2 Chronicles 33 9

2 Chronicles 33:9 kjv

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:9 nkjv

So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:9 niv

But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:9 esv

Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:9 nlt

But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.

2 Chronicles 33 verses

2 Chronicles 33 9 Meaning

2 Chronicles 33:9 reveals the extreme spiritual corruption initiated and actively promoted by King Manasseh. It states that Manasseh did not merely permit wickedness but actively "seduced" the people of Judah and Jerusalem. This seduction led them into a depth of evil that surpassed even the depravity of the pagan nations whom the LORD had previously judged and dispossessed from the land of Israel due to their abominable practices. The verse highlights Manasseh's pivotal and disastrous role in Judah's spiritual decline.

2 Chronicles 33 9 Context

This verse is situated in the book of 2 Chronicles, which recounts the history of the kings of Judah from a theological perspective, emphasizing their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God's covenant and its consequences. Chapter 33 introduces King Manasseh, the son of the righteous King Hezekiah. Manasseh reigned for an extraordinarily long 55 years, making him Judah's longest-reigning king. However, his reign was marked by profound and systemic idolatry and evil. Coming immediately after his father's significant reforms that cleared out idolatry and re-established true worship, Manasseh's actions represented a complete reversal and a deeper plunge into spiritual rebellion. The verse establishes the foundational characteristic of his early reign, detailing how he actively propagated evil among the population, rather than merely allowing it. This deliberate enticement into deeper wickedness sets the stage for God's eventual severe judgment on Judah, even though Manasseh himself later repented (2 Chr 33:12-19).

2 Chronicles 33 9 Word analysis

• So Manasseh: King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, ascended the throne at 12 years old. His name means "causing to forget" or "one who makes to forget," ironic given his enduring negative impact.
• seduced: (Hebrew: הִתְעָה, hit'ah - Hiphil imperfect of תָּעָה, ta'ah) This is a causative verb, meaning "he caused to go astray," "he led astray," or "he deceived." It implies an active, deliberate, and influential effort to mislead the people from the path of God's law. This was not passive negligence but aggressive promotion of sin.
• Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Refers to the entire kingdom of Judah, with specific emphasis on the capital city. Manasseh's influence was widespread, corrupting both the populace in general and the very heart of the religious and political life in Jerusalem.
• to do more evil: (Hebrew: הָרַע, ha-ra') This signifies extreme wickedness, moral depravity, and actions that violate God's law. The comparative "more" indicates that their level of sin exceeded a specific standard.
• than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed: Refers primarily to the Canaanite tribes (Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, etc.) whom God commanded Israel to drive out of the land. Their practices included child sacrifice, idolatry, sexual perversions, and various abominations (Lev 18, Deut 18).
• destroyed: (Hebrew: הִשְׁמִיד, hishmid - Hiphil perfect of שָׁמַד, shamadh) "utterly destroyed," "exterminated," "annihilated." This refers to God's severe judgment upon those nations due to their incorrigible wickedness. It underscores the severity of the standard being surpassed by Judah.
• before the sons of Israel: This refers to God's act of dispossessing the wicked inhabitants from the Promised Land, prior to and during the Israelites' conquest and settlement. It recalls the historical covenant faithfulness of God and the basis for Israel's presence in the land (namely, to avoid such wickedness).

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem": This phrase pinpoints responsibility. Manasseh was the active agent. He exerted a powerful, corrupting influence on the entire nation. His position as king made his actions particularly potent, moving the entire population away from God.
• "to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed": This comparative phrase is crucial. It sets a very low bar, comparing Judah not just to other kingdoms but specifically to those pagan nations whose spiritual and moral depravity was so great that it prompted divine judgment and their removal from the land. The fact that Judah, having known God and possessed His law, descended to a worse state highlights their profound apostasy and ingratitude.
• "before the sons of Israel": This reminds the audience of Israel's original mandate and warning. God had previously acted decisively against profound wickedness to preserve His people and demonstrate His holiness. For Judah to fall into worse practices indicated a betrayal of their unique covenant status and a severe rejection of God's ways, placing them squarely in the path of similar judgment.

2 Chronicles 33 9 Bonus section

The Chronicler's specific mention of "seducing" is important because it shifts the blame from the general populace (who often merely followed their leaders) to Manasseh himself, highlighting his culpable and active role in Judah's spiritual corruption. While 2 Kings 21:9 gives a similar account, the use of "seduced" (Hebrew hit'ah) in Chronicles underscores the depth of Manasseh's personal responsibility for orchestrating and enforcing a wholesale abandonment of God. This narrative choice prepares the reader for the later divine judgment on Judah, demonstrating that Manasseh's profound wickedness contributed significantly to their ultimate downfall. This also subtly points to the principle that divine judgment can accumulate even if a wicked leader repents, due to the lingering effects and consequences of the collective sin they propagated within a society.

2 Chronicles 33 9 Commentary

2 Chronicles 33:9 serves as a grave indictment against King Manasseh and, by extension, against the nation he led astray. The emphasis lies on the active role of the king: he seduced his people, a word implying deliberate enticement and deception, leading them into direct rebellion against God. The true horror of Manasseh's reign is not just that evil was present, but that the wickedness propagated under his leadership surpassed the abominations of the Canaanite nations, whom God had earlier judged with utter destruction due to their pervasive depravity. This comparison is stark and profound, signifying an unprecedented level of apostasy for a people in covenant with the Living God. They, who had divine revelation and experienced God's redemptive power, deliberately chose a path even more wicked than those who largely worshipped in ignorance. This sets a dangerous precedent and explains the chronicler's theological rationale for the eventual judgment that befell Judah, even in light of Manasseh's later repentance. It illustrates the grave responsibility of leaders to guide justly and righteously, and the severe consequences when they actively lead their people into profound spiritual darkness.