2 Kings 17

Hoshea Reigns over Israel

1 In the twelfth * year of Ahaz king of Judah, ¹Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned nine years.

2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, only not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

3 ²Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up ³against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute.

4 But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison *.

5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land and went up to ⁴Samaria and besieged * it three years.

Israel Captive

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, ⁵the king of Assyria captured Samaria and ⁶carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and ⁷settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of ⁸Gozan, and ⁹in the cities of the Medes.

Why Israel Fell

7 Now ¹⁰this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, ¹¹who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, ¹²and they had feared other gods

8 and ¹³walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before * the sons of Israel, and in the customs ¹⁴of the kings of Israel which they had introduced.

9 The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from ¹⁵watchtower to fortified city.

10 ¹⁶They set for themselves sacred pillars and ¹⁷Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree,

11 and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the LORD had carried away to exile before * them; and they did evil things provoking the LORD.

12 They served idols, ¹⁸concerning which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."

13 Yet the ¹⁹LORD warned Israel and Judah ²⁰through all His prophets and ²¹every seer, saying, "²²Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets."

14 However, they did not listen, but ²³stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.

15 ²⁴They rejected His statutes and ²⁵His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And ²⁶they followed * vanity and ²⁷became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the ²⁸LORD had commanded them not to do like them.

16 They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even ²⁹two calves, and ³⁰made an Asherah and ³¹worshiped all the host of heaven and ³²served Baal.

17 Then ³³they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and ³⁴practiced divination and enchantments, and ³⁵sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.

18 So the LORD was very angry with Israel and ³⁶removed them from His sight; ³⁷none was left except * the tribe of Judah.

19 Also ³⁸Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but ³⁹walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.

20 The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and ⁴⁰gave them into the hand of plunderers, until * He had cast them out of His sight.

21 When ⁴¹He had torn Israel from the house of David, ⁴²they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then ⁴³Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.

22 The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them

23 ⁴⁴until * the LORD removed Israel from His sight, ⁴⁵as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. ⁴⁶So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

24 ⁴⁷The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from ⁴⁸Avva and from ⁴⁹Hamath and Sephar-vaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.

25 At the beginning of their living there, they ⁵⁰did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them.

26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land."

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land."

28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

29 But every nation still made gods of its own and put them ⁵¹in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.

30 ⁵²The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and ⁵³the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to ⁵⁴Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of ⁵⁵Sepharvaim.

32 ⁵⁶They also feared the LORD and ⁵⁷appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places.

33 They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.

34 To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, ⁵⁸whom He named * Israel;

35 with whom the LORD made a covenant and commanded them, saying, "⁵⁹You shall not fear other gods, nor ⁶⁰bow down yourselves to them nor ⁶¹serve them nor sacrifice to them.

36 "But the LORD, ⁶²who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with ⁶³an outstretched arm, ⁶⁴Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.

37 "The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, ⁶⁵you shall observe to do forever *; and you shall not fear other gods.

38 "The covenant that I have made with you, ⁶⁶you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39 "But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."

40 However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom.

41 ⁶⁷So while these nations feared the LORD, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this 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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 15:30
• 2. Hosea 10:14
• 3. 2 Kings 18:9-12
• 4. Hosea 13:16
• 5. Hosea 13:16
• 6. Deuteronomy 28:64; Deuteronomy 29:27, 28
• 7. 2 Kings 18:11; 1 Chronicles 5:26
• 8. Isaiah 37:12
• 9. Isaiah 13:17; Isaiah 21:2
• 10. Joshua 23:16
• 11. Exodus 14:15-30
• 12. Judges 6:10
• 13. Leviticus 18:3; Deuteronomy 18:9
• 14. 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 17:19
• 15. 2 Kings 18:8
• 16. Exodus 34:12-14
• 17. 1 Kings 14:23; Micah 5:14
• 18. Exodus 20:4
• 19. Nehemiah 9:29, 30
• 20. 2 Kings 17:23
• 21. 1 Samuel 9:9
• 22. Jeremiah 7:3-7; Jeremiah 18:11; Ezekiel 18:31
• 23. Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:3; Acts 7:51
• 24. Jeremiah 8:9
• 25. Exodus 24:6-8; Deuteronomy 29:25
• 26. Deuteronomy 32:21
• 27. Jeremiah 2:5; Romans 1:21-23
• 28. Deuteronomy 12:30, 31
• 29. 1 Kings 12:28
• 30. 1 Kings 14:15, 23
• 31. Deuteronomy 4:19; 2 Kings 21:3
• 32. 1 Kings 16:31
• 33. 2 Kings 16:3
• 34. Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10-12
• 35. 1 Kings 21:20
• 36. 2 Kings 17:6
• 37. 1 Kin 11:13, 32, 36
• 38. 1 Kings 14:22, 23
• 39. 2 Kings 16:3
• 40. 2 Kings 15:29
• 41. 1 Kings 11:11, 31
• 42. 1 Kings 12:20
• 43. 1 Kings 12:28-33
• 44. 2 Kings 17:6
• 45. 2 Kings 17:13
• 46. 2 Kings 17:6
• 47. Ezra 4:2, 10
• 48. 2 Kings 18:34
• 49. 1 Kings 8:65
• 50. 2 Kings 17:32-41
• 51. 1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 13:32
• 52. 2 Kings 17:24
• 53. 2 Kings 17:17
• 54. 2 Kings 19:37
• 55. 2 Kings 17:24
• 56. Zephaniah 1:5
• 57. 1 Kings 12:31
• 58. Genesis 32:28; Genesis 35:10
• 59. Judges 6:10
• 60. Exodus 20:5
• 61. Deuteronomy 5:9
• 62. Exodus 14:15-30
• 63. Exodus 6:6; Exodus 9:15
• 64. Leviticus 19:32; Deuteronomy 6:13
• 65. Deuteronomy 5:32
• 66. Deuteronomy 4:23; Deuteronomy 6:12
• 67. Zephaniah 1:5; Matthew 6:24

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "revered," and so throughout the ch
• [b]. Lit "statutes"
• [c]. Lit "made"
• [d]. Or "uttered words which"
• [e]. I.e. wooden symbols of a female deity
• [f]. Lit "like the neck of"
• [g]. I.e. a wooden symbol of a female deity
• [h]. Lit "face"
• [i]. Lit "statutes"
• [j]. Lit "of Israel which they"
• [k]. Lit "made"
• [l]. Lit "seed"
• [m]. Lit "from His face"
• [n]. Lit "sin"
• [o]. In 2 Kin 18:34, "Ivvah"
• [p]. Lit "exile from there"
• [q]. Lit "them"
• [r]. Lit "made for themselves from among"
• [s]. Lit "do according to"
• [t]. Or "graven images"

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.