דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ג, פסוק ט׳

Under the destructive leadership of King Manasseh, the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell into a profound spiritual decline. The king actively misled the nation, guiding them down a path of intense corruption. The primary approach among commentators explains that the people ultimately committed acts far worse than those of the original Canaanite nations whom God destroyed when the Israelites first entered the land.

This severe descent is rooted in the psychology of human behavior. For the residents of Judah and Jerusalem, idol worship was a completely new experience. Unlike the neighboring nations who had practiced these rituals for generations and grown accustomed to them, the Israelites were captivated by the novelty of these forbidden practices. Driven by fresh enthusiasm, their dedication to foreign worship became absolute and all-consuming, pushing them to a level of evil that surpassed the veteran idolaters before them.