Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Vol. I wherein the sacred text is inserted, and various readings annex'd, together with parallel scriptures, the more difficult terms in each verse are explained, seeming contradictions reconciled, questions and doubts resolved, and the whole text opened / by the late reverend and learned divine Mr. Matthew Poole.

CHAP. XXI.

MAnasseh * 1.1 was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem a 1.2: and his mothers name was Hephzi-bah.

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD b 1.3, after the abominations of the hea∣then, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

3 For he built up again the high places * 1.4 which Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he reared •…•…p altars for Baal, and made a grove, as * 1.5 did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of hea∣ven c 1.6, and served them.

4 And * 1.7 he built altars in the house of the LORD d 1.8, of which the LORD said, * 1.9 In Jeru∣salem will I put my Name e 1.10.

5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two courts f 1.11 of the house of the LORD.

6 And * 1.12 he made his son pass through the fire g 1.13, and observed times h 1.14, and used inchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits, and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to pro∣voke him to anger.

7 And he set a graven image of the grove i 1.15 that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, * 1.16 In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for ever.

8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land k 1.17 which I gave their fa∣thers; onely if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.

9 But they hearkened not: and Manasseh se∣duced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel l 1.18.

10 ¶ And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,

11 * 1.19 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites m 1.20 did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols n 1.21.

12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Is∣rael, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusa∣lem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both * 1.22 his ears shall tingle o 1.23.

13 And I * 1.24 will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria p 1.25, ‡ 1.26 and the plummet of the house of A∣hab, and I will wipe Jerusalem, as a man wipeth a dish, ‡ 1.27 wiping it, and turning it upside down q 1.28.

14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine in∣heritance r 1.29, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey, and a spoil to all their enemies;

15 Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, e∣ven unto this day s 1.30.

16 Moreover, Manasseh shed innocent blood t 1.31 very much, till he had filled Jerusalem ‡ 1.32 from one end to another, beside his sin u 1.33 wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

17 •…•… Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

18 And * 1.34 Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house x 1.35, in the garden of Uzza y 1.36: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

19 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Je∣rusalem: and his mothers name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

20 And he did th•…•… which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.

21 And he walked in the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father ser∣ved, and worshipped them:

22 And he forsook the LORD God of his fa∣thers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.

23 ¶ And the servants of Amon conspired a∣gainst him, and slew the king in his own house.

24 And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chro∣nicles of the kings of Judah?

26 And he was buried in the sepulchre, in the garden of Uzza: and * 1.37 Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

Notes

• * 1.1

  •…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 33. 1.
• a 1.2

  In which time the Years of his Imprisonment are com∣prehended, 2 Chron. 33. 11.
• b 1.3

  Partly, by the instigation of the wicked Princes of Iu∣dah, who in Hezekiah's time were secret Enemies to his Re∣formation, and now when their Fetters were knock't off by Hezekiah's death, break forth into open Hostility against it, and corrupt the Kings tender years with their wicked coun∣sel; and principally, by his own vicious inclination.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 18. 4.
• * 1.5

  1 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 16. 33▪
• c 1.6

  The Stars, which the Gentiles had transformed into gods. See on Deut. 4. 19.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 32. 34.
• d 1.8

  i. e. In the Temple its self, in the Holy-place; because this is distinguished from the courts of the house, ver. 5.
• * 1.9

  2 Sam. 7. 13. 1 〈◊〉〈◊〉 8. 29. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 9. 3.
• e 1.10

  That place I have peculiarly Consecrated to my Worship and Honour: which made it the greater Injustice, and Im∣piety, and Sacriledge, to Alienate it from God, and to Dedi∣cate it, or any part of it, especially the Temple, to the ser∣vice of Idols, whom God abhorreth.
• f 1.11

  The one of the Priests, the other of the People, 1 King. 6. 36.
• * 1.12

  Lev. 18. 2•…•…. and 2•…•…. •…•….
• g 1.13

  Of which see the Notes on Lev. 18. 21. and 2 King. 16. 3.
• h 1.14

  i. e. Lucky or unlucky days or seasons for the dispatch of businesses, according to the superstitious pra∣ctise of the Heathens. See Esth. 3. 7. See also Lev. 19. 26. Deut. 18. 10, 11.
• i 1.15

  Either, First, The Image of that Baal which was wor∣shipped in the Grove. Or, Secondly, A representation of the Grove, as may seem by comparing chap. 23. 6. Or, Thirdly, The Graven Image of Asherah, a god or goddess so called, possibly the same called elsewhere Ashtaroth. See Iudg. 6. 25, 28. 2 King. 23. 6. 2 Chron. 15. 16.
• * 1.16

  2 Sa•…•…. •…•…. 1•…•…. 1 King. •…•…. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. and 9. 3. Chap. 23. 27, Psal. 1•…•…. 13.
• k 1.17

  They shall no more be carried Captives into a strange Land, as it had happened before.
• l 1.18

  Partly, because they were not contented with those I∣dols which the Canaanites worshipped, but either them∣selves invented, or they borrowed from other Nations many new Idols and kinds of Idolatry; and partly, because as their light was far more clear, their obligations to God in∣finitely higher, and their helps and antidotes against Idola∣try much stronger than the Canaanites had; so their sins, though the same in kind, were unspeakably worse in respect of these dreadful aggravations.
• * 1.19

  Jer. 15. 4.
• m 1.20

  i. e. The Canaanitish Nations, all so called from one eminent part of them. See on Gen. 15. 16.
• n 1.21

  By his Ex∣ample, Encouragement, Counsel, Authority and Command.
• * 1.22

  1 Sam. 3. 11.
• o 1.23

  By the great commotion which such terrible reports shall cause in the hearts and heads of the hearers. See on 1 Sam. 3. 11. Ier. 19. 3.
• * 1.24

  Isa. 34. 11.
• p 1.25

  She shall have the same measure and lot, i. e. the same Judgments which Samaria had. The line is oft put for ones lot or portion, as Psal. 16. 6. 2 Cor. 10. 16. because mens portions or possessions used to be measured by Lines, Psal. 78. 55. Amos 7. 17. Or, it is a Metaphor from work∣men who mark out by Lines what parts of the Building they would have thrown down, and what they would have stand. See Isa. 34. 11. Lam. 2. 8. Amos 7. 7, 8. Zech. 1. 16. Or, it is an allusion to that fact of David, who destroyed the Moabites by a measuring Line, 2 Sam. 8. 2.
• ‡ 1.26

  Heb. over the House of Manasseh.
• ‡ 1.27

  Heb he wi∣peth and turn∣eth it upon the face thereof.
• q 1.28

  As men do with a Dish that hath been used, first wholly empty it of all that is in it, then throughly cleanse and wipe it; and lastly, turn it upside down, that nothing may remain in it; so will I deal with Ierusalem, thoroughly empty and purge it from all its wicked Inhabitants, and that so as to cut off all hopes of restitution.
• r 1.29

  i. e. The Kingdom of Iudah, the onely remainder of all the Tribes of Israel, which I did once chuse for my In∣heritance, but now, notwithstanding that priviledge, will ut∣terly reject and forsake them.
• s 1.30

  This sore Judgment, though it was chiefly inflicted for the sins of Manasseh and his Generation, yet had a respect unto all their former sins, the guilt whereof was upon this occasion revived. See Exod. 32. 34.
• t 1.31

  The Blood of those Prophets and Righteous Men who either reproved his sinful practises, or refused to comply with his wicked commands and worship.
• ‡ 1.32

  Heb. from mouth to mouth.
• u 1.33

  i. e. His Idolatry, which is elsewhere called evil and corruption, and here sin, by way of emmency; which is the more considerable, be∣cause it is here compared with horrid cruelty, and implied to be worse than that, and more abominable in Gods sight, because it doth more directly and immediately strike at the Glory and Purity of the Divine Majesty, by respect unto which all sins are to be measured. And this expression God here useth in opposition to the gross error of most men, who look upon Idolatry as a small sin, as a meer mistake of the mind, as the fruit of a good intention, and as an excess pro∣ceeding from Zeal in Religion.
• * 1.34

  •…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• x 1.35

  Not in the Sepulchre of the Kings; either, by the peo∣ples designation, who judged him unworthy of that honour; or rather, by his own choice and command, as a lasting Testimony of his sincere Repentance and Abhorrency of himself for his former Crimes.
• y 1.36

  Or, of King Uzziah, who possibly planted or enlarged it.
• * 1.37

  Matth. 1. 10. Called, •…•…osias.