2 Chronicles 33 · a question people ask
After everything in 33:2-9, how could the LORD hear Manasseh?
The chapter tells it and doesn't explain it. It sets the evil first, plainly: "He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger" (33:6), and Judah "did more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel" (33:9). Then: "When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers" (33:12), and the LORD "heard his supplication" (33:13). 2 Chronicles had already given the LORD's word to Solomon: "if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (7:14). In Hebrew, humble themselves and pray there are the same verbs as humbled himself (33:12) and prayed (33:13) here, and I will hear and heard (33:13) are the same verb too. The chapter doesn't say that any sin was too great, and it doesn't make light of what Manasseh did: it names "all his sin and his trespass" in 33:19. And it sets his son beside him: Amon "didn’t humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself" (33:23).
The verses
“He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.”
“Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.”
“When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.”
“if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”