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2 Kings 21:1

in 2 Kings 21

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hephzibah.

KJV

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzi–bah.

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This verse in 2 Kings 21

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
Manasseh was twelve years old - Manasseh, therefore, was not born at the time of Hezekiah’s dangerous illness; and it is probable that Hezekiah had at that time no son to succeed him. According to Josephus, this was the principal cause of his grief. Hephzibah - Jewish tradition makes Hephzibah, Hezekiah’s wife, the daughter of Isaiah; but this is scarcely probable. She was, however, no doubt, known to the prophet, and it may well have been in special compliment to her that Isaiah introduced her name Isa 62:4 as one that Jerusalem would bear after her restoration to God’s favor.

This site's exposition

twelve years old when he became king

on 2 Kings 21:1-3

Manasseh reigns fifty-five years over a kingdom his father Hezekiah had reformed. He reverses the reform: he "rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed," and he made an Asherah pole as Ahab had. He served "all the host of heaven," the star worship of Assyria and Babylon.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Apostolic Constitutions

CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.22 · Written before 380.

proposed

For it is written thus in the fourth book of Kings and the second book of Chronicles, or of Days: "Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the abominable practices of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

He was puffed up with his honour and proud of it; and thinking himself very wise, because he was very great, valued himself upon his undoing what his father had done. It is too common for novices to be lifted up with pride, and so to fall into the condemnation of the devil.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Hence, when he became sovereign, he introduced the worship of idols, the restoration of high places, and the erection of altars or pillars to Baal, and the placing, in the temple of God itself, a graven image of Asherah, the sacred or symbolic tree, which represented "all the host of heaven." This was not idolatry, but pure star-worship, of Chaldaic and Assyrian origin [KEIL].

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Manasseh was twelve years old - He was born about three years after his father’s miraculous cure; he was carried captive to Babylon, repented, was restored to his kingdom, put down idolatry, and died at the age of sixty-seven years. See 2 Chronicles 33:1-20.

The words behind it

15 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • בֶּן־[was] a son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • שְׁתֵּ֨יםtwo [plus]

    sheteimH8147 →768 times

  • עֶשְׂרֵ֤הten

    ʾesrehH6240 →338 times

  • שָׁנָה֙year[s]

    shanahH8141 →877 times

  • מְנַשֶּׁ֣הManasseh

    menashehH4519 →146 times

  • בְמָלְכ֔וֹwhen became king he

    vemalekhoH4427 →348 times

  • וַחֲמִשִּׁ֤יםand fifty

    vachamishimH2572 →163 times

  • וְחָמֵשׁ֙and five

    vechameshH2568 →343 times

  • שָׁנָ֔הyear[s]

    shanahH8141 →877 times

  • מָלַ֖ךְhe reigned

    malakhH4427 →348 times

  • בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םin Jerusalem

    birushalimH3389 →643 times

  • וְשֵׁ֥םand [the] name of

    veshemH8034 →864 times

  • אִמּ֖וֹmother his

    ʾimoH517 →220 times

  • חֶפְצִי־[was] Hephzi-

    cheftzi-H2657 →

  • בָֽהּ׃-bah

    vahH2657 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Isaiah 62:4No longer will you be called Forsaken, nor your land named Desolate; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be His bride.3 worksProverbs 5:19A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.2 works2 Chronicles 32:33And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.2 works1 Chronicles 3:13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,2 works2 Kings 20:21And Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and his son Manasseh reigned in his place.2 worksMatthew 1:10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Kings 22:1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Isaiah 62:4

    No longer will you be called Forsaken, nor your land named Desolate; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will…

    it leads to

    • Zephaniah 3:17

      The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”

    • Hosea 2:19–20

      So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion.

    • Isaiah 62:12

      And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

    • Isaiah 54:5–7

      For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.

    • Jeremiah 32:41

      Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

  • Through

    Proverbs 5:19

    A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

    it leads to

    • Song of Solomon 7:3

      Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.

    • Song of Solomon 2:9

      My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.

    • Song of Solomon 4:5

      Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Kings

Jews Mourning in Exile, Eduard Bendemann, 1832, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. Public domain.
Jews Mourning in Exile, Eduard Bendemann, 1832, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. Public domain.
2 Kings: the study guide →Read 2 Kings 21 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.22; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Kings 21 →