2Ch 33:8 | KD | STEP | The 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 ( ), 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 ( ) instead of the sing. לבּעל and אשׁרה (Kings), and בּנין ( ) instead of בּנו (see on ); by the addition of וכשּׁף to ונחשׁ עונן, and of the name the Vale of Hinnom, (see on , גּי for גּיא); by heaping up words for the law and its commandments ( ); and other small deviations, of which הסּמל פּסל ( ) instead of האשׁרה פּסל (Kings) is the most important. The word סמל, sculpture or statue, is derived from , but has perhaps been taken by the author of the Chronicle from , where סמל probably denotes the statue of Asherah. The form עילום for עולם ( ) is not elsewhere met with.

‏ 2 Chronicles 33:8

2Ch 33:1-9 The 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 Chronicle from Eze 8:3, where סמל probably denotes the statue of Asherah. The form עילום for עולם (2Ch 33:7) is not elsewhere met with.