2 Kings 21:5

_AND HE BUILT ALTARS FOR ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN IN THE TWO COURTS OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD._ The two courts of the house of the Lord - the court of the priests and the large court of the people....

1-9 Young persons generally desire to become their own masters, and to have early possession of riches and power. But this, for the most part, ruins their future comfort, and causes mischief to others. It is much happier when young persons are sheltered under the care of parents or guardians, till age gives experience and discretion. Though such young persons are less indulged, they will afterwards be thankful. Manasseh wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, as if on purpose to provoke him to anger; he did more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed. Manasseh went on from bad to worse, till carried captive to Babylon. The people were ready to comply with his wishes, to obtain his favour and because it suited their depraved inclinations. In the reformation of large bodies, numbers are mere time-servers, and in temptation fall away....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 21:1 THE REIGNS OF MANASSEH AND AMON. 2 KINGS 21:1 THE REIGN OF MANASSEH. Hezekiah's good and glorious reign was followed by one of exactly the opposite character. His son and successor, Manasseh, reversed Hezekiah's entire religious policy, and returned to the wicked practices of his grandfather Ahaz. In verses 3-9 and verse 16 his various abominations are enumerated, while in verses 10-15 God's sentence is pronounced upon them. The account of his reign terminates with a brief summary (verses 17, 18)....

AND HE BUILT ALTARS FOR ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN,.... Sun, moon, and stars: IN THE TWO COURTS OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; in the court of the priests, and in the court of the people; and all this must be supposed to be done, not as soon as he began to reign, but when he was grown up to man's estate, and had children, as the next verse shows; unless it can be thought that those nobles in Judah, who liked not the reformation made by Hezekiah, took the advantage of his youth, and advised him to these idolatries....

4. MANASSEH AND AMON CHAPTER 21 _ 1. Manasseh's reign of wickedness (2 Kings 21:1; 2 Chronicles 33:1)_ 2. The word of the LORD against it (2 Kings 21:10) 3. Manasseh's end (2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 33:18) 4. Reign and death of Amon (2 Kings 21:19; 2 Chronicles 33:20) Hezekiah had a w

REIGNS OF MANASSEH AND AMON. The fact that the reformation begun by Hezekiah was so thoroughly undone at his death, and that his son was able to reign undisturbed for fifty-five years, proves that his reforms were only superficial and could not have been popular. The thoroughly Deuteronomic tone of this chapter is very noticeable. The idolatry of Manasseh is specially condemned in Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:13; Deuteronomy 18:10 f. He is the only king of Judah who is compared to Ahab (2 Kings 21:3 and 2 Kings 21:13). Accord

TWO COURTS. See note on 1 Kings 7:12....

_the two courts of the house of the Lord_ On the two courts of the temple, spoken of respectively as -the inner" or -higher" court, or -the court of the priests, and -the great court" which must have enclosed the inner, see note on 1 Kings 6:36....

I. THE REPROBATION AND REPENTANCE OF MANASSEH 21:1-18 Considering the length of his reign, very little is known about Manasseh. After a brief and somewhat general introduction to his reign (2 Kings 21:1-9), the author of Kings inserts a summary of the prophetic preaching during these days (2 Kings 21:10-15). With the addition of a couple more important facts about Manasseh, the account of this king comes to an end (2 Kings 21:16-18). A. INTRODUCTION TO THE REIGN OF MANASSEH 21:1-9 TRANSLATION (1) Manasseh was twelve yean old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Hephzibah. (2) He did that which was evil in the

THE REIGNS OF MANASSEH AND AMON 3. The high places, etc.] Manasseh not only restored the country sanctuaries which had been destroyed by Hezekiah as seats of corruption (see 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 18:22), and renewed the Baal worship practised by the house of Ahab (see 2 Kings 11:18, and cp. 1 Kings 16:31), but also introduced star worship, a form of religion previously unknown in Judah. THE HOST OF HEAVEN] The worship of the stars, which was probably introduced from Assyria, was conducted on the flat roofs of the houses: see Jeremiah