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Manasseh, son of the godly king Hezekiah, was only twelve years of age when he was crowned king of Judah and he reigned fifty-five years (from about 687-642 BC) making it the longest reign of any Jewish king. In fact, Manasseh’s reign was one year longer than his father’s entire life.[1] This was, in many ways, unfortunate because the longest reigning Jewish king was also its most evil king. Indeed, he reversed everything his godly father, Hezekiah, had done and reverted to the ways of his grandfather, King Ahaz. In fact, so wicked was he, that he even seduced God’s chosen people “to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” (1 Kings 21:9, 2 Chronicles 33:9). His sinful acts included rebuilding the high places which Hezekiah had destroyed, making a wooden image, raising up altars for Baal, and worshipping and serving all the host of heaven—and even building altars to them. He set a carved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of the LORD and “practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums.” (2 Kings 21:6) He even made his own sons to pass through the fire as his grandfather Ahaz had done. On top of all of this Manasseh shed a great deal of innocent blood. As Josephus puts it, “he barbarously slew all the righteous men who were among the Hebrews, nor would he spare the prophets, for he every day slew some of them, till Jerusalem was overflowed with blood.”[2]
“he barbarously slew all the righteous men who were among the Hebrews, nor would he spare the prophets, for he every day slew some of them, till Jerusalem was overflowed with blood.”
Flavius Josephus
For all of this God would bring ultimate judgment upon Jerusalem and her king. In 1 Kings 21 God proclaims, “Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies…” But Manasseh had absolutely no regard for the LORD and completely ignored these warnings which were spoken to him through the prophets of God. In fact, according to Jewish literature, Manasseh in utter rebellion even sawed Isaiah the prophet in half “for warning him and his people of approaching vengeance.”[3]
Nevertheless, the Word of the LORD was fulfilled, and God brought upon Manasseh and his people the Assyrians who took the Jewish king captive, bound him with chains, put hooks through his nose and dragged him off to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11). So afflicted was Manasseh, that he finally entreated the LORD and repented from all his evil ways. In mercy God answered his prayers and brought him back to Jerusalem where he would reestablish worship to the One true God and reverse all the evil he had done. Amazingly, it is said of Manasseh that “from the time of his return to piety towards God, he was deemed a happy man, and a pattern for imitation.”[4]
Ryan Hembree is a daily co-host, speaker, and writer of Bible Discovery. He also hosts a YouTube channel that shows the unity of the Bible and how science and Scripture fit together. Ryan also has an honorary Masters of Ministry in Creation Science from Phoenix University of Theology.
[1] Hezekiah, despite God extending his life by fifteen years, died at the young age of 54.
[2] Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book X Chapter III, See also 2 Kings 21:16
[3] Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book X Chapter III (Footnote at bottom)
[4] Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book X Chapter III
