II Chronicles 33:20-24 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 33:20-24 Commentary: Manasseh's Burial and Amon's Refusal to Humble
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Commentary on II Chronicles 33:20-24: Manasseh's burial in his own house, Amon's evil reign, and the contrast between repentance and pride.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Amon repeats his father's early evil but refuses his late repentance, multiplying guilt and dying by assassination.
- Key words: kana (humble oneself), ashmah (guilt), zibach (sacrifice), avad (serve), pesilim (graven images).
- Main debate: Whether Manasseh's burial location signals permanent dishonour or simply a different family plot.
- Theological theme: Personal humility before God is necessary; repentance cannot be inherited or vicarious.
- Best use: To examine how we respond to examples of repentance in others and whether we repeat sins or learn from them.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
20And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried at his palace. And his son Amon reigned in his place.
21Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years.
22And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon served and sacrificed to all the idols that his father Manasseh had made,
23but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.
24Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace.
WEB World English Bible 2000
20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon his son reigned in his place.
21Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
23He didn’t humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.
24His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
KJV King James Version 1769
20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
21Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22But he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
23And humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.
24And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
21Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed unto all the graven images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
23And he humbled not himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.
24And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
20And Manasseh lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in his own house, and reign doth Amon his son in his stead.
21A son of twenty and two years is Amon in his reigning, and two years he hath reigned in Jerusalem,
22and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father, and to all the graven images that Manasseh his father had made hath Amon sacrificed, and serveth them,
23and hath not been humbled before Jehovah, like the humbling of Manasseh his father, for Amon himself hath multiplied guilt.
24And his servants conspire against him, and put him to death in his own house,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
20And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
21Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had done; and Amon sacrificed to all the graven images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
23And he did not humble himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; for he, Amon, multiplied trespass.
24And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
20And Manasses slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house: and his son Amon reigned in his stead.
21Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasses his father had done: he sacrificed to all the idols which Manasses his father had made, and served them.
23And he did not humble himself before the lord, as Manasses his father had humbled himself, but committed far greater sin.
24And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 33:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage pivots on a single, tragic contrast. Manasseh, after a life of profound evil, humbled himself and was restored (vv. 12-13, 19). Yet he was buried "in his own house" (v. 20) rather than the royal tombs. The parallel in 2 Kings 21:18 specifies "the garden of his own house," and Gill notes that while some ancient peoples buried in houses, this was exceptional for a Judean king. Amon, his son, saw his father's repentance but rejected it. Clarke writes that Amon "copies his father's vices, but not his repentance." The Chronicler adds a detail not in Kings: "He didn't humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself" (v. 23). Instead, "this same Amon trespassed more and more" (Cambridge notes that the root ashmah means "became guilty"). Keil and Delitzsch observe that the Chronicler emphasises this contrast to highlight the necessity of personal humility. The assassination of Amon (v. 24) is seen by all as the direct outcome of multiplying guilt. The passage together warns that repentance cannot be inherited; each person must humble themselves before God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Dishonour view: Burial outside the royal tombs shows permanent social/religious disgrace despite Manasseh's repentance; 2 Kings 21:18 specifies garden, not tomb.
- Neutral location view: Burial in his own garden was a family plot, not necessarily dishonourable, but exceptional; ancient customs allowed it (Gill).
- Consequence view: The Chronicler uses the detail to show that even forgiven sin leaves consequences; the people still sacrificed at high places (v.17).
What is clear: Amon refused to humble himself before Yahweh, in direct contrast to his father Manasseh, and this refusal led to his death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Burial location of Manasseh | Manasseh was buried in his own house/garden, not in the royal tombs of David. | Some see this as a sign of continued dishonour despite his repentance; others see it as an alternative family plot, not necessarily dishonourable. |
| Reason for Amon's assassination | It happened, and the text links it to his multiplying guilt. | Clarke says the motive is unstated; others view it as divine judgment through political conspiracy. |
| The Chronicler's addition of humility (v.23) | This is a unique emphasis not found in 2 Kings. | Whether it reflects the Chronicler's interest in immediate retribution (Keil and Delitzsch) or a pastoral lesson for the post-exilic community. |
| Meaning of 'trespassed more and more' / 'increased guilt' | Amon's sin was worse because he rejected the example of repentance. | Whether this refers to quantity of sins, degree of guilt, or public scandal. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Burial practices in ancient Judah reserved the tombs of the kings for the Davidic line. Hezekiah, for instance, was buried "in the ascent to the tombs of the sons of David" (2 Chron. 32:33). Manasseh's burial "in his own house" (v. 20) or, as 2 Kings 21:18 more precisely says, "in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza," is therefore marked. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Chronicler shortens the description. This location likely reflects a departure from royal custom, possibly connected to Manasseh's earlier apostasy. Even after his repentance, he was not placed among his ancestors.
Amon's reign was brief: two years (v. 21). His age (22) and the omission of his mother's name (given in 2 Kings 21:19 as Meshullemeth) suggest the Chronicler's focus is theological rather than biographical. Amon "did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father" (v. 22), meaning he reactivated the idolatrous cult of carved images that Manasseh had set up. The Hebrew verb zibach ("sacrificed") indicates slaughter for worship, and avad ("served") implies full allegiance. Amon's refusal to humble himself (the Niphal of kana, v. 23) placed him in direct opposition to the example of his father's repentance. The conspiracy and murder of the king by his own servants (v. 24) was a common enough fate in the ancient Near East for unpopular monarchs. Clarke comments that the account does not reveal the motive, but the theological link to increasing guilt is plain. The passage ends abruptly with death in the same house where Manasseh was buried, a house marked by both repentance and judgment.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for these verses. The differences between the Chronicles account and 2 Kings 21:19-26 are considered authorial variations: the Chronicler omits the name of Amon's mother, includes the reflection on humility (v. 23), and does not mention the garden of Uzza (v. 20). These are interpretive choices by the writer, not signs of textual corruption.
Reception History
Manasseh’s repentance captured the imagination of later Jewish and Christian communities. The Prayer of Manasseh, a penitential psalm dating from the Second Temple period, is preserved in some Greek manuscripts of the Old Testament and is considered canonical by Orthodox Christians. It expands on the brief notice in 2 Chronicles 33:12-13. Amon’s reign, by contrast, served as a cautionary tale about inherited faith. The passage has been used in lectionaries during Lent to stress personal repentance rather than religious lineage. In Protestant tradition, the contrast between father and son illustrates that the faith of a parent does not automatically pass to children. The abrupt end of Amon, killed in the same house where Manasseh was buried, underlines the seriousness of rejecting God’s call to humility.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- An Unfinished Legacy, Manasseh's burial in his own house shows that even forgiven sin leaves marks. His late repentance did not erase the consequences of his earlier evil.
- A Son's Fatal Choice, Amon saw every reason to humble himself: his father's captivity, prayer, and restoration. Yet he chose the path of multiplied guilt.
- The End of Refusal, Amon's servants killed him in his own house. The house that held his father's buried body became a place of judgment for the son who would not bend.
Five-point outline
- Manasseh dies and is buried apart from the royal tombs (v. 20).
- Amon begins a brief, evil reign (v. 21).
- He restores the idolatry his father had removed (v. 22).
- The Chronicler highlights what Amon lacked: humility before the Lord (v. 23). Instead he increased his guilt.
- His own servants assassinate him (v. 24), clearing the way for Josiah's reform.
Illustration hooks
- A parent overcomes a serious addiction and becomes a mentor, but their grown child repeats the early destructive behaviour, despising the transformation.
- A small business nearly collapses because of the founder's greed; he turns the company around, but his successor brings back the same bad practices.
- A famous athlete falls from grace, later rebuilds a career and gives back, but a younger player copies only the scandal and ignores the comeback.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Manasseh repented, why wasn't he buried in the royal tombs? Is that a sign that God held a grudge?
- How could Amon see his father's dramatic turnaround and still choose evil? Is it possible to witness grace and remain unchanged?
- What does "trespassed more and more" look like in everyday life? Can sin really escalate after you have seen mercy?
Leading a Discussion
This short passage turns on the hinge of humility. Manasseh learned it late, but learned it. Amon saw the transformation and refused to follow. As you read the passage together, notice what the Chronicler adds and what he leaves out. The questions below move from what the text says to what it asks of us.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 20-24 aloud. What details stand out as unusual? Review the burial, the age, and the two-year reign.
- Compare verse 23 with Manasseh's repentance in verses 12-13. What one verb is repeated, and for whom is it absent? Discuss the verb kana (humble oneself).
- Why do you think the Chronicler adds that Amon "did not humble himself" when Kings does not mention this? What point is he making?
- The Hebrew word ashmah in verse 23 means "guilt" or "guiltiness." How is guilt different from just doing wrong acts? What does it mean for guilt to increase?
- Manasseh's burial in his own house, not the royal tomb, is mentioned without comment. What does that silence suggest about his legacy, even after repentance?
- Amon was old enough to know his father's whole story. Why might someone reject a model of repentance instead of embracing it? What barriers to humility are common today?
- How does this passage challenge the idea that we can coast on someone else's faith or repentance? What kind of personal response does it call for?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 21:18 | Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his place. |
| II Kings 21:19 | Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. |
| II Kings 21:25 | Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? |
| I Chronicles 3:14 | Amon his son, and Josiah his son. |
| II Chronicles 32:33 | Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent to the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Manasseh his son reigned in his place. |
| Matthew 1:10 | Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah. |
| II Kings 21:24 | But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. |
| II Chronicles 33:1 | Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that Amon followed his father Manasseh's wickedness but entirely ignored his repentance. He not only repeated the sins but exceeded them, taking no warning from his father's example. This makes Amon's rebellion more striking: he had the pattern of restoration before him yet chose only the evil.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary focuses on textual differences between Chronicles and Kings, noting that the Chronicler omits Amon's mother's name here and adds details not found in 2 Kings. It also points to specific wording changes, like rendering "trespassed" as "became guilty."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Amon refused the lesson of his father Manasseh's repentance. While Manasseh eventually humbled himself before the Lord, Amon persisted in evil and even increased in trespass. His failure to humble himself led to his assassination by his own servants.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that burying Manasseh in his own house reflects an ancient custom shared by Greeks and Romans, which eventually led to worshiping household gods. He also notes that later Jews sometimes buried their dead in gardens, though not in houses.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB does not offer independent comment on these verses; instead, the commentary directs the reader to the parallel account in 2 Kings 21:19 for the details on Manasseh's death and Amon's succession. The point is that the full explanation is found in the cross-referenced passage.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Del
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange defends the historical credibility of Manasseh's captivity and conversion, using Assyrian inscriptions to show that deportation to Babylon under Ashurbanipal was plausible. He argues that Manasseh's reform after his return was incomplete and temporary, which explains why later passages still speak of the sins of Manasseh.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that Manasseh's reform was incomplete: he cast out the idols but failed to destroy them, so Amon knew where to find them and set them up again. Amon repeated his father's sins but never his father's repentance. He fell like Manasseh but never got up again.