2 Kings 17:28

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.)

2 Kings 17:28 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:28

Then one of the priests whom, they had carried away from
Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel
According to an Arabic writer {r}, his name was Uzziah; but Epiphanius ^F19 says his name was Esdras; but he wrongly makes him to be sent by Nebuchadnezzar, thirty years after the captivity of the Jews in Babylon: this priest was, doubtless, one of the priests of the calves; for there were none else in the kingdom of Israel carried captive, and as seems also by his choosing to dwell in Bethel, where probably he formerly dwelt, and officiated in the service of the calf there, and by teaching to make priests of the lowest order of the people, as Jeroboam's priests were, ( 2 Kings 17:32 )

and taught them how they should fear the Lord;
serve and worship him; he might not teach them the worship of the calves, that being a political business, and now no end to be answered by it; and besides, they were now carried out of the land. This priest taught, no doubt, according to the law of Moses, but was not the author of the Pentateuch; which ridiculous conceit of Le Clerc is sufficiently exposed by Witsius ^F20.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 65.
F19 Contr. Haeres. l. 1. Haer. 8.
F20 Miscellan. tom. 1. l. 1. c. 14. sect. 7. 28.

2 Kings 17:28 In-Context

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.)

30 For men of Babylon made Succothbenoth; and men of Cuth made Nergal; and men of Hamath made Ashima;