2 Kings 17:24

The King of Assyria Populates Israel with Foreigners

17:24 The king of Assyria brought foreigners ¹  from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria ²  in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

2 Kings 17:30-31

17:30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, ³  the people from Cuth made Nergal, ⁴  the people from Hamath made Ashima, ⁵  17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, ⁶  and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, ⁷  the gods of Sepharvaim.

¹ tn The object is supplied in the translation.

² sn In vv. 24-29 Samaria stands for the entire northern kingdom of Israel.

³ sn No deity is known by the name Succoth Benoth in extant Mesopotamian literature. For speculation as to the identity of this deity, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211.

⁴ sn Nergal was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld.

⁵ sn This deity is unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211-12.

⁶ sn Nibhaz and Tartak were two Elamite deities. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

⁷ sn Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim are unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.