2 Chronicles 33 2

2 Chronicles 33:2 kjv

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.

2 Chronicles 33:2 nkjv

But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:2 niv

He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:2 esv

And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:2 nlt

He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33 verses

2 Chronicles 33 2 Meaning

This verse declares King Manasseh's grave disobedience and rebellion against God, characterizing his actions as morally reprehensible from a divine perspective. He actively embraced and perpetuated the idolatrous and abominable customs of the nations whom the LORD had justly expelled from the land for those very same practices, thereby rejecting Israel's covenant with Yahweh and inviting similar judgment.

2 Chronicles 33 2 Context

Chapter 33 of 2 Chronicles opens with the reign of Manasseh, the son of the righteous King Hezekiah. This verse immediately establishes a stark contrast between Manasseh's leadership and that of his father. Manasseh ascended to the throne at a young age, ruling for 55 years—the longest reign of any king in Judah. Historically, his era marks a profound spiritual decline for Judah. The preceding chapters emphasized Hezekiah's reforms, removing idolatry and re-establishing true worship. Manasseh systematically reversed these reforms, restoring and innovating in pagan worship.

The phrase "detestable practices of the nations" refers specifically to the Canaanite peoples (Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, etc.) whom the LORD commanded Israel to utterly dispossess and whose customs they were strictly forbidden from adopting. These practices included polytheism, various forms of divination, magic, child sacrifice (burning children in fire to Molech), temple prostitution, and other severe moral and cultic defilements. The chronicler emphasizes that Israel was given the land precisely because of the iniquity and abominations of these nations, highlighting the extreme spiritual blindness and covenant treachery in Manasseh's choice to emulate them. This also functions as a polemic against the idea that Judah's God was just one of many deities or that His worship could be syncretized with pagan cults, demonstrating His absolute opposition to such practices and the severe consequences for His covenant people.

2 Chronicles 33 2 Word analysis

• He did: Signifies Manasseh's active, deliberate, and intentional actions. This was not a passive failing but a conscious choice of rebellion against God's ways. His prolonged reign underscores the extensive impact of his personal choices.
• what was evil (וַיַּעַשׂ הָרָע - vayi'as hara'): Hebrew `hara'` means "the evil," emphasizing its inherent and specific wickedness. It signifies moral transgression, spiritual wickedness, and deviation from divine righteousness. In God's eyes, this wasn't merely 'bad luck' or a minor error, but a profound offense against His character and covenant.
• in the eyes of the LORD (בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה - b'e'nei YHVH): This anthropomorphism denotes divine judgment. God is the ultimate judge; His perspective defines right and wrong. It underscores His sovereignty and omnipresence, implying that nothing escapes His sight or scrutiny.
• following (כְּתוֹעֲבֹת - k'to'avot - often rendered 'according to the abominations of'): Implies an imitation or adoption of foreign customs. Manasseh deliberately patterned his worship and kingdom practices after those explicitly forbidden by God, showing a full embrace of their system, not just an incidental slip.
• the detestable practices (תּוֹעֲבֹת - to'evot): A strong Hebrew term, `to'evot` (abominations or detestable things), used for acts that are abhorrent to God and violate His nature, particularly related to idolatry, child sacrifice, sexual perversion, and divination. These acts render one ritually and morally unclean, polluting the land.
• of the nations (הַגּוֹיִם - hagoyim): Refers to the Gentile, pagan peoples, specifically the Canaanite tribes who inhabited the land before Israel. This highlights the antithesis between the chosen people of God and those who lived without His covenant or law.
• the LORD had driven out (וְהוֹרִישׁ יְהוָה - v'horish YHVH): Emphasizes God's sovereign action in expelling the Canaanites due to their depravity. This underscores His justice and holiness. The irony is that Manasseh willingly adopted the very practices that invited divine judgment on others.
• before the Israelites (מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - mip'nei b'nei Yisra'el): Highlights that Israel witnessed God's judgment firsthand. They were given the land as a sacred trust, with the explicit command to not adopt the ways of the dispossessed. Manasseh's actions were a direct repudiation of this foundational historical lesson and covenant responsibility.

• "He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD": This recurring biblical phrase highlights Manasseh's active defiance of Yahweh's will, echoing a pattern of wicked kings and individuals in Israelite history (e.g., in Judges, Kings). It signifies a complete rejection of covenant stipulations and divine morality, placing the king under God's righteous judgment.
• "following the detestable practices of the nations": This group of words emphasizes Manasseh's conscious assimilation of foreign paganism, which directly violated the foundational command for Israel to remain separate and holy unto God (Lev 18:3; Deut 12:29-31). These 'detestable practices' included abhorrent cultic activities like child sacrifice, astral worship, and various forms of occultism, directly challenging the uniqueness and supremacy of Yahweh.
• "the LORD had driven out before the Israelites": This phrase serves as a powerful reminder of God's prior judgment. It implicitly warns that the same fate awaits Israel if they embrace the very wickedness that led to the disinheritance of the former inhabitants. This underscores God's consistent standard of justice and holiness, regardless of whether it's a pagan nation or His own covenant people.

2 Chronicles 33 2 Bonus section

The Chronicler's emphasis on Manasseh's radical apostasy is heightened by the contrast with his father Hezekiah's spiritual reforms. While 2 Kings emphasizes Manasseh's sin as a primary cause for Judah's eventual exile, 2 Chronicles also notably includes Manasseh's later repentance (2 Chron 33:10-13), a detail not found in 2 Kings. This demonstrates the Chronicler's theological emphasis on divine mercy and the possibility of national restoration through repentance, even for the most grievous sins. Manasseh's long reign allowed ample time for deep-seated corruption to take hold, impacting multiple generations and making a lasting mark on Judah's spiritual landscape that even subsequent reforms by Josiah could not fully eradicate. His actions cemented the path toward the Babylonian exile, reinforcing the biblical principle of sowing and reaping on a national scale.

2 Chronicles 33 2 Commentary

Manasseh's reign opened with a catastrophic moral collapse. Coming after his devout father Hezekiah, Manasseh’s active embrace of "evil in the eyes of the LORD" signifies a profound betrayal of Judah's covenantal identity. His sin was not merely personal but a societal infection, as he vigorously restored and promoted the very "detestable practices" for which God had driven out the Canaanite nations. This refers to abhorrent idolatry, including child sacrifice to Molech, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, and involvement in witchcraft and divination—activities strictly forbidden under Mosaic Law. The phrase "in the eyes of the LORD" underscores that his actions were a direct offense against God's holy character and specific commandments. The historical memory of "nations the LORD had driven out" serves as a solemn warning that Judah, by adopting the same abominations, was setting itself up for identical divine judgment, despite its privileged covenant relationship. This highlights a universal principle: persistent, flagrant sin, particularly the rejection of God for paganism, leads to divine wrath.