“And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Chronicles 33:6 Mean?
2 Chronicles 33:6 catalogs the spiritual atrocities of King Manasseh, one of Judah's most wicked kings. The verse is a concentrated list of horrors: child sacrifice, divination, sorcery, witchcraft, and consulting with mediums and spiritists. Each practice was explicitly forbidden in the Torah (Deuteronomy 18:10-12), making Manasseh's reign a deliberate, systematic rejection of God's law.
"Caused his children to pass through the fire" refers to the worship of Molech in the Valley of Hinnom (Ge-Hinnom, later "Gehenna"), where children were sacrificed by being placed on the heated bronze arms of an idol. This valley became so associated with evil that Jesus later used "Gehenna" as the term for hell. The phrase "observed times" refers to astrology and reading omens; "enchantments" and "witchcraft" refer to various forms of sorcery and spell-casting.
What makes this verse especially tragic is context: Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah, one of Judah's greatest reformer-kings. Hezekiah had torn down the high places, restored temple worship, and led national revival. Within one generation, his son reversed everything and plunged deeper into darkness than nearly any king before him. The text emphasizes that Manasseh "wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger" — this wasn't passive drift but active, intentional provocation.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Manasseh grew up with a godly father and still chose a radically different path. How do you hold the tension between influence and personal choice — especially with people you love?
- 2.What 'small' compromises in your own life could you see leading somewhere much darker if left unchecked?
- 3.The valley of Hinnom was a real place associated with real evil. Are there places, habits, or relationships in your life that you've let become associated with patterns you know are harmful?
- 4.Manasseh's story doesn't end in this verse — he eventually repented. Is there someone in your life you've written off as 'too far gone'? What would it look like to hold space for the possibility of their return?
Devotional
This is one of those verses that's hard to read, and it should be. Children sacrificed to idols, occult practices embraced at the highest level of leadership — it's horrifying. But before we distance ourselves from Manasseh as some ancient monster, it's worth asking what this story reveals about how far and how fast someone can fall.
Manasseh grew up in Hezekiah's household. He had a front-row seat to genuine faith. And yet he chose the opposite path — not gradually, but aggressively. The text doesn't describe someone who slowly drifted; it describes someone who actively pursued evil. That's a sobering reminder that proximity to faith doesn't automatically produce faith. Growing up in the right environment doesn't guarantee you'll stay there.
But here's what's remarkable — and you have to read ahead in the chapter to get the full picture: Manasseh eventually repented. After God allowed him to be captured and humiliated by the Assyrians, he humbled himself and turned back. The man who did the worst things imaginable wasn't beyond the reach of God's mercy. That doesn't minimize the damage he caused, but it does speak to the relentless persistence of grace, even toward people who seem completely lost.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
We have here an account of the great wickedness of Manasseh. It is the same almost word for word with that which we had…
And he caused R.V. He also made. There is stress on the pronoun "He" (that wicked one!).
to pass through the fire Cp.…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture