And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
He made his son pass through fire, practiced fortune-telling, used magic spells, and consulted spirits and mediums. He did many evil things that the LORD could see, making God angry.
This verse describes how King Manasseh engaged in detestable occult practices, including child sacrifice, which greatly angered God.
📚 Historical Context
In the 7th century BC, King Manasseh of Judah ascended to the throne after his father Hezekiah, who had led reforms to restore worship of God. Manasseh reversed these reforms by adopting pagan practices such as child sacrifice and sorcery, which were common among the surrounding nations like the Canaanites and explicitly forbidden in Israel's covenant with God. These actions contributed to widespread idolatry in Judah and are depicted in the Bible as a key factor in God's judgment leading to the Babylonian exile.
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