מלכים ב, פרק כ״א, פסוק א׳

Shifts in leadership within the Kingdom of Judah sometimes brought about extreme spiritual transformations. After a period of flourishing faith and righteousness, a new king could take the throne and completely reverse the religious direction of the nation.

The rise of Manasseh creates a sharp contrast with the reign of his father, Hezekiah. While the father achieved great spiritual perfection and cleared idolatry from the land, the son chose the exact opposite path, reaching the ultimate extreme of wickedness [אברבנאל]. Manasseh did not merely adopt the typical sins of his people. Instead, he fully embraced the terrible practices of the foreign nations that God had previously driven out before the Israelites. He acted with a deliberate intent to undo his father's spiritual repairs. He rebuilt the forbidden high places, set up altars for Baal, and constructed an Asherah, mirroring the severe idolatry introduced by Ahab among the kings of Israel [אברבנאל].

This dark portrayal raises a significant question when compared to the parallel historical account found in the Book of Chronicles. The narrative in Chronicles records that Manasseh was eventually exiled to Babylon, where he humbled himself before God, sincerely repented, and was restored to his throne in Jerusalem. Upon his return, he actively removed the very idolatry he had spread. Yet, this defining moment of profound repentance is entirely omitted from the current account in the Book of Kings [אברבנאל].