2 Kings 21 Footnotes

21:1 Manasseh co-reigned with Hezekiah from 697–686 BC. He reigned in his own right until 642 BC.

21:3 Manasseh worshiped every god for which there had been precedent in Israel’s history and then added new ones to the list! The phrase “all the stars in the sky” should be understood as astral deities that were popular throughout the ancient Near East (hence, King Ahab worships them). Assyrian influence undoubtedly contributed to Manasseh’s decision to worship them.

21:6 “Sacrificed . . . in the fire” is literally “made pass through the fire.”

21:13 The “measuring line” is the image of a surveyor marking how the destruction of this “urban renewal” will take place.

21:19 Amon reigned “two years,” from 642–640 BC.