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2 Kings 21

Judah’s kings lead the people into idolatry and bloodshed, and YHWH declares judgment on the city bearing his name.

Manasseh becomes king of Judah at twelve and reverses his father Hezekiah’s reforms. He fills the temple with rival altars, practices sorcery, and sheds innocent blood throughout Jerusalem. Through unnamed prophets, YHWH announces that Jerusalem will face judgment like Samaria and Ahab’s house, tracing Judah’s rebellion back to the exodus. After Manasseh’s death, his son Amon continues his idolatry. Amon’s servants kill him, and the people execute the conspirators and place his son Josiah on the throne.

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1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.
2He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
3For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.
4He built altars in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.”
5He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the LORD’s house.
6He made his son to pass through the fire, practiced sorcery, used enchantments, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
7He set the engraved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;
8I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.”
9But they didn’t listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than the nations did whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.
10The LORD spoke by his servants the prophets, saying,
11“Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has also made Judah to sin with his idols;
12therefore the LORD the God of Israel says, ‘Behold, I will bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.
13I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plumb line of Ahab’s house; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
14I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. They will become a prey and a plunder to all their enemies,
15because they have done that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’”
16Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; in addition to his sin with which he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.
17Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
18Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his place.
19Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
20He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as Manasseh his father did.
22and he abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and didn’t walk in the way of the LORD.
23The servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.
24But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.
25Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
26He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his place.
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Key verses
2 Kings 21:6Manasseh’s treatment of his son and pursuit of occult practices expose the horror of his rebellion against YHWH.
2 Kings 21:16The charge of widespread innocent bloodshed shows that Manasseh’s reign brought violence alongside the corruption of Judah’s worship.
2 Kings 21:3By rebuilding what Hezekiah destroyed and following Ahab’s example, Manasseh reverses reform and renews practices YHWH condemns.
Where this chapter reaches

2 Chronicles recounts the same kings and their idolatry, while Deuteronomy contains prohibitions against the worship of heavenly bodies and the occult practices described here. Jeremiah shares the announcement of judgment on Jerusalem and names Manasseh’s deeds as a cause of Judah’s coming devastation.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What stands out about the contrast between God’s promise concerning Jerusalem and Manasseh’s use of the temple?

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How does the account of innocent bloodshed shape your reading of the judgment announced against Jerusalem?

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Questions people ask about 2 Kings 21

What does wiping Jerusalem like a dish mean in 2 Kings 21?

The image describes Jerusalem being emptied and overturned under God’s judgment. The surrounding verses explain its force: God will hand the people over to enemies who will plunder them. The measuring line of Samaria and plumb line of Ahab’s house connect Jerusalem’s coming judgment with judgments already carried out.

Did King Manasseh repent?

2 Kings 21 does not report Manasseh’s repentance; its account stresses his idolatry, bloodshed, and influence on Judah. 2 Chronicles records his humiliation in captivity, prayer to God, return to Jerusalem, and removal of idols. The two accounts cover the same king, with different details and emphases.

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2 Kings · 25 chapters
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What the Bible says about anger →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).