2 Kings 17:7-23

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;)
12 and [they] worshipped [the] uncleannesses, of which the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do this word. (and they worshipped idols, which the Lord had commanded to them, that they should not do this thing.)
13 And the Lord witnessed in Israel and in Judah, by the hand of all (the) prophets, and [the] seers, and said, Turn ye again from your worst ways/your full evil ways, and keep my commandments, and [my] ceremonies, by all the law which I commanded to your fathers, and as I sent to you in the hand of my servants (the) prophets. (And the Lord witnessed against Israel and Judah, by all of his prophets, and seers, and said, Turn ye away from your worst ways/from your full evil ways, and keep my commandments, and my statutes, by all the Law which I commanded to your forefathers, and as I sent word to you by my servants the prophets.)
14 Which heard not, but made hard their noll by the noll of their fathers, that would not obey to their Lord God. (But they would not listen, but hardened, or stiffened, their necks, or were stubborn, like their forefathers, who also would not obey the Lord their God.)
15 And they casted away the lawful things of him, and the covenant that he covenanted with their fathers, and the witnessings by which he witnessed to them; and they followed vanities, that is, idols, and did vainly; and followed heathen men, that were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as also those heathen men did. (And they threw away his laws, and the covenant that he had covenanted with their forefathers, and the witnessings, or the testimonies, by which he had witnessed to them; and they followed vain, or worthless, idols; and followed the heathen, who were about them; of which things the Lord commanded to them, that they should not do as those heathen did.)
16 And they forsook all the commandments of their Lord God, and they made to them two molten calves, and maumet woods, and worshipped all the knighthood of (the) heaven(s) (and they made for themselves two cast metal calves, and idol groves, or poles, and worshipped all the host of heaven), that is, (the) sun, and moon, and other planets; and they served Baal,
17 and [they] hallowed to him their sons, and their daughters, through fire, and they served to false divining, and to divining by chittering of birds; and they gave themselves to do evil before the Lord, and they wrathed him. (and they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to him, by burning them in the fire, and they served false divining, and divining by the twittering of birds; and they gave themselves to do evil before the Lord, and they stirred him to great anger.)
18 And the Lord was wroth greatly to Israel; and he took away them from his sight, and none (was) left, no but the lineage of Judah only. (And the Lord was greatly angered with Israel; and he put them away from before him, and no one was left, but only the tribe of Judah.)
19 But neither Judah himself kept the behests of the Lord his God, but nevertheless he erred, and went in the error of Israel, which it wrought. (Yet even the people of Judah themselves did not obey the commandments of the Lord their God, but they also erred, and went in the error of Israel, which they also did.)
20 And the Lord casted away all the seed of Israel, and tormented them, and betook them in the hand of raveners; till he had cast away them from his face, (And so the Lord threw away all the descendants of Israel, and tormented them, and delivered them into the hands of robbers, or of plunderers; until he had thrown them all away from before his face,)
21 from that time in which Israel was parted from the house of David, and [they] made to them a king (and they made a king for themselves), Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. For Jeroboam separated Israel from the Lord, and made them to do great sin.
22 And the sons of Israel went in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done (And the Israelites went in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done); and they departed not from those sins,
23 till the Lord did away Israel from his face, as he spake in the hand of all his servants (the) prophets; and Israel was translated/was brought over from his land into Assyrians till into this day (and the Israelites were carried away/were brought over from their own land into Assyria, and they be there unto this day).

2 Kings 17:7-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 17

This chapter relates the captivity of the ten tribes of Israel, and how it came about, 2Ki 17:1-6, the cause of it, their idolatry, which they persisted in, notwithstanding the remonstrances made against it, 2Ki 17:7-23, in whose stead were placed people from different parts, who exercised a mixed religion, partly Heathenish, and partly Israelitish, 2Ki 17:24.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.