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Hezekiah Encourages

II. CHRONICLES, XXXII.

weapons.

king of Judah.

the People.

the wall that was broken, and raised it | Or. swords, or, themselves upon the words of Hezekiah up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in

B.C. 710.

(9) After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem,

abundance. (6) And he set captains of Hebe spake to (but he himself laid siege against Lachish,

war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and 2spake comfortably to them, saying, (7) Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: (8) with him is

their

a Jer. 17. 5.

3 Heb., leaned.

b2 Kings 18. 17.

and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, (10) Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem ? (11) Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by

.

an "arm of flesh; but with us is the Heb., dominion. thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people 3rested

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5 Or, in the strong
hold.

Built up all the wall that was broken.-Isa. xxii. 9, 10, where "many breaches are spoken of, and it is said that "houses were pulled down to fortify the wall."

Raised it up to the towers.-Heb., and went up on the towers, or, and caused to go up on the towers. A different division of the Hebrew letters will give the sense "and raised upon it towers," which is probably correct. Thenius prefers to keep the ordinary reading, which he understands to mean, and heightened the towers; alleging that chap. xxvi. 9 shows that the wall was already furnished with towers. The LXX. has simply kal Túрyous, "and towers;" the Vulgate, "et exstruxit turres desuper." The Syriac renders, "Let them show themselves strong, and make another wall opposite the wall, and let them stop up the ditch which David made."

Another wall without.-Literally, and on the outside of the wall (he built) another-viz., the wall enclosing the lower city or Acra, which he "built," that is, repaired and strengthened. (See Isa. xxii. 11, the two walls.")

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Millo.-The rampart. See Note on 1 Chron. xi. 8. In the city of David.—To wit, the city of David. Darts.-Shelah. See Note on chap. xxiii. 10, and comp. xxvi. 14. The Hebrew is "missiles in abundance, and shields."

(6) Captains of war.-Literally, captains of battles: a phrase found here only.

In the street.-Into the open space. In like manner, "the open space that was before the water gate" is mentioned in Neh. viii. 1, 16.

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The gate. Which gate we are not told; but the LXX. reads, τὴν πλατείαν τῆς πύλης τῆς φάραγγος, “ the broad place of the gate of the ravine."

Spake comfortably to them. - Encouraged them. Chap. xxx. 22. (See margin.)

(7) Be not afraid .. the multitude.-Comp. chap. xx. 15, "Be not afraid nor dismayed for this great multitude." "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid" occurs in Deut. xxxi. 6 (Heb.).

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deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? (12) Hath not the same

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Rested themselves upon.-Leaned on-e.g., a staff, Isa. xxxvi. 6; and so trusted in, Isa. xlviii. 2.

(9-21) A brief summary of what is related in 2 Kings xviii. 17-xix.

(9) After this did Sennacherib. . . send.See 2 Kings xviii. 17.

But he himself . . . Lachish. - The verb nilkham, "fought," has perhaps fallen out. The great inscription of Sennacherib says nothing about the siege of Lachish; but a bas-relief, now in the British Museum, represents him seated on his throne receiving a file of captives who issue from the gate of a city. Over the king's head is written "Sennacherib, the king of multitudes, the king of the land of Asshur, on a raised throne sate, and caused the spoils of the city of Lachish (Lakisu) to pass before him."

His power. Literally, his dominion or realm. Comp. Jer. xxxiv. 1, "all the kingdoms of the lands of the dominion of his hand." The word hel, “army," may have fallen out.

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(10) Whereon.. the siege.-Rather, Whereon are ye trusting, and why are ye sitting in distress in Jerusalem? The phrase sitting or abiding in distress occurs in Jer. x. 17. (Comp. also Deut. xxviii. 53.)

Verses 10-15 reproduce in brief the leading ideas of 2 Kings xviii. 19-25 and 28-35.

(11) Doth not Hezekiah persuade you.-Is not Hezekiah inciting you (2 Kings xviii. 32; 1 Chron. xxi. 1). The verb recurs in verse 15.

To give over yourselves .by thirst.-In order to deliver you to dying...by thirst. A softening down of the coarse expression recorded in 2 Kings xviii. 27. Esarhaddon in the record of his Egyptian campaign uses similar language: "siege-works against him I constructed, and food and water, the life of their souls, I cut off."

(12) The same Hezekiah.-Hezekiah himself. Ye shall worship upon it.-Literally, before one altar shall ye worship, and thereon shall ye burn incense. Comp. 2 Kings xviii. 22: Is it not He whose high places and altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, Before

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Sennacherib's

II. CHRONICLES, XXXII.

Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it ? (13) Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? (14) Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? (15) Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how

this altar shall ye worship in Jerusalem? " The chronicler is even more emphatic than Kings in asserting the sole validity of the Brazen Altar in the Temple Court.

(13) What I and my fathers have done.-The Assyrian kings are fond of such references to their predecessors.

The people of other lands.-Rather, the peoples of the countries.

Those lands.-The countries.

Their lands.-Their country. The chronicler omits the names of the vanquished states given in 2 Kings xviii. 34, some of which had probably become obscure by lapse of time.

Assurbanipal relates that in his eighth campaign he carried off the gods of Elam with the other spoils : "His gods, his goddesses, his furniture, his goods, people small and great, I carried off to Assyria; and he adds the names of nineteen of these deities.

(14) Who was there among all the gods.Comp. 2 Kings xviii. 35.

Utterly destroyed.-Put under the ban, devoted to destruction.

(15) Neither yet believe him.-And believe him not.

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How much less . . deliver you.-Rather, much less will your gods deliver you; or, much more will your gods not deliver you. (Comp. Isa. xxxvii. 10, 11.) According to ancient conceptions the gods of strong nations were strong gods. Now the Assyrians had vanquished stronger nations than Judah, and therefore, as they ignorantly supposed, stronger deities than the God of Judah. (Some Hebrew MSS. and all the versions have the verb in the singular, which gives the sense, "much less will your god deliver you.")

(16) Spake yet more. See the parallel passages in Kings and Isaiah. The verse shows that the chronicler does not profess to give a full report.

Against the Lord God.-Literally, against Jehovah the (true) God. "Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed ? . . . the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. xxxvii. 23).

(17) He wrote also letters to rail on.-And letters wrote he to reproach (Isa. xxxvii. 23). Senna

Blasphemies

much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? (16) And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

(17) He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. (18) Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. (19) And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.

(20) And for this cause Hezekiah the

cherib wrote to Hezekiah demanding submission, after the failure of the mission of the Tartan and his companions (2 Kings xix. 8-14). If, therefore, the chronicler had been careful about the strictly chronological sequence of events, this verse would have followed rather than preceded 18, 19. As it is, the remark is thrown in here as a parenthesis, in the middle of the account of the behaviour of the Assyrian envoys. Something must be allowed for the necessities of abbreviation, which the author has studied in the entire narrative.

As the gods . . have not delivered.Literally, Like the gods of the nations of the countries, which have not delivered. (Comp. 2 Kings xix. 10, 12: "Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee," &c.) Have the gods of the nations delivered them," &c.

...

(18) They cried on the wall.-LXX. and Vulg.," he cried" (i.e., the Rab-sak). (See 2 Kings xviii. 26-28.)

To affright them, and to trouble (terrify, scare) them; that they might take the city.This is the chronicler's own statement of the purpose of the words of the Rab-sak reported in 2 Kings xviii. 28-35.

To affright. The piel of yare, "to fear," occurs besides, thrice in Neh. vi. 9, 14, 19; and once in 2 Sam. xiv. 15.

(19) They spake against.-Or, spake of. Literally, unto. (Comp. Ps. ii. 7, iii. 2.) People.-Peoples.

The work. The versions have "works." Instead of repeating the offers which the Assyrian envoys made to the people of Jerusalem, to induce them to submit, the chronicler dwells on that blasphemy against the God of Israel which was the cause of the Assyrian overthrow.

The work of the hands of man.-A reminiscence of 2 Kings xix. 18: "And they put their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone" (part of Hezekiah's prayer).

(20) For this cause.-Upon this (al zoth). The reference is to the Assyrian blasphemies against Jehovah, which Hezekiah urged in his prayer for de

The Assyrians Slain.

II. CHRONICLES, XXXII.

king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. (21) a And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the 2 house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword. (22) Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.

&c.

Hezekiah's Sickness.

2

B.C. 710. | (23) And many brought gifts unto the 2 Kings 19. 35. LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

B.C. cir. 710.

1 Heb., made him
fall.

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3 Or, wrought a

Heb., 4

up.

liverance (2 Kings xix. 16), and to which Isaiah referred in his prophetic answer (Isa. xxxvii. 23). The prayer of Hezekiah is given in 2 Kings xix. 15-19; Isa.. xxxvii. 15-20. The parallel passages do not say that Isaiah also prayed; but 2 Kings xix. 2-4, and Isa. xxxvii. 2-4, report that the king sent a deputation of nobles to the prophet, requesting his prayers "for the remnant that were left."

Cried to heaven.-Comp. chap. xxx. 27; 1 Sam. v. 12.

(21) And the Lord sent an angel. See 2 Kings xix. 35, seq.; Isa. xxxvii. 36, seq. Hitzig thinks that Pss. xlvi. xlviii. were composed by Isaiah to commemorate this great natural miracle, an hypothesis which is borne out by the similarity observable between the language and ideas of these psalms and those of Isaiah's prophecies.

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Which cut off.. valour.-Literally, and he hid (i.e., caused to disappear, destroyed; the Greek ápavíçeiv; Exod. xxiii. 23) every valiant warrior, and leader and captain. (Comp. Ps. lxxvi. 5, a psalm which in the LXX. bears the title ὠδὴ πρὸς τὸν Ασσύριον.) Kings gives the number of those who perished as 185,000.

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With shame of face.-Ps. xliv. 15, "The shame of my face hath covered me." (Ezra ix. 7.) And when he was come with the sword.-And he went into the house of his god, and certain of his own offspring there felled him with the sword. 2 Kings xix. 37 gives the names of the parricides-viz., Adrammelech and Sharezer; and the name of the god-viz., Nisroch-which is probably corrupt. It is added that the assassins "escaped into the land of Ararat." The chronicler as usual suppresses unfamiliar foreign names.

They that came forth.-Some of the issue (yaçi, a verbal noun only found here). (For the whole phrase, comp. Gen. xv. 4; 2 Sam. vii. 12.)

(22) Thus.-And. The whole verse is the chronicler's own comment on the preceding narrative. (Comp. 2 Kings xviii. 7.)

The hand of all.-Some MSS. appropriately add his enemies, an expression which may have fallen out of the text.

And guided them on every side (round about).-A somewhat unusual phrase. The conjecture, "and gave them rest round about (wayyanah lahem for wayyěnahālēm), appears correct. (See chaps. xiv. 6, xv. 15, xx. 30; 1 Chron. xxii. 18.) So the LXX. and Vulg.

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HEZEKIAH'S SICKNESS-HIS PRIDE AND WEALTH -THE BABYLONIAN EMBASSY-CONCLUSION (verses 24-33).

(24) In those days Hezekiah was sick.This single verse epitomises 2 Kings xx. 1—11; Isa. xxxviii.

To the death.-Unto dying.

He spake unto him.-By the mouth of Isaiah. And he gave him a sign.-The recession of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz. Literally, and a sign He gave him; the emphatic word first.

(25) But Hezekiah.-For Hezekiah's pride, see the account of his reception of the Babylonian embassy (2 Kings xx. 12-19; Isa. xxxix.).

According to the benefit done unto him.In his illness he promised to walk humbly all his days (Isa. xxxviii. 15); but when he had recovered, "his heart was lifted up.'

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Therefore there was wrath upon him.— And wrath fell upon him. The token of this was seen in Isaiah's prophetic rebuke, foretelling that the_royal treasures would be carried away to Babylon, and that some of Hezekiah's sons would be eunuchs in the palace there (2 Kings xx. 16-18; Isa. xxxix. 5-7). And upon Judah and Jerusalem. Which shared in the king's guilty pride and confidence in the arm of flesh. (Comp. 1 Chron. xxvii. 24; chap. xix. 10.)

(26) Notwithstanding.-And. The wrath of the Lord

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days of Hezekiah.-(Comp. Isa. xxxix. 8.) On hearing Isaiah's prophecy of coming evil, Hezekiah humbly acquiesced in the will of Jehovah. "Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, There shall be peace and permanence in my own days" (2 Kings xx. 19).

Hezekiah's Wealth

II. CHRONICLES, XXXII.

the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

Heb. instru

ments of desire.

B.C. 712.

2 Heb., interpret

ers.

and Works

Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. (31) Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who "sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

(27) And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of 1pleasant jewels; (28) storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks. (29) Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much. (30) This same 3 Heb., kindnesses. of the kings of Judah and Israel. (3) And

(27) Had.-Or, got.

Isa. 39. 1.

(32) Now the rest of the acts of Hezea 2 Kings 20. 12; kiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book

Riches and honour (or, wealth; kabôd).-Comp.

1 Chron. xxix. 28 (David); 2 Chron. i. 12 (Solomon), xvii. 5, xviii. 1 (Jehoshaphat).

He made himself treasuries.-Comp. 2 Kings xx. 13; Isa. xxxix. 2, where silver and gold and spices are mentioned among the treasures of Hezekiah.

Shields. Comp. Solomon's golden, and Rehoboam's brazen, shields. No doubt the term is here used to suggest arms in general. Kings and Isaiah mention "his armoury."

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All manner of pleasant jewels.-Literally, all vessels of desire. (Comp. Nah. ii. 10, "wealth of every vessel of desire.") Costly implements and utensils of all sorts are included.

(28) Storehouses also.-And magazines (chap. viii. 4; Exod. i. 11).

Stalls. 'Urawoth (Syriac, 'rawotho). (Comp. úryôth, chap. ix. 25; and 'ăwēroth, "cotes," a word only found here.)

All manner of beasts.-Every kind of cattle.

Cotes for flocks.-Heb., and flocks for folds. The words appear to have been transposed by some copyist. (Comp. LXX., кaì μávôpas eis Tà πoíuvia, "and folds for the flocks." So Vulg., " et caulas pecorum." Syriac omits.)

(29) Moreover he provided him cities.-And he made him watch-towers. The word rendered "cities" ('ārîm) appears in this connection to mean watch-towers or forts for the protection of the flocks and herds. Isa. i. 8 ("a besieged city "); 2 Kings xvii. 9; chap. xxvi. 10. Had given.-Gave.

Substance.- Wealth in kind, especially cattle (chap. xxxi. 3).

(30) This same Hezekiah also stopped.— And he, Hezekiah, had closed in the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon. (See verse 3.)

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And brought city of David.-And conducted them underground to the west of the city of David. (Comp. 2 Kings xx. 20, where also this great work of Hezekiah is referred to in concluding his history: "He made the pool, and the aqueduct, and brought the waters into the city.") The chronicler gives further details.

Brought it straight.-Directed or conducted them (wayyashshěrem; the form in the Hebrew margin is a peculiar contraction of the ordinary piel form which appears in the text).

And Hezekiah prospered.-Chap. xxxi. 21; 1 Chron. xxix. 23.

(31) Howbeit.-Literally, And thus; that is, and when things were thus prosperous with him. In the midst of Hezekiah's prosperity, God left him for a moment to himself, by way of putting him to the proof.

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The princes of Babylon. The same vague plural which we have already noticed in chaps. xxviii. 16, xxx. 6, and verse 4, supra. The king who "sent letters and a present' to Hezekiah, with congratulations on his recovery from sickness, and overtures of alliance against the common enemy, Assyria, was Merodach-baladan (Maruduk-abla-iddina, “Merodach gave a son"). (See the account in 2 Kings xx. 12, seq.; Isa. xxxix.)

Who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder (Hebrew, the sign, as in verse 24).-This is not mentioned in the parallel passage of Kings and Isaiah. But such an inquiry is quite in harmony with what we know of the Babylonians from their own monuments. Babylon was the home of the arts of divination and augury, from observation of all kinds of signs and portents in every department of nature. Moreover, the sign given to Hezekiah would have a special interest for the astrologers and astronomers of the Babylonian temple-towers.

God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.-"To try," the same word as 'to tempt” (Isa. vii. 12; Ps. xcv. 9; and often).

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That he might know-i.e., in order to bring out and make manifest the latent possibilities of Hezekiah's character. The Searcher of hearts knew the issue beforehand; but we can only conceive of His dealings with man by means of human analogies, such as that of the chemist, who subjects an imperfectly known substance to various combinations of circumstances, by way of ascertaining its nature and affinities. The remark is peculiar to the chronicler.

(32) Now the rest of the acts.-See 2 Kings xx. 20, 21.

And his goodness.-His good deeds. So chap. Xxxv. 26 (Josiah); Neh. xiii. 14.

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Manasseh Reigns.

1

II. CHRONICLES, XXXIII.

Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and 1 Or, highest.
they buried him in the chiefest of the
sepulchres of the sons of David: and all
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
did him honour at his death. And
Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER XXXIII.-(1) Manasseh "was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: (2) but did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the 'abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. (3) For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and

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&c.

b Deut. 18. 9.

B.C. 698.

His Wickedness.

served them. (4) Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the a 2 Kings 21. 1, LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. (5) And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. (6) And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (7) And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the

2 Heb., he returned
and built.

c 2 Kings 18. 4.

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Deut. 12. 11
3; ch. 6. 6, & 7.16.

Kings 8. 29, & 9.

e Ps. 132. 14.

The chiefest.-Rather, the ascent-i.e., the way up to the royal tombs. (Comp. chap. xx. 16.) "The sons of David" are the kings of the house of David. Hezekiah may have chosen a favourite spot for his burial-place; but, as his successors Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah likewise, were not laid in the tombs of the kings, it would appear that the old royal sepulchres were full.

Did him honour at his death.-The phrase, "did him honour” (‘asû kābôd lô) occurs here only. (Comp. "give honour to," 1 Sam. vi. 5; Ps. xxix. 1.) Probably a great burning of spices was made in honour of Hezekiah as of Asa. (See chaps. xvi. 14, xxi. 19.)

XXXIII.

THE REIGNS OF MANASSEH AND AMON. (1-20) The history of Manasseh. Duration and character of the reign. Restoration of idolatry (verses 1-10). This section is closely parallel with 2 Kings xxi. 1-10. Verses 1, 2, 5 are word for word the same in both.

(3) For.-And. (See margin.)

Broken_down.-Chaps. xxiii. 17, xxxi. 1 (" threw down"). Kings has "destroyed" ('ibbad).

Baalim.-The Baals-i.e., the different images of Baal. Kings has the singular, both here and in the next word, " groves," or rather Asheras ('Ashërôth; Kings, 'Asherah). The latter plural is rhetorical: Manasseh made such things as Asheras. (Comp. also the use of the plural in chap. xxxii. 31, and the passages there referred to.) Kings adds: as Ahab king of Israel made."

(4) Also he built

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In Jerusalem.Literally as Kings. Manasseh built altars in the Temple, as Ahaz had done (2 Kings xvi. 10, seq.).

Shall my name be for ever.-A heightening of the phrase in Kings, "I will set my name.' (6) He.-Emphatic. Not in Kings. Caused his children

fire.-The plural,

as in chap. xxviii. 3, is rhetorical. Kings, "his son." In the valley of the son of Hinnom.— Explanatory addition by the chronicler.

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Ând used witchcraft.—And muttered spells or charms. This word does not occur in the parallel place, but all the offences here ascribed to Manasseh are forbidden in Deut. xviii. 10, 11.

And dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards. And appointed a necromancer and a wizard. Kings has wizards. The source of all these modes of soothsaying was Babylon. Like the first king of Israel, Manasseh appears to have despaired of help or counsel from Jehovah. (Comp. Jer. xliv. 17, 18.) The heavy yoke of Assyria again weighed the nation down, and the great deliverance under Hezekiah was almost forgotten. "To all the Palestinian nations the Assyrian crisis had made careless confidence in the help of their national deities a thing impossible. As life was embittered by foreign bondage, the darker aspects of heathenism became dominant. The wrath of the gods seemed more real than their favour; atoning ordinances were multiplied, human sacrifices became more frequent, the terror which hung over all the nations that groaned under the Assyrian yoke found habitual expression in the ordinances of wor ship; and it was this aspect of heathenism that came to the front in Manasseh's imitations of foreign religion" (Robertson Smith, The Prophets of Israel, p. 366).

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