INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 17 This chapter relates the captivity of the ten tribes of Israel, and how it came about, 2 Kings 17:1, the cause of it, their idolatry, which they persisted in, notwithstanding the remonstrances made against it, 2 Kings 17:7, in whose stead were placed people from different... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TENTH YEAR OF AHAZ KING OF JUDAH BEGAN HOSHEA THE SON OF ELAH TO REIGN IN SAMARIA OVER ISRAEL NINE YEARS. In this account there is some difficulty, since it was in the twentieth of Jotham, that is, the fourth of Ahaz, that Hosea conspired against Pekah king of Israel, and slew him, when it mi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, BUT NOT AS THE KINGS OF ISRAEL THAT WERE BEFORE HIM. He did not worship Baal, as some of them had done; and he could not worship the calves, as all of them had, for they were carried away by the Assyrians in the former captivities, as the Jews... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST HIM CAME UP SHALMANESER KING OF ASSYRIA,.... Which some take to be the same with Tiglathpileser, see 1 Chronicles 5:26 but he rather seems to be his son; his name was to be found, as Josephus w relates, in the archives of the Tyrians, against whom he had an expedition; his name is Salmanassa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING OF ASSYRIA FOUND CONSPIRACY IN HOSHEA,.... That he was forming a scheme to rebel against him, and cast off his yoke; of this he had intelligence by spies he sent, and placed to observe him very probably: FOR HE HAD SENT MESSENGERS TO SO KING OF EGYPT; to treat with him, and enter into... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING OF ASSYRIA CAME UP THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND,.... Of Israel, there being none to oppose his march; Hoshea not daring to come out, and meet him and fight him: AND WENT UP TO SAMARIA, AND BESIEGED IT THREE YEARS; so long the city held out against him, see 2 Kings 18:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE NINTH YEAR OF HOSHEA THE KING OF ASSYRIA TOOK SAMARIA,..... Which was the last year of his reign, and to be reckoned either from the time of his reigning in full power and authority, or from his first casting off the Assyrian yoke; 2 Kings 17:1 AND CARRIED ISRAEL AWAY INTO ASSYRIA; not only... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SO IT WAS, THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD SINNED AGAINST THE LORD THEIR GOD,.... By committing idolatry, which is the sin enlarged upon in the following discourse, as the cause of their being carried captive: WHICH HAD BROUGHT THEM UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, FROM UNDER THE HAND OF PHARAOH KI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WALKED IN THE STATUTES OF THE HEATHEN, WHOM THE LORD CAST OUT FROM BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... Meaning the Canaanites, in whose idolatrous ways they walked, and whom they imitated; though their ejection out of the land should have been a warning to them, and they were the more inexcusable... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID SECRETLY THOSE THINGS THAT WERE NOT RIGHT AGAINST THE LORD THEIR GOD,.... As being partly conscious to themselves that they were not right, and ashamed to commit them openly; and partly as foolishly imagining, that, being done privately, they were not seen and observed... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SET THEM UP IMAGES AND GROVES IN EVERY HIGH HILL, AND UNDER EVERY GREEN TREE. That is, statues and idols; for groves of trees could not be set under green trees; but they placed idols of stone, and of wood, as the latter were, in such places as Heathens were wont to do; see Jeremiah 3:6 1... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE THEY BURNT INCENSE IN ALL THE HIGH PLACES,.... As even the tribe of Judah did, which is observed in all the preceding reigns: AS DID THE HEATHEN WHOM THE LORD CARRIED AWAY BEFORE THEM: the Canaanites, and therefore they might justly expect to be carried captive also: AND WROUGHT WICKED T... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY SERVED IDOLS,.... Baalim, as the Targum; dunghill gods, as the word signifies, as they are often called in Scripture; and Sterculius was one of the names of Saturn, an Heathen deity, which he had, as is supposed, by his finding out the method of making land fruitful with dung i: WHEREOF TH... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THE LORD TESTIFIED AGAINST ISRAEL, AND AGAINST JUDAH, BY ALL THE PROPHETS, [AND BY] ALL THE SEERS,.... Against their sins, reproving them for them, dehorting them from them, exhorting them to repent and leave them; as in all preceding reigns, by Ahijah the Shilonite, by Elijah and Elisha, by Hos... [ Continue Reading ]
NOTWITHSTANDING, THEY WOULD NOT HEAR,.... Their instructions, advice, and admonitions, and obey them: BUT HARDENED THEIR NECKS, LIKE TO THE NECK OF THEIR FATHERS, THAT DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE LORD THEIR GOD: as Terah and Nahor, who were idolaters; or rather, their fathers in the wilderness, that mad... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY REJECTED HIS STATUTES, AND HIS COVENANT THAT HE MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS,.... At Sinai and Horeb, see Exodus 24:8, AND HIS TESTIMONIES WHICH HE TESTIFIED AGAINST THEM; calling heaven and earth to witness what he would do to them if they broke his laws, Deuteronomy 4:26, and which were so ma... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY LEFT ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD THEIR GOD,.... Which their idolatry led them to; and indeed he that offends in one point is guilty of them all, James 2:10 AND MADE THEM MOLTEN IMAGES, [EVEN] TWO CALVES; which they set up at Dan and Bethel, in the times of their first king Jeroboam, 1... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAUSED THEIR SONS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE,.... To Baal or Moloch, which were the same, and represented the sun, which, as the above writer observes, presides in the element of fire; this was done either by way of lustration, or so as to be burnt, see 2 Kings 16:3 AND U... [ Continue Reading ]
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: T... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO JUDAH KEPT NOT THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD THEIR GOD,.... But were infected with the idolatry of the ten tribes, and drawn into it by their example, and persisted therein, notwithstanding what befell the ten tribes; which are aggravations of the sins of them both, see Jeremiah 3:7, BUT WALKED... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD REJECTED ALL THE SEED OF ISRAEL,.... The ten tribes, with loathing and contempt, and wrote a "loammi" on them, rejected them from being his people, gave them a bill of divorce, and declared them no more under his care and patronage: AND AFFLICTED THEM; as he did before he utterly cast... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE RENT ISRAEL FROM THE HOUSE OF DAVID,.... In the times of Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when ten tribes revolted from him, signified by the rending of a garment in twelve pieces, ten of which were given to Jeroboam; and it is here ascribed to the Lord, being according to his purpose and decree,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WALKED IN ALL THE SINS OF JEROBOAM WHICH HE DID,.... They observed his injunction, not to go to Jerusalem to worship, and they worshipped the calves he did: THEY DEPARTED NOT FROM THEM: in all succeeding reigns, until the time of their captivity.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL THE LORD REMOVED ISRAEL OUT OF HIS SIGHT,.... Suffered them to be carried captive into the land of Assyria: AS HE HAD SAID BY ALL HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS; by Hosea, Amos, Micah, and others; see their prophecies, and also 1 Kings 13:32, SO WAS ISRAEL CARRIED AWAY OUT OF THEIR OWN LAND TO AS... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING OF ASSYRIA BROUGHT MEN FROM BABYLON,.... Which was at this time under the dominion of the king of Assyria; though in a little time after this it revolted, and had a king of its own, 2 Kings 20:12, this king of Assyria was either Shalmaneser, who carried Israel captive, or it may be rath... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE THEY SPAKE TO THE KING OF ASSYRIA,.... In letters, or by messengers they sent unto him: SAYING, THE NATIONS WHICH THOU HAST REMOVED; from different places before mentioned: AND PLACED IN THE CITIES OF SAMARIA, KNOW NOT THE MANNER OF THE GOD OF THE LAND; taking Jehovah the God of Israel t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING OF ASSYRIA COMMANDED, SAYING,.... Gave the following orders and directions: CARRY THITHER ONE OF THE PRIESTS WHOM YE BROUGHT FROM THENCE; for they carried away all the people of every class, civil and religious: AND LET HIM GO AND DWELL THERE, AND LET HIM TEACH THEM THE MANNER OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ONE OF THE PRIESTS WHOM, THEY HAD CARRIED AWAY FROM SAMARIA CAME AND DWELT IN BETHEL,.... According to an Arabic writer r, his name was Uzziah; but Epiphanius s says his name was Esdras; but he wrongly makes him to be sent by Nebuchadnezzar, thirty years after the captivity of the Jews in Babyl... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, EVERY NATION MADE GODS OF THEIR OWN,.... Served and worshipped those they brought with them, and which were the work of their own hands, even the nations, or those out of the nations, mentioned 2 Kings 17:24 these, notwithstanding the instructions they had about the worship of the God of Is... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN OF BABYLON MADE SUCCOTHBENOTH,.... That is, those that came from Babylon made and served an idol of this name, which, according to the Jewish writers u, were the figures of an hen and chickens; but others suppose them to be the Pleiades, or seven stars, the stars being had in great vener... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE AVITES MADE NIBHAZ AND TARTAK,.... The former of which is represented by the Jews in the shape of a dog, deriving the word from "nabach", to bark, as if it was the same with the Anubis Latrator of Virgil b, an Egyptian deity; though that is said c to have its name from NOeb, which in the Egy... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY FEARED THE LORD,.... Worshipped the God of Israel in the manner they were taught: AND MADE UNTO THEMSELVES OF THE LOWEST OF THEM PRIESTS OF THE HIGH PLACES, WHICH SACRIFICED FOR THEM IN THE HOUSES OF THE HIGH PLACES; these were made after the manner of Jeroboam's priests, 1 Kings 12:31, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY FEARED THE LORD, AND SERVED THEIR OWN GODS,.... Worshipped both: AFTER THE MANNER OF THE NATIONS WHOM THEY CARRIED AWAY FROM THENCE; the Israelites, whom they had carried captive from Samaria; they worshipped the Lord in their idols, as they did, who pretended to worship God in the calves; so... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THIS DAY THEY DO AFTER THE FORMER MANNERS,.... Which may be understood either of the new colonies in Samaria doing after the former customs in their own land, or after the customs of the idolatrous Israelites; or of the Israelites in captivity continuing in their idolatry, not being in the leas... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH WHOM THE LORD HAD MADE A COVENANT,.... As he did at Sinai, 2 Kings 17:15 AND CHARGED THEM, SAYING, YE SHALL NOT FEAR OTHER GODS, NOR BOW YOURSELVES TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM, NOR SACRIFICE TO THEM; all which is contained in the first and second commandments of the law.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE LORD, WHICH BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, WITH A GREAT POWER, AND A STRETCHED OUT ARM,.... Which is observed, to show the obligations they lay under, in point of gratitude, to serve the Lord: HIM SHALL YE FEAR, AND HIM SHALL YE WORSHIP, AND TO HIM SHALL YE DO SACRIFICE: and him o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE STATUTES, AND THE ORDINANCES, AND THE LAW, AND THE COMMANDMENT WHICH HE WROTE FOR YOU,.... On the two tables of stone: YE SHALL OBSERVE TO DO FOR EVERMORE; those commands relating to religious worship, especially the object of it, and to moral duties, being of eternal obligation; and all ot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE COVENANT THAT I HAVE MADE WITH YOU, YE SHALL NOT FORGET,.... The law given at Mount Sinai; the first table of which chiefly concerned the worship of the one true and living God, and forbid the worship of any other, as follows: NEITHER SHALL YE FEAR OTHER GODS; or make them the object of wor... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE LORD YOUR GOD YE SHALL FEAR,.... Or worship him, both internally and externally, according to his revealed will; for the fear of God includes both internal and external worship: AND HE SHALL DELIVER YOU OUT OF THE HAND OF ALL YOUR ENEMIES; that is, provided they feared and served him as he... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, THEY DID NOT HEARKEN, BUT DID AFTER THEIR FORMER MANNER. They did not repent of their idolatries, but persisted in them, and even when they were in captivity in Assyria, or such of them as were left in the land.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THESE NATIONS FEARED THE LORD, AND SERVED THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES,.... Just in like manner as the Israelites had done, who served the Lord and the calves, and worshipped God and Baal: BOTH THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN; that is, the children and children's children of the Samaritans:... [ Continue Reading ]