2 Kings 17:9

9 And the sons of Israel offended their Lord God by words not rightful, and they builded to themselves high things in all their cities, from the tower of (the) keepers unto a strengthened city. (And the Israelites offended the Lord their God with things that were not right, and they built for themselves hill shrines in all their cities, from a watchman's tower unto a fortified city.)

2 Kings 17:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:9

And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were
not right against the Lord their God
As being partly conscious to themselves that they were not right, and ashamed to commit them openly; and partly as foolishly imagining, that, being done privately, they were not seen and observed of God, having imbibed some atheistical notions of him, that he was not omniscient, or saw not, and had forsaken the earth; or they "covered" ^F7 these actions of theirs under reigned and plausible pretences, that what they did they were obliged to by their kings, and with political views, and that they worshipped the true God in the calves; but these were coverings too thin not to be seen through:

and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of
the watchmen to the fenced city;
not content with those built in former times, they built new ones; and these not in their metropolis only, but in all the cities of the kingdom; and not in large cities only, but in every town and village between one fortified city and another; even wherever there was a watch tower erected, either for shepherds to watch their flocks, or for keepers of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, to watch the fruits of them, that they were not taken away.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (wapxy) "occultaverunt", Montanus, Vatablus, Grotius; "palliaverunt", Piscator.

2 Kings 17:9 In-Context

7 Forsooth it was done, when the sons of Israel had sinned before their Lord God, that led them out of the land of Egypt, from (under) the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, they worshipped alien gods; (For it was, that the Israelites had sinned before the Lord their God, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, for they worshipped foreign, or other, gods,)

8 and went by the custom of heathen men, which the Lord had wasted in the sight of the sons of Israel (whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites), and (the custom) of the kings of Israel, for they had done in like manner.

9 And the sons of Israel offended their Lord God by words not rightful, and they builded to themselves high things in all their cities, from the tower of (the) keepers unto a strengthened city. (And the Israelites offended the Lord their God with things that were not right, and they built for themselves hill shrines in all their cities, from a watchman's tower unto a fortified city.)

10 And they made to them(selves) images, and maumet woods, in each high hill, and under each tree full of boughs; (And they set up images, or idols, for themselves, and idol groves, or sacred poles, on each high hill, and under each tree full of boughs;)

11 and they burnt there incense on the altars, by the custom of heathen men, which the Lord had translated from the face of them. And they did [the] worst words, that is, (the) worst works, and they wrathed the Lord; (and they burned incense on the altars there, by the custom of the heathen, whom the Lord had carried away from before them. And they did the worst works, and they stirred the Lord to great anger;)