2 Kings 17:27

27 Soothly the king of Assyrians commanded, and said, Led ye thither one of the priests, which ye brought (as) prisoners from thence, that he go, and dwell with them, and teach them the lawful things of (the) God of the land (and teach them the laws of the God of the land).

2 Kings 17:27 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:27

Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying
Gave the following orders and directions:

carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence;
for they carried away all the people of every class, civil and religious:

and let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of
the God of the land;
it is in the plural number, "let them go" {o}; there might be more priests than one ordered, or, however, others, to attend and assist him in his work; the Jews say F16, two were sent to circumcise them, and teach them the book of the law; and they give their names, Dosthai, or Dosithaeus, and Zachariah; and Josephus F17 says, the people desired that priests might be sent to them of the captives.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (wbvyw wkly) "eant et sedeant", Montanus.
F16 Pirke Eliezer, c. 38.
F17 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 14. sect. 3.

2 Kings 17:27 In-Context

25 And when they began to dwell there, they dreaded not the Lord; and the Lord sent to them lions, the which killed them. (And when they began to live there, they did not fear the Lord/they did not revere the Lord; and the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.)
26 And it was told to the king of Assyrians, and was said, The folks which thou hast translated, and madest to dwell in the cities of Samaria, know not the lawful things of [the] God of the land; and the Lord hath sent lions into them, and lo! those slay them; for they know not the custom of [the] God of the land. (And it was told to the king of Assyria, and it was said, The peoples whom thou hast transferred, and madest to live in the cities of Samaria, know not the laws of the God of the land; and so the Lord hath sent lions among them, and lo! they have killed some of the people; for they know not the customs of the God of the land.)
27 Soothly the king of Assyrians commanded, and said, Led ye thither one of the priests, which ye brought (as) prisoners from thence, that he go, and dwell with them, and teach them the lawful things of (the) God of the land (and teach them the laws of the God of the land).
28 Therefore when one of these priests had come, that were led (away as) prisoners from Samaria, he dwelled in Bethel, and taught them, how they should worship the Lord. (And so when one of those priests, who were led away as prisoners from Samaria, had come, he lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should worship the Lord.)
29 And each folk made his god, and they setted those gods in the high temples, which the men of Samaria had made, folk and folk in their cities, in which they dwelled. (But each people made their own god, and they put those gods in the high temples, which the men of Samaria had made, yea, each people in their city, in which they lived.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.