2 Kings 17:15

15 And they casted away the lawful things of him, and the covenant that he covenanted with their fathers, and the witnessings by which he witnessed to them; and they followed vanities, that is, idols, and did vainly; and followed heathen men, that were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as also those heathen men did. (And they threw away his laws, and the covenant that he had covenanted with their forefathers, and the witnessings, or the testimonies, by which he had witnessed to them; and they followed vain, or worthless, idols; and followed the heathen, who were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as those heathen did.)

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 And the Lord witnessed in Israel and in Judah, by the hand of all (the) prophets, and [the] seers, and said, Turn ye again from your worst ways/your full evil ways, and keep my commandments, and [my] ceremonies, by all the law which I commanded to your fathers, and as I sent to you in the hand of my servants (the) prophets. (And the Lord witnessed against Israel and Judah, by all of his prophets, and seers, and said, Turn ye away from your worst ways/from your full evil ways, and keep my commandments, and my statutes, by all the Law which I commanded to your forefathers, and as I sent word to you by my servants the prophets.)

14 Which heard not, but made hard their noll by the noll of their fathers, that would not obey to their Lord God. (But they would not listen, but hardened, or stiffened, their necks, or were stubborn, like their forefathers, who also would not obey the Lord their God.)

15 And they casted away the lawful things of him, and the covenant that he covenanted with their fathers, and the witnessings by which he witnessed to them; and they followed vanities, that is, idols, and did vainly; and followed heathen men, that were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as also those heathen men did. (And they threw away his laws, and the covenant that he had covenanted with their forefathers, and the witnessings, or the testimonies, by which he had witnessed to them; and they followed vain, or worthless, idols; and followed the heathen, who were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as those heathen did.)

16 And they forsook all the commandments of their Lord God, and they made to them two molten calves, and maumet woods, and worshipped all the knighthood of (the) heaven(s) (and they made for themselves two cast metal calves, and idol groves, or poles, and worshipped all the host of heaven), that is, (the) sun, and moon, and other planets; and they served Baal,

17 and [they] hallowed to him their sons, and their daughters, through fire, and they served to false divining, and to divining by chittering of birds; and they gave themselves to do evil before the Lord, and they wrathed him. (and they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to him, by burning them in the fire, and they served false divining, and divining by the twittering of birds; and they gave themselves to do evil before the Lord, and they stirred him to great anger.)