Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Seduced them to do more evil - He did all he could to pervert the national character, and totally destroy the worship of the true God; and he succeeded.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

During the long reign of Manasseh idolatry in all manner of varied forms took a hold upon the Jewish people such as had never been known before. Compare Jeremiah 7:18, Jeremiah 7:31; Ezekiel 23:37; Zephaniah 1:5. The corruption of morals kept pace with the degradation of religion. Compare 2 Kings 23:7; Zephaniah 3:1-3; Jeremiah 2:8; Jeremiah 5:1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But they hearkened not,.... To the voice of God in his law by Moses, and were not obedient to it:

and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel: he set up more idols, and drew the people into more and greater idolatries, than the old Canaanites; and these were the more aggravated by having a law given to them, and prophets sent to instruct them in it, and by the benefits and blessings bestowed upon them by the lawgiver, which laid them under greater obligations to him; see Jeremiah 2:11.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

More evil — Partly, because they were not contented with those idols which the Canaanites worshipped, but either invented, or borrowed from other nations many new idols, and partly, because as their light was far more clear, their obligations to God infinitely higher, and their helps against idolatry much stronger than the Canaanites had; so their sins, though the same in kind, were unspeakably worse in respect of these dreadful aggravations.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 21:9 But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

Ver. 9. But they hearkened not.] Nothing is more stupid than idolaters; they have ears but hear not, &c.

To do more evil than did the nations.] Whom they out-sinned: and were therefore worse than heathens, because they should have been better.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Partly because they were not contented with those idols which the Canaanites worshipped, but either themselves invented, or they borrowed from other nations, many new idols and kinds of idolatry; and partly because as their light was far more clear, their obligations to God infinitely higher, and their helps and antidotes against idolatry much stronger than the Canaanites had; so their sins, though the same in kind, were unspeakably worse in respect of these dreadful aggravations.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

9.More evil than did the nations — Because the worship of their own false gods by nations who knew not the true God, was far less condemnatory than for Israel, who had received so many revelations of Jehovah, to turn aside to the worship of idols.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

More, because they had received more favours and instructions from above. (Worthington)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

seduced. Not said of any previous king. Compare Jeremiah 15:4.

do more evil = do the evil more.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Seduced them.—Led them astray. Chronicles renders the same verb made them to err.

To do more evil.—To do the evil more . . . The LXX. adds: “in the eyes of Jehovah.” The idolatry of Judah was worse than that of the Canaanites, because they worshipped only their national gods, whereas Judah forsook its own God and was ready to adopt almost any foreign cultus with which it was brought into contact (Jeremiah 2:11).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

they hearkened

2 Chronicles 36:16; Ezra 9:10,11; Nehemiah 9:26,29,30; Psalms 81:10; Daniel 9:6,10,11; Luke 13:34; John 15:22; James 4:17

seduced

1 Kings 14:16; 2 Chronicles 33:9; Psalms 12:8; Proverbs 29:12; Hosea 5:11; Revelation 2:20

more evil

Ezekiel 16:47,51,52