2 Kings 17:18

18 Because he was very angry with the people of Israel, he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left.

2 Kings 17:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:18

Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel
Nothing being more provoking to him than idolatry:

and removed them out of his sight;
not out of the reach of his all seeing eye, but from all tokens of his favour, from the good land he had given them, and all the benefits and privileges of it:

there was none left but the tribe of Judah only;
and part of Benjamin, which was annexed to it, and incorporated in it, and made one kingdom, and maintained the same worship; and there was the lot of Simeon, which was within the tribe of Judah; and the priests and the Levites, and various individuals of the several tribes, that came and settled among them for the sake of worship; but no perfect, distinct, tribe besides.

2 Kings 17:18 In-Context

16 The people rejected all the commands of the Lord their God. They molded statues of two calves, and they made an Asherah idol. They worshiped all the stars of the sky and served Baal.

17 They made their sons and daughters pass through fire and tried to find out the future by magic and witchcraft. They always chose to do what the Lord said was wrong, which made him angry.

18 Because he was very angry with the people of Israel, he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left.

19 But even Judah did not obey the commands of the Lord their God. They did what the Israelites had done,

20 so the Lord rejected all the people of Israel. He punished them and let others destroy them; he threw them out of his presence.