Manasseh receives a negative evaluation that contrasts sharply with the one given his predecessor and father Hezekiah. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied doom for the people of Judah because of the sins of Manasseh (Jer 15.4).

According to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel: This expression has already been used to describe the reigns of Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14.24) and Ahaz (2 Kgs 16.3). See the comments there. The meaning of this expression is given more precisely in the verses that follow. Following the abominable practices of the nations is forbidden in Deut 12.29-31.

The nations refers to the various groups of people who lived in the land of Canaan prior to their being driven out of the area by the LORD. New Century Version translates “the other nations” in order to make it quite clear that these were non-Israelite peoples.

The writer does not state why the LORD drove out the people who were living in the land. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente makes this explicit by saying “he followed the disgusting practices of the people whom the Lord had deprived of their land in order to make a place for the Israelites.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .