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Texts -- 2 Kings 17:4-41 (NET)

Context
17:4 The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was planning a revolt . Hoshea had sent messengers to King So of Egypt and had not sent his annual tribute to the king of Assyria . So the king of Assyria arrested him and imprisoned him. 17:5 The king of Assyria marched through the whole land . He attacked Samaria and besieged it for three years . 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel to Assyria . He settled them in Halah , along the Habor (the river of Gozan ), and in the cities of the Medes .
A Summary of Israel’s Sinful History
17:7 This happened because the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God , who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt . They worshiped other gods ; 17:8 they observed the practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before Israel , and followed the example of the kings of Israel . 17:9 The Israelites said things about the Lord their God that were not right . They built high places in all their cities , from the watchtower to the fortress . 17:10 They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree . 17:11 They burned incense on all the high places just like the nations whom the Lord had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the Lord angry . 17:12 They worshiped the disgusting idols in blatant disregard of the Lord’s command . 17:13 The Lord solemnly warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and all the seers , “Turn back from your evil ways ; obey my commandments and rules that are recorded in the law . I ordered your ancestors to keep this law and sent my servants the prophets to remind you of its demands.” 17:14 But they did not pay attention and were as stubborn as their ancestors , who had not trusted the Lord their God . 17:15 They rejected his rules , the covenant he had made with their ancestors , and the laws he had commanded them to obey. They paid allegiance to worthless idols , and so became worthless to the Lord. They copied the practices of the surrounding nations in blatant disregard of the Lord’s command . 17:16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God ; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole , bowed down to all the stars in the sky , and worshiped Baal . 17:17 They passed their sons and daughters through the fire , and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the Lord and made him angry . 17:18 So the Lord was furious with Israel and rejected them; only the tribe of Judah was left . 17:19 Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the Lord their God ; they followed Israel’s example . 17:20 So the Lord rejected all of Israel’s descendants ; he humiliated them and handed them over to robbers , until he had thrown them from his presence . 17:21 He tore Israel away from David’s dynasty , and Jeroboam son of Nebat became their king . Jeroboam drove Israel away from the Lord and encouraged them to commit a serious sin . 17:22 The Israelites followed in the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and did not repudiate them. 17:23 Finally the Lord rejected Israel just as he had warned he would do through all his servants the prophets . Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very day .
The King of Assyria Populates Israel with Foreigners
17:24 The king of Assyria brought foreigners from Babylon , Cuthah , Avva , Hamath , and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites . They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities . 17:25 When they first moved in, they did not worship the Lord . So the Lord sent lions among them and the lions were killing them. 17:26 The king of Assyria was told , “The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land , so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land .” 17:27 So the king of Assyria ordered , “Take back one of the priests whom you deported from there . He must settle there and teach them the requirements of the God of the land .” 17:28 So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel . He taught them how to worship the Lord . 17:29 But each of these nations made its own gods and put them in the shrines on the high places that the people of Samaria had made . Each nation did this in the cities where they lived . 17:30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth , the people from Cuth made Nergal , the people from Hamath made Ashima , 17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak , and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech , the gods of Sepharvaim . 17:32 At the same time they worshiped the Lord . They appointed some of their own people to serve as priests in the shrines on the high places . 17:33 They were worshiping the Lord and at the same time serving their own gods in accordance with the practices of the nations from which which they had been deported . 17:34 To this very day they observe their earlier practices . They do not worship the Lord ; they do not obey the rules , regulations , law , and commandments that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob , whom he renamed Israel . 17:35 The Lord made an agreement with them and instructed them, “You must not worship other gods . Do not bow down to them, serve them, or offer sacrifices to them. 17:36 Instead you must worship the Lord , who brought you up from the land of Egypt by his great power and military ability ; bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. 17:37 You must carefully obey at all times the rules , regulations , law , and commandments he wrote down for you. You must not worship other gods . 17:38 You must never forget the agreement I made with you, and you must not worship other gods . 17:39 Instead you must worship the Lord your God ; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies .” 17:40 But they pay no attention ; instead they observe their earlier practices . 17:41 These nations are worshiping the Lord and at the same time serving their idols ; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done , to this very day .

Pericope

NET
  • 2Ki 17:7-23 -- A Summary of Israel's Sinful History
  • 2Ki 17:24-41 -- The King of Assyria Populates Israel with Foreigners

Bible Dictionary

  • Captivity

    [ebd] (1.) Of Israel. The kingdom of the ten tribes was successively invaded by several Assyrian kings. Pul (q.v.) imposed a tribute on Menahem of a thousand talents of silver (2 Kings 15:19, 20; 1 Chr. 5:26) (B.C. 762), and Tigla...
    [isbe] CAPTIVITY - kap-tiv'-i-ti (galah, galuth, shebhuth, shibhyah; metoikesia): I. OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM (THE WORK OF ASSYRIA) 1. Western Campaigns of Shalmaneser II, 860-825 BC 2. Of Rimmon-nirari III, 810-781 BC 3. Of Tiglath...
    [nave] CAPTIVITY Of the Israelites foretold, Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:36; of the ten tribes, 2 Kin. 17:6, 23, 24; 18:9-12. Of Judah in Babylon, prophecy of, Isa. 39:6; Jer. 13:19; 20:4; 25:2-11; 32:28, etc.; fulfilled, 2 Kin. 24:11-16...

  • SYRIAC VERSIONS

    [isbe] SYRIAC VERSIONS - || 1. Analogy of Latin Vulgate 2. The Designation "Peshito" ("Peshitta") 3. Syriac Old Testament 4. Syriac New Testament 5. Old Syriac Texts (1) Curetonian (2) Tatian's Diatessaron (3) Sinaitic Syriac (4) R...

  • KINGS, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] KINGS, BOOKS OF - || I. TITLE II. SCOPE III. CHARACTER OF BOOKS AND POSITION IN THE HEBREW CANON 1. Purpose 2. Character of Data IV. HISTORICAL VALUE 1. Treatment of Historical Data 2. Chronology 3. Value of Assyrian Records...

  • Apharsachites

    [nave] APHARSACHITES, this is transliterated in the KJV, NKJV, and ASV but translated as "officials" (NIV) "lesser governors" (NASB) "legates" (NJB). Ezra 5:6; 6:6, with 2 Kin. 17.

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • FEAR

    [isbe] FEAR - fer (yir'ah, yare'; phobos, phobeo): Terms, etc.: "Fear" is the translation of many words in the Old Testament; the chief are: yir'ah, "fear," "terror," "reverence," "awe," most often "the fear of God," "fear of Yahwe...

  • Apharsathchites

    [nave] APHARSATHCHITES, Ezra 4:9, with 2 Kin. 17.

  • Apharsites

    [nave] APHARSITES, Ezra 4:9, with 2 Kin. 17.

  • PALESTINE EXPLORATION, 2B

    [isbe] PALESTINE EXPLORATION, 2B - 4. Central Palestine: (1) Jerusalem. See above, III, 1, (2). (2) Samaria. (Harvard Expedition).--Although the ancient capital of the Northern Kingdom, yet Samaria was Centrally located, being 20 m...

  • Judgments

    [nave] JUDGMENTS On the serpent, Gen. 3:14, 15. Eve, Gen. 3:16; Adam, Gen. 3:17-19. Cain, Gen. 4:11-15; the Antediluvians, Gen. 6; 7; Sodomites, Gen. 19:23-25; Egyptians, the plagues and overthrow, Ex. 7-14; Nadab and Abihu, Lev....

  • Assyria

    [ebd] the name derived from the city Asshur on the Tigris, the original capital of the country, was originally a colony from Babylonia, and was ruled by viceroys from that kingdom. It was a mountainous region lying to the north of...
    [nave] ASSYRIA An empire founded by Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-12; Mic. 5:6. It extended from east of the Tigris, Gen. 2:14; 10:11; possibly to Egypt, Gen. 25:18. Its armies invade the land of Israel under Pul, 2 Kin. 15:19; 1 Chr. 5:26; ...

  • Babylon

    [nave] BABYLON City of Built by Nimrod, Gen. 10:10. In the land of Shinar, Gen. 10:10; 11:2. Tower of, Gen. 11:1-9. Capital of the kingdom of Babylon, Dan. 4:30; 2 Kin. 25:13; 2 Chr. 36:6, 7, 10, 18, 20. Gates of, Isa. 45:1, 2...

  • SAMARIA, COUNTRY OF

    [isbe] SAMARIA, COUNTRY OF - (shomeron; he Samareitis chora): The name of the city was transferred to the country of which it was the capital, so that Samaria became synonymous with the Northern Kingdom (1 Ki 13:32; Jer 31:5, etc.)...

  • Samaria

    [nave] SAMARIA 1. City of, built by Omri, 1 Kin. 16:24. Capital of the kingdom of the ten tribes, 1 Kin. 16:29; 22:51; 2 Kin. 13:1, 10; 15:8. Besieged by Ben-hadad, 1 Kin. 20; 2 Kin. 6:24-33; 7. The king of Syria is led into, by...

  • HAGGAI

    [isbe] HAGGAI - hag'-a-i, hag'-a-i (chaggay, an adjective formed from chagh, "feast"): 1. Name: The word "Haggai" may mean "festal," the prophet having been born perhaps on a festival day; compare the Roman name "Festus." Hebrew pr...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • JESUS CHRIST, 2

    [isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 2 - LITERATURE Jesus Christ: The Founder of the Christian religion; the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world; the Lord and Head of the Christian church. I. The Names. 1. Jesus: (Iesous) is the Greek equiva...

  • Hoshea

    [ebd] salvation. (1.) The original name of the son of Nun, afterwards called Joshua (Num. 13:8, 16; Deut. 32:44). (2.) 1 Chr. 27:20. The ruler of Ephraim in David's time. (3.) The last king of Israel. He conspired against and slew...
    [isbe] HOSHEA - ho-she'-a (hoshea`, "salvation"; Hosee, 2 Ki 17:1-9): 1. A Satrap of Assyria: Son of Elah, the 19th and last king of Israel. The time was one of social revolution and dynastic change. Of the last five kings of Israe...
    [nave] HOSHEA 1. Called also Oshea. The original name of Joshua, Num. 13:8, 16; Deut. 32:44. 2. A chief of Ephraim, 1 Chr. 27:20. 3. King of Israel. Assassinates Pekah and usurps the throne, 2 Kin. 15:30. Evil reign of, 2 Kin. 1...

  • Israel, Kingdom of

    [ebd] (B.C. 975-B.C. 722). Soon after the death of Solomon, Ahijah's prophecy (1 Kings 11:31-35) was fulfilled, and the kingdom was rent in twain. Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, was scarcely seated on his throne when ...

  • Cuth

    [nave] CUTH, called also Cuthah. A district of Asia, from which colonists were transported to Samaria, 2 Kin. 17:24-30; Ezra 4:10.
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Arts

Questions

  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...
  • The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times was selective and temporary. He was nevertheless working in the lives of people to do much of the same type of thing as seen in John 16:8-11, though the object of faith...
  • The "lost tribes," so-called, were the Jews carried into captivity by Shalmaneser (II Kings 17:6), and chiefly belonging to Israel or the ten tribes. Many theories as to their location and their descendants have been ventilat...

Sermon Illustrations

Hatred Between Jews and Samaritans

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 22:1-20 Moab had not attacked Israel as the people of God had moved north along Moab's eastern border. In fact the Moabites sold the Israelites bread and water (Deut. 2:29). The Moabites probably counted on Sihon, who had for...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • The second major part of the Book of Kings records the histories of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.123During this era of 209 years (931-722 B.C.) the two kingdoms experienced differing relati...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Building Activities of David and Solomon."Israel Exploration Journal24:1(1974):13-16.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonahl. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.,...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • Second Kings begins with Ahaziah's reign that fell during the 33-year period of Israel and Judah's alliance (874-841 B.C.; -1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 9:29). This period in turn fits within the larger context of the divided kingdo...
  • Hosea was Israel's last king. He reigned in Samaria for 9 years (732-722 B.C.). He was a bad king, but he was not as bad as his predecessors.108Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C.) had succeeded his father Tiglath-Pileser III on Assy...
  • In this section the writer catalogued Israel's transgressions of God's Word that resulted in her going into captivity. Ironically Israel's last king had sought help from Egypt from which Israel had fled 724 years earlier.They...
  • The immediate result of the captivity (vv. 24-33) was twofold. The Assyrians deported many Israelites to other places in the Assyrian Empire, and they imported other people from the empire into the newly formed Assyrian provi...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. "An Interpretation of the Babylonian Exile: A Study of 2 Kings 20, Isaiah 38-39."Scottish Journal of Theology27:3:(August 1974):329-52.Albright, William F. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pel...
  • Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. It begins with Adam and ends with Anani who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generat...
  • God had warned his people Israel that disobedience to the Mosaic Covenant might result in exile from the Promised Land if that disobedience was wide-spread and prolonged (cf. Lev. 26:14, 33; Deut. 28:36, 48, 63). This is real...
  • The Assyrian government encouraged its residents to move to Israel and to settle there after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. This was official government policy during the reigns of the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon ...
  • This introductory segment provides the basic information about the historical situation that Judah faced plus God's command concerning that situation. Would King Ahaz face his threat from God's perspective or from man's? Woul...
  • The preceding section answered the question that the people of Isaiah's day had about God's desire to deliver them. Yes, He wantedto deliver them. This section answered their question about whether He could save them. Yes, He...
  • Perverse conduct was the consequence of Israel's apostasy and infidelity, and it led to slavery.2:14-15 Israel was Yahweh's firstborn son, not a slave or even a home-born servant.77As such he enjoyed the special care and prov...
  • Now God gave His people reasons for the coming judgment. He stressed social and personal sins particularly."Jeremiah now appreciates the moral necessity for God's judgment of His people, as he sees clearly with his own eyes t...
  • 40:7-8 Several of the Judean guerrilla commanders who had escaped from the Babylonian invaders came to Gedaliah in Mizpah with some of their men when they heard that Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him over the region.40:9 Gedal...
  • This chapter records an incident late in Jeremiah's ministry. How much later than chapter 43 is unknown. Many commentators suppose it dates from about 580 B.C. because it would have taken some time for the Judean refugees to ...
  • Jeremiah wrote almost as much about Babylon's future as he did about the futures of all the other nations in his other oracles combined. The length of this oracle reflects the great importance of Babylon in his ministry as we...
  • 16:15 However, Jerusalem became self-centered and unfaithful to the Lord; she forgot Him when she became preoccupied with His blessings (cf. Deut. 6:10-12; 8). She went after every people that passed by rather than remaining ...
  • 20:10-12 So the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness. At Mount Sinai He gave them statutes and ordinances that would result in their welfare if they obeyed them, namely, the Mosaic Law. He also gave th...
  • 23:5-8 Oholah proved unfaithful to the Lord by lusting after her attractive neighbors, the Assyrians."The appeal, then as now, was to youth, strength, position, wealth and self-gratification; that is, the world in all its daz...
  • Hosea began ministering near the end of an era of great material prosperity and military success for both Israel and Judah (cf. 2 Kings 14:25-28; 2 Chron. 26:2, 6-15). In the first half of the eighth-century B.C. Assyrian inf...
  • The Lord used Hosea's family members as signs to communicate His message of coming judgment on Israel.1:2 At the beginning of Hosea's ministry, Yahweh commanded him to take a wife of harlotry and to have children of harlotry....
  • The following section is a general indictment of the people of Israel for their idolatry.4:11 The practice of idolatry (spiritual harlotry), with its emphasis on drinking wine, had turned the heart of the Israelites from Yahw...
  • This pericope condemns Israel's foreign policy.7:8 Ephraim had mixed itself with the pagan nations, like unleavened dough mixed with leaven. She had done this by making alliances with neighbor nations as well as by importing ...
  • 8:11 In rebellion against Yahweh's covenant the Israelites had also built many altars. They built them to offer many sin offerings, but since God had not authorized these altars they became places for sinning rather than plac...
  • 9:1-2 The Lord told Israel not to rejoice like other nations at the prospect of an abundant harvest; that would not be her experience. He promised to remove her grain and wine. These were threatened curses for covenant unfait...
  • 10:11 Hosea compared Ephraim to a heifer that enjoyed threshing."Threshing was a comparatively light task, made pleasant by the fact that the creature was unmuzzled and free to eat . . . as it pulled the threshing sledge over...
  • 11:12 The Lord complained that Ephraim (Israel) had consistently lied and tried to deceive Him. He described Himself as surrounded and under attack by His own people. Wherever He looked all He saw was cheaters. Deception (Heb...
  • 6:1 The prophet began this message by announcing coming woe (Heb. hoy, cf. 5:18). Those who felt at ease in Zion (Jerusalem) and secure in Samaria were the subjects of his message. Those who felt at ease in Samaria, partially...
  • The few remaining Israelites would be silent as they disposed of the corpses of their fellows (v. 3), but God would also be silent in that day of judgment.8:11 As part of His judgment, God would withhold His words from His pe...
  • 5:10-11 In that future eschatological day the Lord also promised to remove the vain sources of security that had always tempted the Israelites represented by horses, chariots, cities, and fortifications (cf. Deut. 17:16).5:12...
  • 1:4 Yahweh announced that He would stretch out His hand in judgment against Judah and the people of Jerusalem. Stretching out the hand is a figure of speech that implies a special work of punishment (cf. Exod. 6:6; Deut. 4:34...
  • The first verse (9:51) sets the agenda for all that follows until Jesus' Triumphal Entry. It was now time for Jesus to begin moving toward Jerusalem and the Cross. As He did so, He immediately encountered opposition (cf. Acts...
  • There are several connections between this section and the preceding ones that provide continuity. One is the continuation of water as a symbol (cf. 2:6; 3:5; 4:10-15). Another is the continuation of conversation in which Jes...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2. Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let...
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