2 Kings 17:23-33

23 ¹until * the LORD removed Israel from His sight, ²as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. ³So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

24 ⁴The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from ⁵Avva and from ⁶Hamath 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 ⁷did 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 ⁸in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.

30 ⁹The 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 ¹⁰the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to ¹¹Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of ¹²Sepharvaim.

32 ¹³They also feared the LORD and ¹⁴appointed 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.

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2 Kings 17:23-33 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 14

1. 2 Kings 17:6
2. 2 Kings 17:13
3. 2 Kings 17:6
4. Ezra 4:2, 10
5. 2 Kings 18:34
6. 1 Kings 8:65
7. 2 Kings 17:32-41
8. 1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 13:32
9. 2 Kings 17:24
10. 2 Kings 17:17
11. 2 Kings 19:37
12. 2 Kings 17:24
13. Zephaniah 1:5
14. 1 Kings 12:31

Footnotes 4

[a]. In 2 Kin 18:34, "Ivvah"
[b]. Lit "exile from there"
[c]. Lit "them"
[d]. Lit "made for themselves from among"