2 Kings 17:20-30

20 The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and ¹gave them into the hand of plunderers, until * He had cast them out of His sight.

21 When ²He had torn Israel from the house of David, ³they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then ⁴Jeroboam 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 ⁵until * the LORD removed Israel from His sight, ⁶as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. ⁷So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

24 ⁸The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from ⁹Avva and from ¹⁰Hamath 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 ¹¹did 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 ¹²in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.

30 ¹³The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

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2 Kings 17:20-30 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 13

1. 2 Kings 15:29
2. 1 Kings 11:11, 31
3. 1 Kings 12:20
4. 1 Kings 12:28-33
5. 2 Kings 17:6
6. 2 Kings 17:13
7. 2 Kings 17:6
8. Ezra 4:2, 10
9. 2 Kings 18:34
10. 1 Kings 8:65
11. 2 Kings 17:32-41
12. 1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 13:32
13. 2 Kings 17:24

Footnotes 6

[a]. Lit "seed"
[b]. Lit "from His face"
[c]. Lit "sin"
[d]. In 2 Kin 18:34, "Ivvah"
[e]. Lit "exile from there"
[f]. Lit "them"