John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. And he made his son pass through the fire , etc.] To Molech, after the manner of the old Canaanites and Phoenicians; his son Amon, that succeeded him, and other children, as appears from ( 2 Chronicles 33:6), where mention is made of the place where it was done, the valley of the son of Hinnom: and observed times ; lucky or unlucky, which was judged of by omens, and by the position of the stars: and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards ; to get knowledge of things to come; all which are forbid and condemned by the law of Moses; (see Deuteronomy 18:10-12), he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger ; in all those evils before mentioned, which were very abominable in the sight of God.
Ver. 7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house , etc.] Which was either an image that had been placed in a grove planted by him, and now removed into the house or temple of the Lord; or, as some think, this was a representation of a grove, a carved grove of gold or silver, in the midst of which an image was placed in the temple; though what Selden observes f246 , seems best of all, that this was an image of Asherah, as in the original text; that is, of Astarte or Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, ( 1 Kings 11:5), the same the Phoenicians are said to call Astroarche, and affirm it to be the moon f247 : in ( Chronicles 33:7) it is called a carved image the idol he had made; and an Arabic writer says, it had four faces, which seems to be a figure of the cherubim; but, according to Suidas f249 , it was the statue of Jupiter, who also says it had four faces: of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son : that is, of which house or temple: in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever ; (see 1 Kings 8:29 9:3 (see Gill on “ 2 Kings 21:3”)).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Young persons generally desire to become their own masters, and to have early possession of riches and power. But this, for the most part ruins their future comfort, and causes mischief to others. It is muc happier when young persons are sheltered under the care of parents of guardians, till age gives experience and discretion. Though such youn persons are less indulged, they will afterwards be thankful. Manasse wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, as if on purpose to provoke him to anger; he did more evil than the nations whom the Lor destroyed. Manasseh went on from bad to worse, till carried captive to Babylon. The people were ready to comply with his wishes, to obtain his favour and because it suited their depraved inclinations. In the reformation of large bodies, numbers are mere time-servers, and in temptation fall away.
Original Hebrew והעביר5674 את853 בנו1121 באשׁ784 ועונן6049 ונחשׁ5172 ועשׂה6213 אוב178 וידענים3049 הרבה7235 לעשׂות6213 הרע7451 בעיני5869 יהוה3068 להכעיס׃3707
