“And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:”
My Notes
What Does 2 Kings 21:7 Mean?
"And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever." Manasseh places an Asherah pole — a pagan idol — inside the temple itself. Inside the house where God said he would put his name forever. The desecration is maximally offensive: the very building God chose as his dwelling becomes the showcase for a rival god.
The narrator quotes God's promise to David and Solomon about the temple specifically to heighten the contrast. God said: my name, forever, in this house. Manasseh says: Asherah, right here, in the same house. The idol stands where the name of God was promised. The profanation is comprehensive — not just idolatry but idolatry in the one place on earth God designated as uniquely his.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'idols' have you placed in spaces God designated as exclusively his?
- 2.How does Manasseh's addition of gods (not removal of God) mirror the most common form of modern idolatry?
- 3.What promise about God's presence are you violating by dividing your devotion?
- 4.Where in your life have you turned something meant for God alone into a space shared with rivals?
Devotional
An idol in the temple. Manasseh places an Asherah pole in the very house where God said he would put his name forever. The building Solomon spent seven years constructing for God's glory now houses a carved image of a Canaanite fertility goddess.
The narrator deliberately quotes God's promise — in this house, I will put my name forever — to make sure you feel the full weight of the desecration. This isn't idolatry in the marketplace. It's idolatry in God's living room. It's putting another god's image in the space where God's presence dwells. It's the ultimate insult: I'm going to use your house for my gods.
Manasseh didn't remove God from the temple. He added to God. He kept the temple operating — the sacrifices continued, the priests served — but he installed other gods alongside the LORD. That's how the worst idolatry works. Not by removing God but by adding rivals. Not by abandoning worship but by diversifying it. God plus Asherah. The LORD plus Baal. Faith plus alternatives.
The temple was supposed to be exclusive. One God. One name. One house. Manasseh turned it into a religious shopping mall. And the narrator makes sure you know this isn't just a political decision. It's a violation of a specific promise God made to David about this specific building.
What has God designated as exclusively his in your life — and what have you installed alongside him?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Which was either an image that had been placed in a grove planted by him, and now removed into the house or temple of…
A graven image of the grove - Rather, “the carved work of the Asherah.” This Asherah which Manasseh placed in the very…
He set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house - Every one may see that Asherah here must signify an…
How delightful were our meditations on the last reign! How many pleasing views had we of Sion in its glory (that is, in…
A graven image of the grave R.V. the graven image of Asherah. Though usually of wood, such images were also made of…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture