And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
Ver. 12. And when he was in affliction.] When the rod spake, he heard it Mic 6:9 who would not hear the word. 2Ch 33:10 God sent him into the dungeon to repent; as he did David into the depths, and Jonah into the whale's belly to pray. Adversity hath whipt many a soul to heaven, which otherwise prosperity had coached to hell.
He besought the Lord.] There is a prayer extant that is said to be his, pia sane et elegans, saith Lavater; but it is Apocryphal, as not found in the Hebrew text.
And humbled himself greatly.] As he had sinned greatly, so his humiliation bore a proportion, being deep, downright, and such as brought him home. The prodigal changed many places ere he came home in earnest. Many came out of Egypt, that never came into Canaan. Ahab humbled himself, so did those justiciaries, Isa 58:3 but not greatly, as Manasseh; their sorrow for sin was but skin deep.