2 Kings 17:2

2 He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Yisra'el who were before him.

2 Kings 17:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:2

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but
not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
] He did not worship Baal, as some of them had done; and he could not worship the calves, as all of them had, for they were carried away by the Assyrians in the former captivities, as the Jews F19 say; and who also observe F20, that he removed the garrisons set on the borders of the land to watch the Israelites, that they might not go up to Jerusalem; and this being done on the fifteenth of Ab, that day was afterwards observed as a festival on that account; and they further remark F21, that the captivity of the ten tribes was in the reign of this king, who was better than the rest, to show that it was not barely the sins of the kings on whom the Israelites would cast the blame, that they were carried captives, but their own, according to ( Hosea 5:3 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F19 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 22.
F20 T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 88. Kimchi in loc.
F21 Seder Olam Raba, ut supra. (c. 22.)

2 Kings 17:2 In-Context

1 In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Yehudah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Shomron over Yisra'el, [and reigned] nine years.
2 He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Yisra'el who were before him.
3 Against him came up Shalman'eser king of Ashshur; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.
4 The king of Ashshur found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Mitzrayim, and offered no tribute to the king of Ashshur, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Ashshur shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Ashshur came up throughout all the land, and went up to Shomron, and besieged it three years.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.