2 Kings 17

1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz, king of Judah, Hoshea, the son of Elah, reigned in Samaria upon Israel nine years. (In the twelfth year of Ahaz, the king of Judah, Hoshea, the son of Elah, began to reign in Samaria upon Israel, and he reigned for nine years.)

2 And he did evil before the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel, that were before him.

3 Shalmaneser, king of Assyrians, went up against Hoshea, and Hoshea was made (a) servant to him, and yielded tributes to him (and paid him taxes).

4 And when the king of Assyrians had perceived, that Hoshea enforced to rebel, and (that he) had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, that he should not give tributes to the king of Assyrians, as he was wont (to do) by all years, the king of Assyrians besieged him, and sent him bound into prison. (And when the king of Assyria had perceived that Hoshea endeavoured to rebel, for he had sent messengers to So, the king of Egypt, asking for help, and thereafter paid no taxes to the king of Assyria, as he had done before by all years, the king of Assyria besieged him, and bound him, and put him in prison.)

5 And Shalmaneser went through[out] all the land, and he went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

6 Forsooth in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyrians took Samaria, and translated Israel into (the) Assyrians (and carried away all the Israelites to Assyria); and he put them in Halah, and in Habor, beside the flood [of] Gozan, (and) in the cities of (the) Medes.

7 Forsooth it was done, when the sons of Israel had sinned before their Lord God, that led them out of the land of Egypt, from (under) the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, they worshipped alien gods; (For it was, that the Israelites had sinned before the Lord their God, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, for they worshipped foreign, or other, gods,)

8 and went by the custom of heathen men, which the Lord had wasted in the sight of the sons of Israel (whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites), and (the custom) of the kings of Israel, for they had done in like manner.

9 And the sons of Israel offended their Lord God by words not rightful, and they builded to themselves high things in all their cities, from the tower of (the) keepers unto a strengthened city. (And the Israelites offended the Lord their God with things that were not right, and they built for themselves hill shrines in all their cities, from a watchman's tower unto a fortified city.)

10 And they made to them(selves) images, and maumet woods, in each high hill, and under each tree full of boughs; (And they set up images, or idols, for themselves, and idol groves, or sacred poles, on each high hill, and under each tree full of boughs;)

11 and they burnt there incense on the altars, by the custom of heathen men, which the Lord had translated from the face of them. And they did [the] worst words, that is, (the) worst works, and they wrathed the Lord; (and they burned incense on the altars there, by the custom of the heathen, whom the Lord had carried away from before them. And they did the worst works, and they stirred the Lord to great anger;)

12 and [they] worshipped [the] uncleannesses, of which the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do this word. (and they worshipped idols, which the Lord had commanded to them, that they should not do this thing.)

13 And the Lord witnessed in Israel and in Judah, by the hand of all (the) prophets, and [the] seers, and said, Turn ye again from your worst ways/your full evil ways, and keep my commandments, and [my] ceremonies, by all the law which I commanded to your fathers, and as I sent to you in the hand of my servants (the) prophets. (And the Lord witnessed against Israel and Judah, by all of his prophets, and seers, and said, Turn ye away from your worst ways/from your full evil ways, and keep my commandments, and my statutes, by all the Law which I commanded to your forefathers, and as I sent word to you by my servants the prophets.)

14 Which heard not, but made hard their noll by the noll of their fathers, that would not obey to their Lord God. (But they would not listen, but hardened, or stiffened, their necks, or were stubborn, like their forefathers, who also would not obey the Lord their God.)

15 And they casted away the lawful things of him, and the covenant that he covenanted with their fathers, and the witnessings by which he witnessed to them; and they followed vanities, that is, idols, and did vainly; and followed heathen men, that were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as also those heathen men did. (And they threw away his laws, and the covenant that he had covenanted with their forefathers, and the witnessings, or the testimonies, by which he had witnessed to them; and they followed vain, or worthless, idols; and followed the heathen, who were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as those heathen did.)

16 And they forsook all the commandments of their Lord God, and they made to them two molten calves, and maumet woods, and worshipped all the knighthood of (the) heaven(s) (and they made for themselves two cast metal calves, and idol groves, or poles, and worshipped all the host of heaven), that is, (the) sun, and moon, and other planets; and they served Baal,

17 and [they] hallowed to him their sons, and their daughters, through fire, and they served to false divining, and to divining by chittering of birds; and they gave themselves to do evil before the Lord, and they wrathed him. (and they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to him, by burning them in the fire, and they served false divining, and divining by the twittering of birds; and they gave themselves to do evil before the Lord, and they stirred him to great anger.)

18 And the Lord was wroth greatly to Israel; and he took away them from his sight, and none (was) left, no but the lineage of Judah only. (And the Lord was greatly angered with Israel; and he put them away from before him, and no one was left, but only the tribe of Judah.)

19 But neither Judah himself kept the behests of the Lord his God, but nevertheless he erred, and went in the error of Israel, which it wrought. (Yet even the people of Judah themselves did not obey the commandments of the Lord their God, but they also erred, and went in the error of Israel, which they also did.)

20 And the Lord casted away all the seed of Israel, and tormented them, and betook them in the hand of raveners; till he had cast away them from his face, (And so the Lord threw away all the descendants of Israel, and tormented them, and delivered them into the hands of robbers, or of plunderers; until he had thrown them all away from before his face,)

21 from that time in which Israel was parted from the house of David, and [they] made to them a king (and they made a king for themselves), Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. For Jeroboam separated Israel from the Lord, and made them to do great sin.

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.)

27 Soothly the king of Assyrians commanded, and said, Led ye thither one of the priests, which ye brought (as) prisoners from thence, that he go, and dwell with them, and teach them the lawful things of (the) God of the land (and teach them the laws of the God of the land).

28 Therefore when one of these priests had come, that were led (away as) prisoners from Samaria, he dwelled in Bethel, and taught them, how they should worship the Lord. (And so when one of those priests, who were led away as prisoners from Samaria, had come, he lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should worship the Lord.)

29 And each folk made his god, and they setted those gods in the high temples, which the men of Samaria had made, folk and folk in their cities, in which they dwelled. (But each people made their own god, and they put those gods in the high temples, which the men of Samaria had made, yea, each people in their city, in which they lived.)

30 For men of Babylon made Succothbenoth; and men of Cuth made Nergal; and men of Hamath made Ashima;

31 and (the) Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; soothly they that were of Sepharvaim burnt their sons in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

32 And nevertheless they (still) worshipped the Lord; forsooth of the last men, that is, of vile persons, that were not of (the) priests? kin, by the law of Moses, they made priests of the high things, and setted them in (the) high temples. (And though they still worshipped the Lord, they made the lowest men, that is, the most vile persons, who were not of the priests? kin, after the law of Moses, to be the priests of the hill shrines, and put them in the temples there.)

33 And when they worshipped God, they served also their gods, by the custom of heathen men, from which they were translated to Samaria; (And while they worshipped God, they also served their own gods, after the custom of the heathen, from where they had been brought back to Samaria;)

34 till to this present day they follow the eld custom; they dreaded not the Lord, neither they keep his ceremonies, and dooms (and judgements), and law, and commandment, which the Lord commanded to the sons of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

35 and the Lord [had] smote a covenant with them, and [had] commanded to them, and said, Do not ye dread alien gods, and honour ye not outwardly them, neither worship ye inwardly them, and make ye not sacrifice to them; (and the Lord had made a covenant with them, and had commanded to them, and said, Do not ye fear foreign, or other, gods/Do not ye revere foreign, or other, gods, nor outwardly honour ye them, nor inwardly worship ye them, and make ye not sacrifice to them;)

36 but your Lord God, that led you out of the land of Egypt in great strength, and in an arm stretched out, dread ye him, and worship ye him, and make ye sacrifice to him. (but the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt with great strength, and with an out-stretched arm, fear ye him/revere ye him, and worship ye him, and make ye sacrifice to him.)

37 Also keep ye the ceremonies, and [the] dooms, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote to you, that ye do it in all days; and dread ye not alien gods. (And obey ye the statutes, and the judgements, and the laws, and the commandments, which he wrote for you, and that ye do them in all days; and fear ye not foreign, or other, gods/and revere ye not foreign, or other, gods.)

38 And do not ye forget the covenant, which he/the Lord smote with you, neither worship ye alien gods (nor worship ye foreign, or other, gods);

39 but dread ye your Lord God, and he shall deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. (but fear ye/but revere ye the Lord your God, and he shall rescue you from all of your enemies.)

40 Forsooth they heard not, but did by their former custom.

41 Therefore soothly these heathen men dreaded God; but nevertheless they served also their idols, for both their sons and the sons of their sons do so, till into this present day, as their fathers did. (And so these heathen feared God/revered God; but nevertheless they also served their idols, for both their sons and the sons of their sons do so, as their forefathers did, unto this present day.)

2 Kings 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

Reign of Hoshea in Israel, The israelites carried captives by the Assyrians. (1-6) Captivity of the Israelites. (7-23) The nations placed in the land of Israel. (24-41)

Verses 1-6 When the measure of sin is filled up, the Lord will forbear no longer. The inhabitants of Samaria must have endured great affliction. Some of the poor Israelites were left in the land. Those who were carried captives to a great distance, were mostly lost among the nations.

Verses 7-23 Though the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes was but briefly related, it is in these verses largely commented upon, and the reasons of it given. It was destruction from the Almighty: the Assyrian was but the rod of his anger, ( Isaiah 10:5 ) . Those that bring sin into a country or family, bring a plague into it, and will have to answer for all the mischief that follows. And vast as the outward wickedness of the world is, the secret sins, evil thoughts, desires, and purposes of mankind are much greater. There are outward sins which are marked by infamy; but ingratitude, neglect, and enmity to God, and the idolatry and impiety which proceed therefrom, are far more malignant. Without turning from every evil way, and keeping God's statutes, there can be no true godliness; but this must spring from belief of his testimony, as to wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and his mercy in Christ Jesus.

Verses 24-41 The terror of the Almighty will sometimes produce a forced or feigned submission in unconverted men; like those brought from different countries to inhabit Israel. But such will form unworthy thoughts of God, will expect to please him by outward forms, and will vainly try to reconcile his service with the love of the world and the indulgence of their lusts. May that fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, possess our hearts, and influence our conduct, that we may be ready for every change. Wordly settlements are uncertain; we know not whither we may be driven before we die, and we must soon leave the world; but the righteous hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 17

This chapter relates the captivity of the ten tribes of Israel, and how it came about, 2Ki 17:1-6, the cause of it, their idolatry, which they persisted in, notwithstanding the remonstrances made against it, 2Ki 17:7-23, in whose stead were placed people from different parts, who exercised a mixed religion, partly Heathenish, and partly Israelitish, 2Ki 17:24.