Bible Strands
2 Kings 20:21
And Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the conclusion of Hezekiah’s reign and the immediate accession of his son Manasseh. This statement closes the chapter on Hezekiah’s life and marks a dynastic transition in Judah.
The words — וַ/יִּשְׁכַּ֥ב (va/i.yish.Kav) literally means “and he lay down,” and וַ/יִּמְלֹ֛ךְ (va/i.yim.Lokh) means “and he became king.” These paired verbs structurally bookend the royal succession.
The thread — This formula appears in 1 Kings 2:10, 1 Kings 11:43, and 2 Chronicles 32:33. Each passage uses identical phrasing to document a king’s death and the immediate enthronement of his son.
Why it lands — The text states a factual transfer of power without commentary. It requires the reader to observe how the biblical record tracks dynastic continuity through standardized historical markers rather than moral evaluation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
Cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 32:33 And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 2:10 Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
- 1 Kings 11:43 And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 14:31 And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.
- 2 Kings 21:18 And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And his son Amon reigned in his place.
- 2 Chronicles 26:23 And Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field of burial that belonged to the kings, for the people said, “He was a leper.” And his son Jotham reigned in his place.