2 Chronicles 33 4

2 Chronicles 33:4 kjv

Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

2 Chronicles 33:4 nkjv

He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall My name be forever."

2 Chronicles 33:4 niv

He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever."

2 Chronicles 33:4 esv

And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall my name be forever."

2 Chronicles 33:4 nlt

He built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD, the place where the LORD had said, "My name will remain in Jerusalem forever."

2 Chronicles 33 verses

2 Chronicles 33 4 Meaning

This verse details Manasseh's profound act of rebellion against God by constructing multiple idolatrous altars within the very House of the LORD. This was a direct defiance of God's explicit declaration that His Name—representing His presence, character, and authority—was to dwell exclusively and permanently in Jerusalem, specifically within His Temple. It signifies a brazen desecration of a space God had consecrated for His unique worship.

2 Chronicles 33 4 Context

Chapter 33 of 2 Chronicles introduces Manasseh, Hezekiah's son and successor, whose reign marked a severe decline into apostasy after a period of reformation under his father. He began ruling at just twelve years old and engaged in practices that far surpassed the idolatry of previous kings of Judah, and even the abominations of the surrounding nations whom the LORD had dispossessed. Verse 4 specifies his audacious sin of bringing these foreign cultic practices into the most sacred space—the Temple in Jerusalem—which God Himself had chosen and designated as the exclusive place for His Name to dwell. This act was not out of ignorance but a direct and deliberate affront to divine authority, highlighting the depths of his rebellion against the covenant with YHWH.

2 Chronicles 33 4 Word analysis

• Also he built altars:
  • וַיִּבֶן֙ (vayyiven): "And he built." This verb indicates deliberate and active construction. Manasseh's actions were not passive acceptance of cults, but a forceful, organized effort to establish idolatry.
  • מִזְבְּחֹ֗ת (mizbechot): "altars" (plural). The use of the plural implies that Manasseh set up multiple altars, potentially for various pagan deities or practices, showcasing a full embrace of polytheism rather than merely syncretism. These were not for YHWH, but for false gods.
• in the house of the LORD:
  • בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה (bevet YHVH): This phrase is critical. "The house of the LORD" refers to the holy Temple in Jerusalem, consecrated by God's own presence. Building pagan altars inside this sacred space was the ultimate act of desecration and defiance, making it the focal point of cultic impurity, directly contradicting the very purpose of the Temple. This stands as a polemic against God's holy habitation.
• whereof the LORD had said:
  • אֲשֶׁר֩ אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה (asher amar YHVH): "which YHWH had said." This highlights Manasseh's culpability. His sin was not born of ignorance but was a conscious act of rebellion against God's clearly articulated command. It underscores his deliberate choice to defy divine decree, not just societal norm.
• In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever:
  • בִּירוּשָׁלַ֨ם יִהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמִ֖י לְעוֹלָֽם (biyerushalaim yihyeh shemi l'olam):
    • "In Jerusalem": The city designated by God as the central and singular place for His exclusive worship (Deut 12:11; 1 Ki 8:13).
    • "My name" (shĕmî): In biblical context, God's "name" signifies His revealed character, presence, authority, and divine being. For His name to "be" somewhere means He manifests His unique presence and receives worship there.
    • "for ever" (lĕʻôlam): This emphasizes the permanent and exclusive nature of God's choice. God intended Jerusalem to be the singular and perpetual center of His legitimate worship. Manasseh's act directly attacked this divine intention of singularity and eternity.

Words-group analysis:

• "he built altars in the house of the LORD": This phrase captures the unprecedented sacrilege. It details not just the establishment of idolatry (which was bad enough), but its introduction into the very heart of Yahweh worship, asserting foreign gods' presence where only YHWH's name was to dwell.
• "whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever": This full clause reveals the specific divine command Manasseh violated. It establishes the theological framework of God's chosen dwelling place and His name's exclusive presence, intensifying the gravity of Manasseh's deliberate defiance. It is a stark contrast between divine covenantal faithfulness and human treacherous apostasy.

2 Chronicles 33 4 Bonus section

• Manasseh's actions were the reverse of what a king, as a guardian of the covenant, was called to do. He should have upheld God's purity but actively brought in impurity.
• This defilement of the Temple, God's designated holy space, stands as a prime example of why Judah eventually faced divine discipline, including exile. The unholy mixture of true worship with pagan practices was intolerable to God's holiness.
• The persistence of God's name dwelling "for ever" points to the unchangeable nature of God's purpose, even amidst human sin. Though the physical Temple was defiled and later destroyed, the concept of God's dwelling place eventually found its ultimate fulfillment in Christ and the New Covenant community, the church, where God's Spirit dwells.

2 Chronicles 33 4 Commentary

2 Chronicles 33:4 starkly illustrates the depth of Manasseh's spiritual depravity and willful rebellion. By constructing altars for pagan deities directly within the sacred confines of the Temple, he committed the ultimate act of religious blasphemy. This was not a casual syncretism, but a profound theological assault, a direct challenge to the exclusivity and supremacy of YHWH in His own dwelling place. The text explicitly reminds the reader that God had unequivocally declared Jerusalem, specifically His Temple, as the permanent dwelling for His Name. Manasseh's action thus reveals his utter disregard for divine revelation and covenantal obligations, setting Judah on a course of divine judgment that eventually led to exile. His actions were a full repudiation of the spiritual legacy of his father, Hezekiah, and ultimately provoked God to severe judgment upon Judah.