of the third person having amalgamated with the first radical, under the influence of the ו consec. With the last clause in 2Ch 32:30 cf. 2Ch 31:21; 1Ch 29:23.
Verse 31
2Ch 32:31 “And so (i.e., accordingly) in the case of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, ... God left him.” וכן does not denote attamen; it never has an adversative meaning. Bertheau rightly translates, “and accordingly,” with the further remark, that by וכן the account of Hezekiah's treatment of the Babylonian ambassadors, which could not be reckoned among his fortunate deeds, is brought into harmony with the remark that he prospered in all his undertakings. It was permitted by God that Hezekiah should on this occasion be lifted up, and should commit an iniquity which could not but bring misfortune with it; not in order that He might plunge him into misfortune, but to try him, and to humble him (cf. 2Ch 32:26).
Verse 32
2Ch 32:32 הסדים, pious deeds, as in 2Ch 6:42. ישׂ הזון is the book of Isaiah's prophecies; see the Introduction.
Verse 33
Hezekiah was buried “on the height of the graves of the sons of David,” perhaps because there was no longer room in the hereditary burying-place of the kings; so that for Hezekiah and the succeeding kings special graves had to be prepared in a higher place of the graves of the kings. “They did him honour in his death,” by the burning of many spices, as we may conjecture (cf. 2Ch 16:14; 2Ch 21:19).
Chap. 33
Verses 1-9
2Ch 33:1-9The reign of Manasseh; cf. 2 Kings 21:1-18. - The characteristics of this king's reign, and of the idolatry which he again introduced, and increased in a measure surpassing all his predecessors (2Ch 33:1-9), agrees almost verbally with 2Ki 21:1-9. Here and there an expression is rhetorically generalized and intensified, e.g., by the plurals לבּעלים and אשׁרות (2Ch 33:3) instead of the sing. לבּעל and אשׁרה (Kings), and בּנין (2Ch 33:6) instead of בּנו (see on 2Ch 28:3); by the addition of וכשּׁף to ונחשׁ עונן, and of the name the Vale of Hinnom, 2Ch 33:6 (see on Jos 15:18, גּי for גּיא); by heaping up words for the law and its commandments (2Ch 33:8); and other small deviations, of which הסּמל פּסל (2Ch 33:7) instead of האשׁרה פּסל (Kings) is the most important. The word סמל, sculpture or statue, is derived from Deu 4:16, but has perhaps been taken by the author of the
