2 Chronicles 33 10

2 Chronicles 33:10 kjv

And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

2 Chronicles 33:10 nkjv

And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.

2 Chronicles 33:10 niv

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

2 Chronicles 33:10 esv

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

2 Chronicles 33:10 nlt

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings.

2 Chronicles 33 verses

2 Chronicles 33 10 Meaning

2 Chronicles 33:10 states that the LORD, the covenant God of Israel, actively communicated His message, whether through prophets or divine providences, to King Manasseh and the entire population of Judah. Despite these warnings or instructions from God Himself, both the king and his people deliberately chose to ignore them, exhibiting a profound spiritual deafness and an unwillingness to heed divine counsel.

2 Chronicles 33 10 Context

This verse is critically positioned within the narrative of King Manasseh's incredibly long and extraordinarily wicked reign (55 years). Verses 1-9 detail Manasseh's deep apostasy: he rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah destroyed, erected altars for Baals, worshipped the starry hosts, practiced divination and sorcery, dealt with mediums, offered his sons as child sacrifices, and even placed an idol in God's Temple in Jerusalem. In short, he surpassed the abominations of the nations Israel had displaced.

Within this historical backdrop of unprecedented sin and defiance against Yahweh, 2 Chronicles 33:10 highlights God's patience and faithfulness. Even as Judah descended into spiritual depravity, God did not remain silent. His persistent warnings through prophets (like unnamed prophets or potentially Isaiah and Micah earlier) or through providential circumstances underscore divine initiative before judgment falls. This verse acts as the immediate precursor to Manasseh's capture by the Assyrians, his humbling, and his remarkable repentance in Babylon, framing his later conversion not as an unprompted act, but as a response to ignored divine calls, followed by divine discipline.

2 Chronicles 33 10 Word analysis

• The LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): Refers to God's personal covenant name, Yahweh. This emphasizes that it was not a generic deity or a lesser power, but the sovereign, faithful God of Israel, who spoke. His speaking signifies His active engagement and divine authority over His people and their actions.

• spoke (דִּבֶּר, dibber): Implies a clear, definite communication. This wasn't a vague feeling, but an expressed word. It suggests the prophetic word, possibly warnings, appeals, or instructions delivered by prophets sent by God. It denotes direct divine revelation and clear transmission of message.

• to Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, Menasheh): The specific mention of Manasseh indicates his direct, personal accountability as king. He was the head of the nation, responsible for its spiritual state, and therefore bore significant individual responsibility for both his sin and his leadership in national apostasy.

• and his people (וְאֶל-עַמּוֹ, wə'el-'ammo): Extends the address beyond just the king to the collective body of Judah. This acknowledges the nation's corporate responsibility and their willing participation in, or at least acquiescence to, Manasseh's idolatrous practices. Sin and judgment often extend to the community.

• but (וְ, wə): A strong conjunction here that acts adversatively, introducing a sharp contrast or opposition. It powerfully shifts from divine action (God speaking) to human reaction (refusal to listen), highlighting the active nature of their rejection.

• they paid no attention (וְלֹא הִקְשִׁיבוּ, wəlo' hiqshivu): This phrase translates literally as "they did not cause their ears to hear" or "did not incline their ear." It's a significant expression of active refusal and stubbornness. This was not a passive oversight or ignorance due to God's silence, but a deliberate, conscious choice to disregard, ignore, or reject the divine message. It signifies a hardened heart and unwillingness to obey, even in the face of clear revelation.

• "The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people": This phrase emphasizes God's consistent initiative and patience. Even when humanity is deep in sin and rebellion, God remains faithful to His character and His covenant, persistently communicating His will and offering a path to righteousness. It underscores that God actively pursues humanity even when they stray far from Him.

• "but they paid no attention": This second clause directly juxtaposes God's grace with human stubbornness. It highlights the profound culpability of Manasseh and Judah. Their unresponsiveness was not a failure of hearing, but a failure of heeding—a deliberate choice to resist divine truth, which eventually necessitates divine discipline. This active resistance is portrayed as a root cause of their subsequent national distress.

2 Chronicles 33 10 Bonus section

• Polemics: This verse subtly offers a polemic against any notion that Manasseh's downfall or Judah's subsequent trials were a result of God's silence, indifference, or the people's unavoidable circumstances. Instead, it squarely places the responsibility on human will – their active decision to "pay no attention." It also implicitly condemns syncretism, suggesting that Judah chose foreign gods and practices despite receiving warnings from the true God, Yahweh.
• Theological Significance: The persistent divine voice in the face of persistent human deafness highlights the hesed (loyal love/mercy) of God, who warns before punishing. It also magnifies the subsequent grace shown to Manasseh (vv. 12-19), as his repentance becomes even more striking when contrasted with his prior, deliberate rebellion described in this verse. It emphasizes that hardening one's heart against God's Word is a grave spiritual offense, the opposite of true worship and obedience.
• Precursor to Discipline: This verse explains why the discipline came. God had spoken, and they had rejected His words. Therefore, their subsequent capture and suffering were a just consequence, intended to bring them to a point of realization and repentance.
• Role of Prophets: While unnamed, the phrase "The LORD spoke" strongly implies the consistent work of prophets, even during periods of intense persecution, reinforcing their critical role in communicating divine truth to a resistant people.

2 Chronicles 33 10 Commentary

2 Chronicles 33:10 encapsulates a core biblical theme: God's unwavering faithfulness in communicating His will versus humanity's pervasive stubbornness. Despite Manasseh's profound spiritual rebellion and the widespread apostasy in Judah, the LORD persistently spoke, sending warnings, calls to repentance, or revealing His covenant requirements. This reveals God's boundless patience and His refusal to abandon His people without making His truth clear. However, both the king and the nation deliberately chose to "pay no attention," which signifies more than mere ignorance; it implies a willful closing of the ears and a hardening of the heart against divine counsel. This conscious rejection underscored their deep sin and inevitably set the stage for the discipline of divine judgment, which providentially led to Manasseh's humbling and eventual, transformative repentance in captivity. It demonstrates that God's calls are continual, but human response dictates the path of blessing or judgment.