The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 398

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER xxxm. prevision and earnest precaution of the Divine Rnl_er of Israel, through Moses, on The first twenty verses of this chapter behalf of his people. The following refer- a.re taken up with the aooount of Manaeseh, ence~ all J:,ear on the subject, and will be the son of Hezekiah and Hephzibah, who, studied with advantage in order given: beginning to reign at the early age of 2 :6,:ings_ iii. 27: xvii. 17: Ezek. xx. 26: Micah Vl. 7 : Amos v. 26: J er. vii. 32 • xix. twelve years, reigned in all fifty-five years; 4: Ezek. xvi. 20 : xx. 26. In the valley of the remaining five verses with the account the son of ~om (Josh. xv. 8: xviii. 16). of the reign of his eon Amon. The parallel On an elevation at the ea.stern extremity to this chapter is 2 Kings xxi. The re- of this valley it was that Solomon erected peated references in this chapter to Manas- "high places " to Moloch, entailing on him- s~lf a long and dire responsibility (1 Kings seh's neglect, and to his people's neglect, xi. 7). Consult also our oh. xxviii. 3 and after his example, of injunction, promise, note there: with added reference, Stanley's and threat of the Word of the Lord e.nd of ' Sinai e.nd Palestine,' pp. 172, 482. Also the Law, make it a prominent instance of he observed times ; Revised Version, and he the spirit of the compiler, and an indication practi.sed augury. The Hebrew word is J}.W.1. of one of the main objects he had in view, This root is found once in piel infinitive (Gen. ix. 14), and is rendered (Authorized and kept in view in writing these chronicles. Version), "when I Lring a. cloud," eto. • Yer. 1.-The parallel adds the name of beside, it is found in a.II ten times, always i~ Man&Beeh's mother, the well-omened name pool, in preterite twice (the present passaire Hephzibah, "My delight is in her" (Isa. and parallel), future once (Lev. xix. 26), l.xii. 4). participle seven times (Deut. xviii. 10, 14; Ver. 2.-The abomination.& of the heathen Judg. ix. 37, margin), in which six places (see Deut. uiii. 9-14). it is rendered (Authorized Version)" observ- Ver. 3.-:e:e built again; literally, returned ing times," once in Isaiah and Micah with and built-the ordinary Hebrew idiom for rendering "soothsayers," again in Isaiah "took again to building," etc. Made groves; "sorcerers," and in Jeremiah "enchanter." s.e. as often before the stocks that set forth There is difficulty in fixing its exact mean- .Ashtmeth (Dent. xvi. 21). The parallel ing, though its general meaning may be gives prominence to the ooe Asherah, ten embraced in the words of the Revised times offensive, as set up in the honse of Version. A likely meaning, judging from the Lord (ver. 7 there). The mention of derivation, may be the practising augury from his pantheon of the host of hee.ven is an observing of the clouds. The passages in addition to the wickedness of former wicked Leviticus and Deuteronomy ~re those that kings. It is e.lso noted in the parallel. of old solemnly prohibited it. And 11Sed en- Ver. 4.-In 1erusa.lem (so oh. vi. 6: vii. chantments; Hebrew, !dni,; the root is the 16). The quotation is from Deut. xii 11. familiar word for "s~q,~nt." The verb Ver. 6.-Caued hi.I children. Parallel occurs eleven times, always in piel. The (2 Kings xxi 6), "his s011,," in the singular prohibition to practise such "enchantment" number (see also 2 Kings xvi 3 compared or divination is found in Lev. xix. 26 and with onr oh. xxviii 3). There can be no xviii. 10; the five occasions of the use of doubt that this worst of cruel abominations, the word in Genesis, however (:u:x. 27: learned from .Ammon and Moab, amounted xliv. 5, 15), argue that it was not a thing to nothing less the.n the saorince of the intrinsically bad, but bad probably from child in the fire. It is, perhaps, something certain, so to say, simoniacal possibilities to remarkable that we do not encounter any- which it lent itself: There lay in it some where any description of the exact manner assumption, no doubt, of superhuman hel_P, of administration of this cruelty, and of its and the wickedness me.y have consisted 1n to.king effect on the pitiable victim. The assuming it where it was not ree.I. And solemn commands of Lev. xviii. 21 and Deut. 11Bed witchcraft ; Hebrew, ")!!',?) ; Revised :,:viii. 10 bespeak sufficiently distinctly the Version, and practiBed BOrcerv. • The word orr. xxxm. 1-25.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 403