2 Chronicles 33 3

2 Chronicles 33:3 kjv

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 served them.

2 Chronicles 33:3 nkjv

For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

2 Chronicles 33:3 niv

He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.

2 Chronicles 33:3 esv

For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

2 Chronicles 33:3 nlt

He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had broken down. He constructed altars for the images of Baal and set up Asherah poles. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them.

2 Chronicles 33 verses

2 Chronicles 33 3 Meaning

King Manasseh, deliberately turning away from the worship of Yahweh, meticulously reinstated and expanded the very idolatrous practices his righteous father, Hezekiah, had painstakingly abolished. He reconstructed the unauthorized elevated cult sites (high places) dedicated to pagan rituals or improper worship. Moreover, he actively constructed altars for the worship of various Canaanite fertility gods (Baals) and set up sacred poles (Asherim) for the goddess Asherah. Demonstrating the depth of his apostasy, he also engaged in the worship and service of all celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, integrating foreign astral cults into Judah. This verse describes a profound reversal of national spiritual commitment and a comprehensive plunge into polytheism and syncretism.

2 Chronicles 33 3 Context

This verse is an integral part of the narrative detailing King Manasseh's remarkably wicked reign, introduced at the beginning of 2 Chronicles chapter 33. It starkly contrasts his actions with those of his immediate predecessor and father, the righteous King Hezekiah. While Hezekiah zealously removed idolatry and sought to restore exclusive Yahweh worship, Manasseh actively reversed these reforms, plunging Judah back into deep apostasy. The Chronicler emphasizes Manasseh's deliberate and extensive rebellion against the Mosaic covenant, setting the stage for the profound judgments that would eventually befall Judah due to its persistent unfaithfulness, of which Manasseh's reign was a nadir.

2 Chronicles 33 3 Word analysis

• For he rebuilt (וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּבְן – vayashev vayiven): This phrase literally translates as "and he returned and he built." The verb vayashev (to return) is significant; it indicates a deliberate and persistent turning back to previously abandoned wicked ways, implying Manasseh's actions were not accidental or passive, but a conscious choice to revert and reinforce prior transgressions against God. This emphasizes his active defiance rather than mere negligence.

• the high places (הַבָּמוֹת – ha-bamot): These were elevated sites, often on hilltops, used for various religious purposes. While some were initially for legitimate, albeit unauthorized, Yahweh worship outside the Jerusalem Temple, they primarily became hubs for syncretistic or outright pagan practices, including idolatry. Their restoration indicated a fragmentation of exclusive Yahweh worship and a return to religious pluralism that God explicitly forbade.

• which his father Hezekiah had broken down (אֲשֶׁר נִתַּץ חִזְקִיָּהוּ אָבִיו – asher nittatz Chizqiyahu aviv): The verb nittatz (נָתַץ) means to tear down, break down, or demolish. This highlights Manasseh's direct and contemptuous reversal of Hezekiah's diligent reforms, symbolizing a defiant rejection of his father's godly legacy and, more importantly, a rebellion against God's commanded singularity of worship. It underscores the profound theological rift.

• he also erected altars (וַיָּקֶם מִזְבְּחוֹת – vayachem mizb'khot): This signifies an active establishment and legitimization of foreign worship systems. Building altars indicates a full-scale religious endeavor dedicated to rival deities.

• for the Baals (לַבְּעָלִים – la-Be'alim): Ba'alim is the plural of Baal, a dominant Canaanite storm and fertility god. Worship often involved ensuring agricultural bounty, but was deeply abhorrent to Yahweh, typically involving ecstatic rituals and frequently associated with cultic prostitution or even child sacrifice (though not explicitly stated in this verse). Introducing "the Baals" rather than a singular Baal implies a widespread adoption of various Baal manifestations across different local cults.

• and made Asherim (וַיַּעַשׂ אֲשֵׁרִים – vaya'as Asherim): Asherim refers to sacred poles or trees associated with Asherah, a principal Canaanite mother goddess, often consort of El or Baal, and revered as a deity of fertility. Their construction indicates the reintroduction of cultic objects linked to the procreative and fertility cults, which frequently involved sexually explicit rituals.

• and he worshiped (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ – vayishtakhu): This verb means to bow down, prostrate oneself, or worship, signifying deep reverence and adoration. It denotes not just passive acceptance, but active, devout veneration.

• all the host of heaven (לְכֹל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם – l'khol tzeva ha-shamayim): This phrase refers to the celestial bodies—sun, moon, stars, and planets. Worship of these (astrolatry) was common in Mesopotamian religions, attributing divine powers and influence over human destiny to creation itself, rather than the Creator. This represented a form of paganism distinctly separate from Canaanite traditions, illustrating Manasseh's wide-ranging embrace of foreign spiritual abominations.

• and served them (וַיַּעֲבֹד אוֹתָם – vaya'avod otam): The verb avad (עָבַד) means to serve, labor, or worship. Paired with "worshipped," it reinforces the complete devotion and commitment Manasseh offered to these false deities, involving not only rituals of adoration but also obedience and adherence to their perceived demands.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "rebuilt the high places... broken down": This phrase highlights a conscious act of undoing and defiance, specifically targeting the spiritual reforms initiated by a righteous predecessor, demonstrating a direct reversal of godly leadership and commitment to God's covenant.
  • "erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim": These actions represent a deliberate and official re-establishment of prominent Canaanite fertility cults, directly opposing Yahweh's claim to exclusive worship and plunging the nation into polytheism and its associated abominations.
  • "worshipped all the host of heaven and served them": This shows Manasseh's adoption of not only local Canaanite practices but also foreign astronomical religions. The combined "worshiped and served" denotes complete spiritual allegiance and practical engagement with these forbidden cults, signifying an utter abandonment of Yahweh.

2 Chronicles 33 3 Bonus section

• Manasseh's extended reign of 55 years, described in 2 Chronicles 33:1, ensured that the pagan practices he introduced, as detailed in verse 3, became deeply rooted within Judah's society, making them incredibly difficult to remove even after his eventual repentance or by later reforming kings like Josiah.
• The Chronicler's specific mention of "his father Hezekiah had broken down" accentuates Manasseh's extreme culpability. It underscores that his actions were a conscious and direct rejection of the legacy of a righteous king who championed fidelity to God, highlighting a pattern of intergenerational spiritual conflict within the Davidic dynasty.
• While this verse does not explicitly mention the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice to Molech, which 2 Kings 21:6 attributes to Manasseh (causing his sons to pass through the fire), his comprehensive re-establishment of Baals, Asherim, and host of heaven worship indicates an embrace of a religious landscape that certainly included such practices. The Chronicler might be highlighting the foundational elements of idolatry from which other abominations stemmed.

2 Chronicles 33 3 Commentary

2 Chronicles 33:3 offers a stark portrayal of King Manasseh's extreme apostasy. In direct defiance of his godly father Hezekiah's thorough cleansing, Manasseh methodically reversed the national spiritual direction. By rebuilding high places, he challenged the exclusivity of Jerusalem Temple worship, symbolizing a decentralized and ultimately defiled religious landscape. The construction of altars for Baals and the setting up of Asherim directly reintroduced and actively promoted the pervasive, abominable Canaanite fertility cults. Furthermore, his worship of the "host of heaven" illustrates an embrace of astral deities, a practice forbidden in the Law, demonstrating a syncretistic approach to idolatry that drew from diverse pagan sources. This verse paints a picture of a king who led his nation into a comprehensive and deeply entrenched rebellion against Yahweh, effectively sowing the seeds of Judah's future divine judgment. Manasseh's actions were not merely tolerating idolatry but actively propagating it, ensuring it permeated the entire society and setting a profoundly negative example for the generations that followed.