of righteousness." What makes the difference? Repentance!

2. Repentance makes a difference AND is available to everyone.

Zion Community Church has been rocked by the 2011 Penn State scandal involving

football coach Joe Paterno. Nearly 25% of its members work for Penn State; and almost all of

the Christians in this community have connections to PSU. Jerry Sandusky, one of the “kings”

of PSU football, has been charged with molesting children. He has been vilified for not only

10

destroying young innocent lives but also for destroying the legacies of Mr. Paterno and Penn

State. Is repentance available to him?

One of the core principles of Christianity is that repentance is for everyone. As long as

you are breathing, you have a second chance. The Apostle Paul preached this when he said to

King Agrippa that , “those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of

Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in

keeping with their repentance.” (Acts 26:20) After explaining that the Word of God is near for

all, Paul later wrote, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans

10:13) Repentance is for every person!

Manasseh’s repentance made a difference, not just for him but for the entire nation. God

saw Manasseh’s change of heart and restored him back as king. Manasseh then strengthened the

nation by building walls of protection and stationing military captains in the cities of Judah. He

then “cast out” all the idols. The Chroniclers does not say he “removed” them, but they were

“casted out”, much like what Jesus did to demons. Manasseh even rebuilt the altar and the

Temple, made sacrifices, and ordered monotheism for the LORD to the nation. The people

responded by only worshipping God (vs. 17). His repentance made a huge impact!

2 Chronicles 33 shows us that repentance is available even for a hard-core pagan

worshipper and child killer. Manasseh repented while in Babylon. Jerry Sandusky can repent

even when he faces jail. This is the beauty of applying the story of Manasseh: no matter how

bad you think you are, God will still listen to your prayer of repentance.

3. God still listens to your prayer.

King Manasseh prayed while in “affliction” (vs. 12) and the amazing thing is that God

“received his entreaty” and “heard his supplication.” (vs. 13) This runs counterintuitive to the

11

religious person. The religious person believes that God is not interested in the prayers of

wicked people. You can go too far and God will eventually stop listening. One of the religious’

persons favorite verse is John 9:31 (ESV): We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if

anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. They love to rip this out of

context, when these words of a blind man really were to point us to the fact that we are all

hopeless without Jesus. God heard Manasseh the sinner’s prayer of repentance. He will also

hear ours if we follow Manasseh’s example.

Manasseh implored the LORD. To “implore” means to seek after, or to entreat. Its root

word in Hebrew has the idea that you are sick from the effect of wounds, and if you were an

animal, you would be imperfect for sacrifice.14 This means that Manasseh felt the weight of his

sin and was deathly ill in his inner being due to its weight. His only option was to seek after God

and his mercy.

Manasseh also humbled himself. This in line with 2 Chronicles 7:14 where God connects

humbling yourself with “praying and seeking God’s face and turning from your wicked ways”.

This is the essence of humbling yourself: calling out to God verbally, seeking God inwardly, and

turning to God outwardly in action. Manasseh displayed all three in his humbleness and God

heard his prayer and restored him.

4. Past sins can still have future ramifications.

Though Manasseh repented personally, the Old Testament makes it clear that Manasseh’s

reign still marked the point of no return for Judah. 2 Kings 23:26 says, “Still the LORD did not

turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because

14 Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, electronic ed. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 2000), 317.

12

of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him.” (This is repeated in Jeremiah

15:4). Manasseh’s sins may have saved his generation, but did not save his nation.

This is true today for a man who is caught in adultery and lies. He may have to come

clean, humble himself before God, and show fruit of his repentance. God will hear his prayer!

This still might not save his marriage. He might show his children what it means to live a godly

life from then on, but it might have to be from a distance from his home. Though his marriage

might not be saved, his repentance will produce three things: one, a forgiven past; two, a purpose

for today; and three, a secure future with the Lord. Plus, it might actually save his marriage over

time!

Manasseh was restored after repenting. He led a national return to the LORD because of

his personal humbleness before God. This might have lasted for only his generation, but it still

helped that generation! Manasseh’s reform may have even helped form the personal piety of his

grandson, King Josiah, who returned the nation to true worship of the LORD.

Manasseh teaches Christians today to fall on God's grace, to implore His favor, and to

humble themselves before Him! No matter how deep the sin, we can have hope! Seek the

LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and

the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our

God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6–7, NIV84)

13

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ackroyd, Peter. 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. London: SCM Press, 1973.

Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Logos, 2000.

Cogan, Mordechai and Hayim Tadmor, Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries, Vol. 11: II Kings. Garden City: Double Day, 1988.

Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.

Dillard, Raymond B. Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 15: 2 Chronicles. Dallas: Word, Inc., 2002.

Hulbert, W. G. "Good King and Bad King: Traditions about Manasseh in the Bible and Late Second Temple Judaism," Stone-Campbell Journal 11:1. 2008.

Myers, Allen C. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

Myers, Jacob M. Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries, Vol. 13: II Chronicles. Garden City: Double Day, 1988.

Pritchard, James B. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3rd ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton, 1969.

Schniedewind, W. M. “The Source Citations of Manasseh: King Manasseh in History and Homily,” in Vetus Testamentum XLI. 1991.

Smith, James E. The Books of History. Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1995.

Thompson, J. A. The New American Commentary, vol. 9: 2 Chronicles, electronic ed., Logos Library System. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001.