1 Chronicles 3:13
Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,
Original Language Analysis
בְנֽוֹ׃
his son
H1121
בְנֽוֹ׃
his son
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
2 of 6
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
חִזְקִיָּ֥הוּ
Hezekiah
H2396
חִזְקִיָּ֥הוּ
Hezekiah
Strong's:
H2396
Word #:
3 of 6
chizkijah, a king of judah, also the name of two other israelites
בְנֽוֹ׃
his son
H1121
בְנֽוֹ׃
his son
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
4 of 6
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
Cross References
2 Kings 18:1Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.2 Kings 16:1In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.2 Chronicles 33:1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:2 Chronicles 29:1Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
Historical Context
Ahaz ruled 735-715 BC during Assyria's expansion; Hezekiah 715-686 BC, surviving Sennacherib's siege (701 BC); Manasseh 696-642 BC, Judah's longest reign. Manasseh's 55-year rule allowed deep syncretism that Josiah's later reforms couldn't fully eradicate, contributing to eventual exile (2 Kings 23:26-27).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the Ahaz-Hezekiah-Manasseh sequence challenge assumptions that godly parenting guarantees godly children?
- What hope does Hezekiah's faithfulness despite Ahaz's wickedness offer if you came from a difficult spiritual background?
Analysis & Commentary
Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son—this sequence presents Judah's most dramatic spiritual oscillation: wicked Ahaz (אָחָז, 'he has grasped'), righteous Hezekiah (חִזְקִיָּהוּ, 'Yahweh strengthens'), and wicked Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, 'causing to forget'). Ahaz promoted Baal worship and sacrificed his sons (2 Kings 16:3); Hezekiah reformed Judah and trusted God through Assyrian crisis (2 Kings 18-20); Manasseh reintroduced abominations and shed innocent blood (2 Kings 21:16).
This genealogical segment proves godliness neither guarantees godly offspring nor results from godly parents—each generation must choose covenant faithfulness. Hezekiah's reforms didn't prevent Manasseh's apostasy, yet Manasseh's evil didn't doom Josiah (his grandson) to wickedness. God's grace remains accessible to every generation, regardless of ancestral patterns.