2 Kings 17:24

24 Forsooth the king of Assyrians brought people from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and set them in the cities of Samaria for the sons of Israel (and put them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites); and these had in possession Samaria, and they dwelled in the cities thereof.

2 Kings 17:24 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:24

And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon
Which was at this time under the dominion of the king of Assyria; though in a little time after this it revolted, and had a king of its own, ( 2 Kings 20:12 ) , this king of Assyria was either Shalmaneser, who carried Israel captive, or it may be rather his son Esarhaddon, see ( Ezra 4:2 ) ,

and from Cuthah;
which, according to Josephus ^F11, was a city in Persia, where was a river of the same name; but it was rather a place in Erech, in the country of Babylon, (See Gill on Genesis 10:10),

and from Ava;
the same with Ivah, ( Isaiah 37:13 ) , where perhaps a colony of the Avim had settled, ( Deuteronomy 2:23 )

and from Hamath;
a city of Syria, which lay on the northern borders of the land of Canaan, ( Numbers 34:8 )

and from Sepharvaim;
thought by some to be the Sippara of Ptolemy, or the Sippareni of Abydenus, in Mesopotamia; though Vitringa takes it to be a city in Syro-Phoenicia, (See Gill on Isaiah 36:19),

and placed them in the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of
Israel;
not in Samaria, which was now destroyed, according to the prophecy in ( Micah 1:6 ) as Abarbinel and other Jewish writers note:

and they possessed Samaria;
as an inheritance; sowed it with corn, and planted vineyards there:

and dwelt in the cities thereof;
in the several parts of the kingdom.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 14. sect. 1.

2 Kings 17:24 In-Context

22 And the sons of Israel went in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done (And the Israelites went in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done); and they departed not from those sins,

23 till the Lord did away Israel from his face, as he spake in the hand of all his servants (the) prophets; and Israel was translated/was brought over from his land into Assyrians till into this day (and the Israelites were carried away/were brought over from their own land into Assyria, and they be there unto this day).

24 Forsooth the king of Assyrians brought people from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and set them in the cities of Samaria for the sons of Israel (and put them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites); and these had in possession Samaria, and they dwelled in the cities thereof.

25 And when they began to dwell there, they dreaded not the Lord; and the Lord sent to them lions, the which killed them. (And when they began to live there, they did not fear the Lord/they did not revere the Lord; and the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.)

26 And it was told to the king of Assyrians, and was said, The folks which thou hast translated, and madest to dwell in the cities of Samaria, know not the lawful things of [the] God of the land; and the Lord hath sent lions into them, and lo! those slay them; for they know not the custom of [the] God of the land. (And it was told to the king of Assyria, and it was said, The peoples whom thou hast transferred, and madest to live in the cities of Samaria, know not the laws of the God of the land; and so the Lord hath sent lions among them, and lo! they have killed some of the people; for they know not the customs of the God of the land.)