Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 33:14
Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.
14 17 (not in 2 Kin.). The Later Deeds of Manasseh
14. a wall without the city ] R.V. an outer wall to the city.
even to the entering in ] Or, “and [on the west] of the entering in.”
and compassed about ] R.V. and he compassed about.
Ophel ] Cp. 2Ch 27:3 (note).
and put captains of war ] R.V. and he put valiant captains.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Rather, he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west of Gihon-in-the-valley. The wall intended seems to have been that toward the northeast, which ran from the vicinity of the modern Damascus gate across the valley of Gihon, to the fish-gate at the northeast corner of the city of David.
We may gather from this verse that, late in his reign, Manasseh revolted from the Assyrians, and made preparations to resist them if they should attack him. Assyria began to decline in power about 647 B.C., and from that time her outlying provinces would naturally begin to fall off. Manasseh reigned until 642 B.C.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. He built a wall] This was probably a weak place that he fortified; or a part of the wall which the Assyrians had broken down, which he now rebuilt.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He built a wall; he repaired and strengthened that wall which Hezekiah had built, 2Ch 32:5, and which possibly the king of Assyria, when he last took Jerusalem, had caused to be thrown down, either wholly or in part.
On the west side of Gihon; on the west side of the city of David, to which Hezekiah had brought this water-course down, 2Ch 32:30, into the great pool which he had made to receive it; and possibly this wall was built to secure the free use of it to the citizens when they should be distressed or besieged by an enemy.
Compassed about Ophel with a wall. Of Ophel see before, 2Ch 27:3.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. he built a wall without the city. . . on the west side of Gihon . . . even to the entering in at thefish gate“The well-ascertained position of the fish gate,shows that the valley of Gihon could be no other than that leadingnorthwest of Damascus gate, and gently descending southward, unitingwith the Tyropoeligon at the northeast corner of Mount Zion, wherethe latter turns at right angles and runs towards Siloam. The wallthus built by Manasseh on the west side of the valley of Gihon, wouldextend from the vicinity of the northeast corner of the wall of Zionin a northerly direction, until it crossed over the valley to form ajunction with the outer wall at the trench of Antonia, precisely inthe quarter where the temple would be most easily assailed”[BARCLAY].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Now after this he built a wall without the city of David,…. Which perhaps had been broken down by the Assyrian army, when it came and took him; Vitringa l thinks this is the wall of the pool of Siloah, Ne 3:15 which seems to be the first and oldest wall, as Josephus m; for that turning to the north bent towards the pool of Siloam; an Arabic writer n calls it the southern wall:
on the west side of Gihon; on the west side of the city, towards Gihon; for that was to the west of it, 2Ch 32:30,
in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate; through which the fish were brought from Joppa, and where, according to the Targum, they were sold:
and compassed about Ophel; the eastern part of Mount Zion; some say it was the holy of holies, 2Ch 27:3,
and raised it up a very great height; built the wall very high there:
and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah; this he did to put his kingdom in a posture of defence, should it be attacked by the Assyrian army again.
l Comment. in Jesaiam, c. 22. 9. m De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 9. n Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 67.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
After his return, Manasseh took measures to secure his kingdom, and especially the capital, against hostile attacks. “He built an outer wall of the city of David westward towards Gihon in the valley, and in the direction of the fish-gate; and he surrounded the Ophel, and made it very high.” The words (without the article) point to the building of a new wall. But since it has been already recorded of Hezekiah, in 2Ch 32:5, that he built “the other wall without,” all modern expositors, even Arnold in Herz.’s Realenc. xviii. S. 634, assume the identity of the two walls, and understand of the completion and heightening of that “other wall” of which it is said , and which shut in Zion from the lower city to the north. In that case, of course, we must make the correction . The words “westward towards Gihon in the valley, and , in the direction to (towards) the fish-gate,” are then to be taken as describing the course of this wall from its centre, first towards the west, and then towards the east. For the valley of Gihon lay, in all probability, outside of the western city gate, which occupied the place of the present Jaffa gate. But the fish-gate was, according to Neh 3:3, at the east end of this wall, at no great distance from the tower on the north-east corner. The valley ( ) is a hollow between the upper city (Zion) and the lower (Acra), probably the beginning of the valley, which at its south-eastern opening, between Zion and Moriah, is called Tyropoion in Josephus. The words, “he surrounded the Ophel,” sc. with a wall, are not to be connected with the preceding clauses, as Berth. connects them, translating, “he carried the wall from the north-east corner farther to the south, and then round the Ophel;” for “between the north-east corner and the Ophel wall lay the whole east wall of the city, as far as to the south-east corner of the temple area, which yet cannot be regarded as a continuation of the wall to the Ophel wall” (Arnold, loc. cit.). Jotham had already built a great deal at the Ophel wall (2Ch 27:3). Manasseh must therefore only have strengthened it, and increased its height. On the words cf. 2Ch 32:6 and 2Ch 17:2.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(14) Now after this . . . valley.Rather, And afterwards he built an outer wall to the city of David westward unto Gihon in the ravine. Manasseh completed the wall begun by Hezekiah (2Ch. 32:5). This highly circumstantial account of the public works undertaken by Manasseh after his restoration, is utterly unlike fiction, and almost compels the assumption of a real historical source, no longer extant, from which the whole section has been derived.
Even to the entering in of the fish gate.The fish-gate lay near the north-east corner of the lower city (Neh. 3:3). The direction of the outer wall is described first westward, and then eastward.
And compassed about Ophel.And surrounded the Ophel (mound); seil., with the wall, which he carried on from the north-east to the south-east. Uzziah and Jotham had already worked upon these fortifications (2Ch. 26:9; 2Ch. 27:3). Manasseh now finished them, raising them up to a very great height.
Raised iti.e., the outer wall.
And put captains of war.(Comp. 2Ch. 17:2; 2Ch. 32:6.) Literally, captains of an army ( sr chayil).
Of Judah.Heb., in Judah. Some MSS. and the Vulgale read as the Authorised Version.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. He built a wall without the city of David A wall on the north side of the city, (as we infer from the description that follows,) where besieging armies pitched their camps, and where, accordingly, there was need of the strongest possible fortifications. Whether this was a new wall, first built by Manasseh, or the repair and strengthening of an older one, cannot be positively determined, but the expression built a wall, points rather to the erection of a new wall.
On the west side of Gihon Rather, westward to Gihon, in the valley. The description seems to begin from the centre of the northern wall, and pass first westward to the valley, (either of Gihon, which was the northern part of the Hinnom valley, or of that branch of the Tyropoeon which begins near the modern Yaffa gate,) and then eastward even to the entering in at the fish gate, which was near the northeast corner of the ancient city. Neh 3:3, note.
Compassed about Ophel The southern slope of Moriah, on whose wall Jotham had “built much.” See note on 2Ch 27:8. Manasseh strengthened and completed this work of his great-grandfather.
Raised it up a very great height This wall, as exposed by modern excavations at Jerusalem, is found at present to be over seventy feet in height. “Upward of fifty shafts,” says Captain Warren, “were sunk about Ophel in search of the wall. Eight of these shafts were in connexion with the line of wall which is now found to extend as far as seven hundred feet from the first tower in a southeasterly direction along the eastern ridge of Ophel.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ch 33:14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.
Ver. 14. Now after this he built a wall. ] It is uncertain how he got out of prison; whether with the king of Babylon’s good leave, or by making escape. There are that tell us, that the prison doors were opened, his chains loosened, and he delivered, as afterwards Peter was. Act 12:3-11 Howsoever, he thought good to fortify himself against the Babylonians, and whatsoever enemies. This, though it be here set down first, yet Josephus saith, that the first work he did after his return, was to reform religion.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 33:14-17
2Ch 33:14-17
MANASSEH’S INEFFECTIVE REFORMS
“Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the fish gate; and he compassed Ophel about with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of Jehovah, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he built up the altar of Jehovah, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace-offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Jehovah, the God of Israel. Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only unto Jehovah their God.”
The people sacrificed in the high places, but only unto Jehovah their God (2Ch 33:17). “This was still contrary to the Mosaic Law and actually accomplished little more than apply a new name to the old Baal worship.
These reforms in Manasseh’s reign came far too late to have much effect; and besides that, his reign probably was concluded before he had finished all that he planned to do.
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 33:14-16. After his repentance Manasseh tried to “show his faith by his works.” He improved the wall that was near the water supply which Hezekiah had arranged, which was on the west side of the city. He put military captains in all the fenced (walled) cities of Judah, and thus was concerned about the defense of the country. He not only improved the temporal features of the country, but was active for its religious interests also. He removed all the articles used in heathen worship in the temple, and cast them out of the city. The form of worship that had been going on in behalf of the heathen gods, naturally caused the true worship to be neglected and its altar to be let go down. Manasseh accordingly repaired it and proved his sincerity about it by offering sacrifices thereon. Peace offerings were one item of the major sacrifices prescribed by the law in Leviticus 3. Thank offerings were not necessarily any specified kind of offerings. The term has reference more to the motive or occasion for making the offering. After setting the example, he then commanded the people to serve the God of Israel, not those of the heathen about them. On this part of Manasseh’s reformation, Josephus gives us his account which I will quote, and it is in the same section of his history already copied from above and is as follows: “And when he was come to Jerusalem, he endeavored, if it were possible, to cast out of his memory those his former sins against God, of which he now repented, and to apply himself to a very religious life. He sanctified the temple, and purged the city, and for the remainder of his days he was intent on nothing but to return his thanks to God for his deliverance, and to preserve him propitious to him all his life long. He also instructed the multitude to do the same, as having very nearly experienced what a calamity he was fallen into by a contrary conduct. He also rebuilt the altar, and offered the legal sacrifices, as Moses commanded; and when he had re-established what concerned the divine worship, as it ought to be, he took care of the security of Jerusalem.” The reader has frequently been cited to “outside” reading matter, and shown inspired examples for it by what some of the writers of the Bible have done. The Bible does not have need of human defenses, yet it is helpful and encouraging to find that authentic secular authors corroborate the statements of the inspired Word. Another thing, the Bible does not claim to give all the details of the subjects treated, and if the secular histories gives some more of them, it is perfectly in order for the student to avail himself of them.
2Ch 33:17. See the remarks on high places at 1Ki 3:2. That will help to understand why the subject is mentioned in the way it is here.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Humbled Father, but Self-willed Son
2Ch 33:14-25
Manasseh apparently did his best to undo the evil he had wrought in Jerusalem. So far as the idols and other symbols of idolatry were concerned, it was comparatively easy to take them away. But notwithstanding all his endeavors, the people still sacrificed in high places; and his son Amon perpetuated the memory of his fathers sins, making no effort to repeat his repentance and tears. Though Manasseh commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the people continued to worship amid the impure and degrading associations to which he had accustomed them.
It is easier to scatter thistle-down than gather it up. There are great thistle tracts in Australia, which would never have arisen but for the careless act of a Scotch settler, who imported from his native land one specimen of the national emblem. Take care of your influence. It is easier to set stones rolling than to stop them. It is recorded of a dean of St. Pauls in London, that he was never seen to smile, because in his early life he had written verses of a sensual character, the circulation of which he was unable to arrest.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
am 3327-3361, bc 677-643
he built: 2Ch 32:5
Gihon: 2Ch 32:30, 1Ki 1:33, 1Ki 1:45
fish gate: Neh 3:3, Neh 12:39, Zep 1:10
Ophel: or, the tower, 2Ch 27:3, Neh 3:26, Neh 3:27
put: 2Ch 11:11, 2Ch 11:12, 2Ch 17:19
Reciprocal: Eze 21:20 – the defenced
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 33:14. After this he built a wall without the city of David He repaired and strengthened that wall which Hezekiah had built, (2Ch 32:5,) and which, possibly, the king of Assyria, or of Babylon rather, when he last took Jerusalem, had caused to be thrown down, either wholly or in part. On the west side of Gihon On the west side of the city of David, to which Hezekiah had brought the watercourse down, mentioned 2Ch 32:30, into the great pool which he had made to receive it: and possibly this wall was built to secure the free use of it to the citizens, when they should be distressed or besieged by an enemy.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
33:14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of {e} Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about {f} Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.
(e) Read 2Ch 32:30.
(f) Read 2Ch 27:3.