And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen. And the LORD spokeThis phrase emphasizes the direct communication from God to His people. The Hebrew root for "spoke" is דָּבַר (dabar), which implies not just speaking but conveying a message with authority and purpose. Throughout the Old Testament, God's speaking is a significant event, often through prophets or direct revelation. This highlights God's desire for relationship and guidance, showing His patience and willingness to reach out to His people despite their rebellion. to Manasseh
Manasseh was one of the most notorious kings of Judah, known for his idolatry and leading the nation into sin. His name in Hebrew, מְנַשֶּׁה (Menasheh), means "causing to forget," which is tragically fitting as he led the people to forget the ways of the LORD. Historically, Manasseh's reign is marked by a significant departure from the worship of Yahweh, embracing pagan practices. This context underscores the gravity of God's message to him, as it was a call to repentance and return to covenant faithfulness. and his people
This phrase indicates that the message was not only for Manasseh but also for the people of Judah. The collective responsibility and communal nature of Israel's covenant relationship with God are evident here. The people, under Manasseh's leadership, had strayed from God's commandments, and this call was an opportunity for national repentance. It reflects the biblical principle that leaders and their followers are often addressed together, as the actions of one can influence the many. but they did not listen
The Hebrew root for "listen" is שָׁמַע (shama), which means to hear intelligently, often with the implication of obedience. The tragic refusal to listen is a recurring theme in the history of Israel, highlighting human stubbornness and the consequences of ignoring divine warnings. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of heeding God's voice. In a broader scriptural context, it echoes the call to be not just hearers of the word, but doers (James 1:22). The failure to listen led to judgment, yet it also sets the stage for God's mercy and redemption, as seen later in Manasseh's life when he eventually repents. Persons / Places / Events 1. ManassehKing of Judah, known for his idolatry and leading the nation into sin. His reign is marked by a significant departure from the worship of Yahweh. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who communicates His will and warnings to His people through prophets and direct revelation. 3. The People of JudahThe inhabitants of the southern kingdom of Judah, who followed Manasseh in his idolatrous practices. 4. Prophetic WarningsAlthough not explicitly mentioned in this verse, the context implies that God sent prophets to warn Manasseh and the people, as was customary in the Old Testament. 5. JerusalemThe capital city of Judah, where the temple of the LORD was located, and where much of Manasseh's idolatry took place. Teaching Points The Danger of Ignoring God's VoiceIgnoring God's warnings leads to spiritual and often physical consequences. Manasseh's refusal to listen resulted in severe judgment for Judah. The Role of Leadership in Spiritual HealthLeaders have a profound impact on the spiritual direction of their people. Manasseh's idolatry led Judah astray, highlighting the responsibility of leaders to guide others toward God. God's Persistent Call to RepentanceDespite persistent rebellion, God continues to call His people to repentance. His patience is evident, but it should not be taken for granted. The Importance of Heeding Prophetic WarningsThroughout Scripture, God uses prophets to communicate His will. Listening to and obeying these messages is crucial for spiritual well-being. The Consequences of Collective DisobedienceThe people of Judah followed their king into sin, demonstrating how collective disobedience can lead to national consequences. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern-day "idols" that can lead us away from listening to God's voice, similar to how Manasseh led Judah into idolatry? 2. How can we ensure that we are listening to God's voice in our daily lives, especially when it comes to making important decisions? 3. In what ways can leaders today influence the spiritual direction of their communities, and how can they avoid the pitfalls of Manasseh's leadership? 4. Reflect on a time when you ignored a warning or advice. What were the consequences, and how can this experience help you heed God's warnings in the future? 5. How can we encourage others in our community to listen to and obey God's voice, especially when facing cultural pressures that lead away from biblical teachings? Connections to Other Scriptures 2 Kings 21Provides a parallel account of Manasseh's reign, detailing his idolatry and the consequences for Judah. Isaiah 1Offers insight into the spiritual condition of Judah during times of rebellion, emphasizing the people's refusal to listen to God's warnings. Jeremiah 7Highlights the theme of God's people not listening to His voice, leading to judgment. Hebrews 3Warns believers against hardening their hearts and encourages them to listen to God's voice today. People Amon, Ben, David, Hezekiah, Israelites, Josiah, Manasseh, SolomonPlaces Assyria, Babylon, Fish Gate, Gihon, Jerusalem, Ophel, Valley of HinnomTopics Attended, Attention, Hearken, Heed, Manasseh, Manas'seh, Paid, Spake, Speaketh, SpokeDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Chronicles 33:1-25 5366 king 2 Chronicles 33:2-10 7245 Judah, kingdom of 2 Chronicles 33:10-11 4215 Babylon
5885 indifference Library Manasseh's Sin and Repentance
'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. 10. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. 11. Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureManasseh
BY REV. J. G. GREENHOUGH, M.A. "Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem."--2 CHRON. xxxiii. l. Fifty and five years--he wore the crown a longer time than any other of the house of David. Of all the kings that reigned in Jerusalem, this man's reign filled the largest space; yet he is the one king of Judah about whom we are told least. In the modern city of Venice there is a hall which is adorned with the portraits of all the doges …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known How Shall one Make Use of Christ as the Life, when Wrestling with an Angry God Because of Sin?
That we may give some satisfaction to this question, we shall, 1. Shew what are the ingredients in this case, or what useth to concur in this distemper. 2. Shew some reasons why the Lord is pleased to dispense thus with his people. 3. Shew how Christ is life to the soul in this case. 4. Shew the believer's duty for a recovery; and, 5. Add a word or two of caution. As to the first, There may be those parts of, or ingredients in this distemper: 1. God presenting their sins unto their view, so as …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
DO not mistake me, I do not say that of their own nature the worst things are good, for they are a fruit of the curse; but though they are naturally evil, yet the wise overruling hand of God disposing and sanctifying them, they are morally good. As the elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God has so tempered them, that they all work in a harmonious manner for the good of the universe. Or as in a watch, the wheels seem to move contrary one to another, but all carry on the motions of the watch: …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial The Girdle of the City. Nehemiah 3
The beginning of the circumference was from 'the sheep-gate.' That, we suppose, was seated on the south part, yet but little removed from that corner, which looks south-east. Within was the pool of Bethesda, famous for healings. Going forward, on the south part, was the tower Meah: and beyond that, "the tower of Hananeel": in the Chaldee paraphrast it is, 'The tower Piccus,' Zechariah 14:10; Piccus, Jeremiah 31:38.--I should suspect that to be, the Hippic tower, were not that placed on the north …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
The Medes and Cimmerians: Lydia--The conquest of Egypt, of Arabia, and of Elam. As we have already seen, Sennacherib reigned for eight years after his triumph; eight years of tranquillity at home, and of peace with all his neighbours abroad. If we examine the contemporary monuments or the documents of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close of his career, we find that there is a complete absence of any record of national movement on the part of either Elam, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8 Beginning at Jerusalem
The whole verse runs thus: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The words were spoken by Christ, after he rose from the dead, and they are here rehearsed after an historical manner, but do contain in them a formal commission, with a special clause therein. The commission is, as you see, for the preaching of the gospel, and is very distinctly inserted in the holy record by Matthew and Mark. "Go teach all nations," …
John Bunyan—Jerusalem Sinner Saved The Jerusalem Sinner Saved;
OR, GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MEN; BEING A HELP FOR DESPAIRING SOULS, SHOWING THAT JESUS CHRIST WOULD HAVE MERCY IN THE FIRST PLACE OFFERED TO THE BIGGEST SINNERS. THE THIRD EDITION, IN WHICH IS ADDED, AN ANSWER TO THOSE GRAND OBJECTIONS THAT LIE IN THE WAY OF THE THEM THAT WOULD BELIEVE: FOR THE COMFORT OF THEM THAT FEAR THEY HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. BY JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. London: Printed for Elizabeth Smith, at the Hand and Bible, on London Bridge, 1691. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Chronicles 33:10 NIV2 Chronicles 33:10 NLT2 Chronicles 33:10 ESV2 Chronicles 33:10 NASB2 Chronicles 33:10 KJV
2 Chronicles 33:10 Commentaries
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