The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 373

on the opposite hills, as Solomon had done Ver. 10.-And the Lord apake by hia ■er• (I Kings xi. 7), or in a rival temple within V&llta the prophet■, &aJllllr. It is uncertain the walls, as had been done by Athaliah who were the prophets of Manseseh's time. (eh. xi. 18), bnt within God's holy tronple Probably Isaiah was one of them (see • In. imelf. In eRCh of the two oourts he plRCed troduction to Isaie.h,' p. iii.). Hsbakkuk an idolstrous e.ltsr, whereon the people were is thought to have been another (Keil), invited to deposit their offerings; and pro- Nahum and Zephe.nie.h seem also to belong, bably in the temple building itself, perhe.ps in part, to his reign. in the very holy of holies, he plRCed that Ver. 11.-Becauee Manasseh King of lust-exciting emblem of Astarte, which was ludah he.th done these abomine.tions (comp. the most horrible profanRtion of all true ver. 2), and hath done wiokedly above all religion, turning the truth and grace of God that the Amoritea did, whioh were before into lasciviousness (Jude 4). What practical him ( comp. ver. 9). The "Amol'ites" sre consequenoes followed on this profanation, put here (as in Gen. xv. 16; 1 Kings x:s:i. we are not distinctly told; but we may 26; and Amos ii. 9, 10) for the Ce.na1mitish readily surmise, especially in the light of nations genero.lly. Next to the Hittites, eh. xxiii. 7. they were the most importo.nt of the seven Yer. 8.-Neither will I make the feet of nations. And hath made Judah also to sin Israel move a.ny more out of the la.nd whioh with his idols (see the comment ou ver. 9). I gave their fa.them The writer's argu- Ver. 12.-Therefore thus ae.ith the Lord ment is that Manasseh, by these impieties, God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such annulled God's promises, brought about the evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoso- destruction of the temple and of Je~usalem, ever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. and caused the entire people to be carried " As a sharp discordant note,'' says Bii.hr, off into captivity. The promises of perma- " pains one's ears, so the news of this harsh nence to the city and temple, and of the punishment shall give pain to all who hear continued possession of the land by the of it." The phrase is one never uttered by people, were, he notes, conditional; and any other lips t!Jan those of Jehovah (1 Manasseh, by breaking through the condi- Sam. iii. 11 ; Jer. xi.x. 3). "It denotes" tions, forfeited them (comp. eh. xxiv. 3). (Keil) "such a judgment as has never been Only if they will observe to do aocording to heard of before, and excites alarm and hor- all that I have comma.nded them, a.nd accord- ror.'' Not the Jews only, but the other ing to all that my servant Moses commanded neighbouring nations, when they heard of them. The words are not taken from any the sufferings endured in the siege (oh. xxv. single pas.sage, but express the general 3), and the severities exercised upon the sense of numerous passages, as for example king (ver. 7) and the city (vers. 9, 10) and of Dent. iv. 25-27; x.xx. 15-19; Ps. lx.x::xi.x. the inhabitants (ver.11), would have a thrill 28--32 ; 1 Kings ix. 4 - 9, etc. of pain go through them at the hearing, Ver. 9.-But they hearkened not. The partly unselfish, partly perho.ps selfish, since people, and not Manasseh alone, were dis- the treatment that was dealt out to others obedieu t. Had tliey remained faithful, Ma.- might also be reserved for !hem. nasseh'a sin would not have affected their Ver. 13.-And I will stretch over Jerusa- future. And lla.nasseh &educed them. The lem the line of Samaria ; i.e. " I will do to infiueuce of a young and gay king, always Jerusalem as I have done to Samaria; I great, is in the East immense. When such will execute upon it a similar juclgment.'' a king succeeds one of strict and rigid prin- God applies his measuring-line, a perfectly ciples, he easily carries away the multitude uniform standard, to all nations, o.s to 11.11 with him, and leads them on to any excess individuals, and metes out to tliem an equal of profiigacy and irreligion. The begin- measure of justice. J e111salem will be pre- nings of siu are delightful, and the votaries sently treated as Samal'ia has been recently of pleasure, readily beguiled into evil courses, treated; and a similar destruction will ove1·- know not where to stop. Manasseh seduced take it. The metaphor is not to be pressed, thccm, we are told, to do more evil than o.s if cities were destroyed with as much care did the nations whom the Lord destroyed as they are built, by constant use of th<: before the children of Israel ; that is, than measuring-line and the plummet. And thJ the Hivite;, Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, plummet of the house of Ahab. The justice Perizzites, Gergasl,ites, and Jebusites meted out to the house of Ahab shall be (Dent. viL 1, etc.). The sin of Israel ex- meted out also to the house of David. The ceeded that of the Canaauitis!J nations, not ways of God are equal (Ezek. xviii. 25), and so much in any outward and tangible he is no" respecter of persons.'' He has ouc features, e.s in the fact t!Jat it was com- law for all; and, as the house of David ha~ mitted against light, in spite of the Law, sinned in the same way, and to the sama ex- ll.Dcl against all the warnings and denuncia- tent, as the house of Ahab had sinned, one tions of the prophets (comp. eh. xvii.13, 14). and the same punishment will fall upon 0.11:, XXI. 1-26,] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 423