2 Kings 17:17

17 Then 1they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and 2practiced divination and enchantments, and 3sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.

2 Kings 17:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:17

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through
the fire
To Baal or Moloch, which were the same, and represented the sun, which, as the above writer observes, presides in the element of fire; this was done either by way of lustration, or so as to be burnt, see ( 2 Kings 16:3 )

and used divination and enchantments:
to get knowledge of what was to be done at present, or of things to come, neglecting the word of God and his prophets, and acting against the express law of God, ( Deuteronomy 18:10-12 )

and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke
him to anger;
as Ahab their king did, see ( 1 Kings 21:20 1 Kings 21:25 ) , they were as much the servants of sin as if they had sold themselves to be slaves to it.

2 Kings 17:17 In-Context

15 They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD 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 two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.
17 Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD , provoking Him.
18 So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah.
19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.

Cross References 3

  • 1. 2 Kings 16:3
  • 2. Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10-12
  • 3. 1 Kings 21:20
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