Bible Commentaries
2 Kings 21

Verses 1-26

2 Kings 21:1-18 The Reign of Manasseh Over Judah (697-642 B.C.) 2 Kings 21:1-18 records the account of the reign of Manasseh over Judah. He was considered to be the most wicked king that ever reigned over Judah.

2 Kings 21:7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

2 Kings 21:7 “he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house” - Comments - The ASV says, “And he set the graven image of Asherah .” Asherah was the Canaanite goddess of fertility, being a deity of Assyrian origin ( ISBE). [71] Its symbol was in the form of the tree-trunk or cone of stone, hence the KJV uses the word “the grove” in the place of the name “Asherah,” because it follows the LXX and Vulgate translations. The trunk of the tree was often provided with branches, and assumed the form of the tree of life. Manasseh set up an image of this deity in the temple. This image remained in the temple for perhaps sixth years and was not removed until the period of Josiah's reforms (2 Kings 23:6).

[71] A. H. Sayce, “Asherah,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., c1915, 1939), in The Sword Project, v. 1.5.11 [CD-ROM] (Temple, AZ: CrossWire Bible Society, 1990-2008).

2 Kings 23:6, “And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.”

2 Kings 21:18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 21:19-26 The Reign of Amon Over Judah (642-640 B.C.) 2 Kings 21:19-26 records the account of the reign of Amon over Judah.