Melachim Bais 17:25

25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not Hashem; therefore Hashem sent among them the arayot which killed some of them.

Melachim Bais 17:25 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:25

And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that
they feared not the Lord
Did not serve him in any manner, but their idols only, which they brought with them; whereas it was usual with Heathens to serve the gods of the country, as they reputed them, where they came, along with their own; but even this those men did not do:

therefore the Lord sent lions among them;
even into their cities, into which lions sometimes came ^F12, especially when old, out of the thickets of Jordan and other places where they haunted, see ( Jeremiah 49:19 )

which slew some of them;
this the Lord did to assert his sovereignty, authority, and mighty power, and to let them know that he could as easily clear the land of them, as they, by his permission, had cleared the land of the Israelites, Josephus ^F13 calls this a plague that was sent among them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 44. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 16.
F13 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 9. c. 14. sect. 1.)

Melachim Bais 17:25 In-Context

23 Until Hashem removed Yisroel out of His sight, as He had said by all His avadim the Nevi’im. So was Yisroel carried away into the Golus out of their own adamah to Ashur (Assyria) unto this day.

24 And Melech Ashur brought men from Babylon, and from Kutah, and from Ava, and from Chamat, and from Sepharvayim, and placed them in the cities of Shomron in the place of Bnei Yisroel; and they possessed Shomron, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not Hashem; therefore Hashem sent among them the arayot which killed some of them.

26 Wherefore they spoke to Melech Ashur, saying, The Goyim which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Shomron, know not the mishpat Elohei HaAretz; therefore He hath sent the arayot among them, and, behold, they slew them, because they know not the mishpat Elohei HaAretz.

27 Then Melech Ashur commanded, saying, Carry back there one of the kohanim whom ye brought captive from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the mishpat Elohei HaAretz.