In brief
Manasseh is a king of Judah, son of the godly Hezekiah. Crowned at twelve, he reigns fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He rebuilds the high places, sets up altars to Baal even in the temple, makes his sons pass through fire and sheds much innocent blood. God announces judgment on Judah. Yet, taken in chains to Babylon by the Assyrians, Manasseh humbles himself deeply and prays, and God brings him back to Jerusalem. He is remembered as the worst of Judah's kings and one of the greatest pardons of the Old Testament.
What does the name Manasseh King of Judah mean?
Manasseh is a Hebrew name generally linked to a verb meaning "to cause to forget." The Bible explains it for Joseph's son, so named because God made him forget his troubles (Genesis 41:51). The king of Judah thus bears a name already known in Israel, that of a tribe, but no explanation is given for him; he must not be confused with Joseph's son.
The story of Manasseh King of Judah
A twelve-year-old king
2 Kings 21:1-2Manasseh becomes king at twelve and reigns fifty-five years in Jerusalem; his mother's name is Hephzibah. He succeeds Hezekiah, who had purified worship. But he does “that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.”
Idols even in the temple
2 Kings 21:3-9He rebuilds the high places his father had destroyed, raises altars to Baal, makes an Asherah idol and worships all the host of heaven. He builds altars in both courts of Yahweh's house, makes his son pass through the fire, practices divination and appoints those who consult spirits. Under him, Judah does more evil than the nations driven out long before.
Judgment announced by the prophets
2 Kings 21:10-16God speaks through his servants the prophets: because of Manasseh's abominations, he will bring such disaster on Jerusalem that everyone who hears of it will be stunned, and he will wipe the city clean like a dish turned upside down. The text adds that Manasseh shed much innocent blood, “until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another.”
In chains in Babylon
2 Chronicles 33:10-11Yahweh speaks to Manasseh and his people, but they pay no attention. So God brings against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seize Manasseh, put a hook in him, bind him with bronze fetters and carry him to Babylon. The king who had filled Jerusalem with idols is now a prisoner in a foreign land.
Humbling and pardon
2 Chronicles 33:12-13In distress, Manasseh begs Yahweh his God and “humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.” He prays, and God is moved, hears his plea and brings him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. The text concludes: “Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.”
The fruits of his return
2 Chronicles 33:14-20Back home, Manasseh strengthens Jerusalem and posts military commanders in the fortified cities. He removes the foreign gods and the idol from the temple, throws down the altars he had built, restores the altar of Yahweh and offers thanksgiving sacrifices on it. He commands Judah to serve Yahweh. At his death, his son Amon succeeds him.
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What Manasseh King of Judah teaches us
- No past is too heavy for God's mercy: if Manasseh was forgiven, you can return to him today.
- True repentance shows in action: Manasseh tore down the altars he had built himself.
- Do not lean on the legacy of a godly parent; you answer yourself for how you walk before God.
- God speaks before he strikes; learn to listen to his warnings before distress forces you to.
- God's pardon does not erase every consequence: the people long carried the marks of the evil sown during this reign.
Key verses
The turning point of the story: in distress, Manasseh humbles himself and prays, and God hears him and restores him. God's forgiveness goes beyond anything the king's sins gave reason to hope for.
God names Manasseh as the cause of the judgment coming on Judah: his abominations surpass those of the Amorites, and he made the people sin with his idols.
His son Amon does not humble himself as Manasseh had humbled himself: the Bible compares the two kings and stresses that the father's humbling was real.
Sermons about Manasseh King of Judah
Frequently asked questions
Why did God forgive Manasseh?
The Bible does not say Manasseh deserved this pardon, but that he asked for it: in distress, he begged Yahweh and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. God “was entreated by him, and heard his supplication” (2 Chronicles 33:13). The pardon rests on God's mercy and the sincerity of a broken heart, not on the king's worth.
What does the name Manasseh mean?
Manasseh is linked to a Hebrew verb meaning "to cause to forget." The Bible explains it for Joseph's son, who receives this name because God made him forget his troubles (Genesis 41:51). For the king of Judah, no explanation is given; he simply bears a name already known in Israel, that of one of the tribes.
Where can I find the story of Manasseh in the Bible?
His reign is told in 2 Kings 21:1-18, which stresses his sins and the judgment announced, and in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20, which adds his captivity in Babylon, his prayer, his return and his reforms. Jeremiah 15:4 also recalls his name in connection with the judgment coming on Judah.