2 Kings – Chapter 21

Old Testament26 Verses

Chapter Summary

"Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Haphsiba." — so begins 2 Kings 21. The chapter centers on Manasses, Josiah and Ahab. Across its 26 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and sin and divine judgment. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Haphsiba.

2And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the idols of the nations, which the Lord destroyed from before the face of the children of Israel.

3And he turned, and built up the high places, which Ezechias, his father, had destroyed: and he set up altars to Baal, and made groves, as Achab, the king of Israel, had done: and he adored all the host of heaven, and served them.

4And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said: In Jerusalem I will put my name.

5And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two courts of the temple of the Lord.

6And he made his son pass through fire: and he used divinations, and observed omens, and appointed pythons, and multiplied soothsayers, to do evil before the Lord, and to provoke him.

7He set also an idol of the grove, which he had made, in the temple of the Lord: concerning which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son: In this temple, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever.

8And I will no more make the feet of Israel to be moved out of the land, which I gave to their fathers: only if they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, according to the law which my servant Moses commanded them.

9But they hearkened not: but were seduced by Manasses, to do evil more than the nations which the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.

10And the Lord spoke in the hand of his servants, the prophets, saying:

11Because Manasses, king of Juda, hath done these most wicked abominations, beyond all that the Amorrhites did before him, and hath made Juda also to sin with his filthy doings:

12Therefore thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring on evils upon Jerusalem and Juda: that whosoever shall hear of them, both his ears shall tingle.

13And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the weight of the house of Achab: and I will efface Jerusalem, as writings tables are wont to be effaced, and I will erase and turn it, and draw the pencil often over the face thereof.

14And I will leave the remnants of my inheritance, and will deliver them into the hands of their enemies: and they shall become a prey, and a spoil to all their enemies.

15Because they have done evil before me, and have continued to provoke me, from the day that their fathers came out of Egypt, even unto this day.

16Moreover, Manasses shed also very much innocent blood, till he filled Jerusalem up to the mouth: besides his sins, wherewith he made Juda to sin, to do evil before the Lord.

17Now the rest of the acts of Manasses, and all that he did, and his sin, which he sinned, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?

18And Manasses slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Oza: and Amon, his son, reigned in his stead.

19Two and twenty years old was Amon when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Messalemeth, the daughter of Harus, of Jeteba.

20And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasses, his father, had done.

21And he walked in all the way in which his father had walked: and he served the abominations which his father had served, and he adored them.

22And forsook the Lord, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.

23And his servants plotted against him, and slew the king in his own house.

24But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon: and made Josias, his son, their king in his stead.

25But the rest of the acts of Amon, which he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?

26And they buried him in his sepulchre, in the garden of Oza: and his son, Josias, reigned in his stead.

Important Verses in 2 Kings 21

Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Haphsiba.

2 Kings 21:1

And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two courts of the temple of the Lord.

2 Kings 21:5

Therefore thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring on evils upon Jerusalem and Juda: that whosoever shall hear of them, both his ears shall tingle.

2 Kings 21:12

And forsook the Lord, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.

2 Kings 21:22

Historical Context

2 Kings belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for the exiles in Babylon, called to repentance and hope. Chapter 21 of 25 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 26 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Manasses, Josiah, Ahab and Hezekiah, the principal figures named in this chapter. It opens with the line: "Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his…" It concludes: "And they buried him in his sepulchre, in the garden of Oza: and his son, Josias, reigned in his stead. " The wider setting of 2 Kings is this: Second Kings continues from Elijah's fiery departure and Elisha's ministry to the destruction of both kingdoms: Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC and Judah to Babylon in 587 BC, when the Temple was burned. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of 2 Kings around Events from about 850 to 560 BC; final form during the Babylonian exile.

Who Wrote It

Unknown; compiled by prophetic circles, traditionally linked to Jeremiah

When It Was Written

Events from about 850 to 560 BC; final form during the Babylonian exile

Catholic Commentary

The prophet addresses Israel with a message rooted in covenant fidelity and the hope of restoration. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Haphsiba." The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 1700). Here, the prophets prepared for Christ and called Israel to repentance (CIC 64, 522). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God sends prophets to call His people back. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, 2 Kings 21 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • God's kingdom is not of this world; every earthly throne stands under His eternal reign.

People in This Chapter

Manasses7 mentionsJosiah2 mentionsAhab2 mentionsHezekiah1 mentionSolomon1 mentionDavid1 mention

Reflection for Today

The late section of 2 Kings—Chapter 21 of 25—opens a particular moment in the story of prophets, kings, and exile.

According to Catholic teaching, the prophets prepared for Christ and called Israel to repentance (CIC 64, 522). This chapter especially highlights Mary and the communion of saints, a theme the Catechism develops in relation to the whole of revelation (CIC 355).

May your reading of 2 Kings Chapter 21 become true lectio divina: read the words, meditate on their meaning, respond in prayer, and rest in God's presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to show how God sends prophets to call His people back applies to your life today.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 2 Kings Chapter 21 about?

2 Kings 21 contains 26 verses. It opens with "Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his…" and closes with "And they buried him in his sepulchre, in the garden of Oza: and his son, Josias, reigned in his stead. ". The book as a whole is historical narrative with prophetic accounts.

What is a key verse in 2 Kings 21?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Haphsiba." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in 2 Kings Chapter 21?

This chapter mentions Manasses, Josiah, Ahab, Hezekiah, Solomon, among others.

Who wrote 2 Kings and when?

Unknown; compiled by prophetic circles, traditionally linked to Jeremiah. Events from about 850 to 560 BC; final form during the Babylonian exile.

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