2 Kings 17:15

15 et abiecerunt legitima eius et pactum quod pepigit cum patribus eorum et testificationes quibus contestatus est eos secutique sunt vanitates et vane egerunt et secuti sunt gentes quae erant per circuitum eorum super quibus praeceperat Dominus eis ut non facerent sicut et illae faciebant

2 Kings 17:15 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:15

And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made
with their fathers
At Sinai and Horeb, see ( Exodus 24:8 ) ( Deuteronomy 29:1 ) ,

and his testimonies which he testified against them;
calling heaven and earth to witness what he would do to them if they broke his laws, ( Deuteronomy 4:26 ) ( 30:19 ) ( 32:1 ) , and which were so many testifications of his mind and will what they should do, or otherwise what should be done to them; Ben Gersom also interprets this of the feasts of the passover and tabernacles, which were witnesses of Israel's coming out of Egypt, and of the sanctification and redemption of the firstborn, a testimony of the slaying the firstborn in Egypt:

and they followed vanity;
idols, which are vain things for help, can neither hear, see, speak

and became vain;
as sottish and stupid as the idols they worshipped; which is the usual fruit and effect of idolatry, see ( Romans 1:21-28 )

and went after the heathen that were round about them:
imitated them in their idolatrous practices, as the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites concerning

whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them;
of this charge see ( Deuteronomy 6:13 Deuteronomy 6:14 ) .

2 Kings 17:15 In-Context

13 et testificatus est Dominus in Israhel et in Iuda per manum omnium prophetarum et videntum dicens revertimini a viis vestris pessimis et custodite praecepta mea et caerimonias iuxta omnem legem quam praecepi patribus vestris et sicut misi ad vos in manu servorum meorum prophetarum
14 qui non audierunt sed induraverunt cervicem suam iuxta cervicem patrum suorum qui noluerunt oboedire Domino Deo suo
15 et abiecerunt legitima eius et pactum quod pepigit cum patribus eorum et testificationes quibus contestatus est eos secutique sunt vanitates et vane egerunt et secuti sunt gentes quae erant per circuitum eorum super quibus praeceperat Dominus eis ut non facerent sicut et illae faciebant
16 et dereliquerunt omnia praecepta Domini Dei sui feceruntque sibi conflatiles duos vitulos et lucos et adoraverunt universam militiam caeli servieruntque Baal
17 et consecrabant ei filios suos et filias suas per ignem et divinationibus inserviebant et auguriis et tradiderunt se ut facerent malum coram Domino et inritarent eum
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.