2 Kings 17:24-41

2 Kings 17:24-41

[24] And the king  of Assyria  brought  men from Babylon,  and from Cuthah,  and from Ava,  and from Hamath,  and from Sepharvaim,  and placed  them in the cities  of Samaria  instead of the children  of Israel:  and they possessed  Samaria,  and dwelt  in the cities  [25] And so it was at the beginning  of their dwelling  there, that they feared  not the LORD:  sent  lions  among them, which slew  some of them. [26] Wherefore they spake  to the king  of Assyria,  saying,  The nations  which thou hast removed,  and placed  in the cities  of Samaria,  know  not the manner  of the God  of the land:  therefore he hath sent  lions  among them, and, behold, they slay  them, because they know  not the manner  of the God  of the land.  [27] Then the king  of Assyria  commanded,  saying,  thither one  of the priests  whom ye brought  and dwell  there, and let him teach  them the manner  of the God  of the land.  [28] Then one  of the priests  whom they had carried away  from Samaria  came  and dwelt  in Bethel,  and taught  them how they should fear  the LORD.  [29] Howbeit every nation  made  gods  of their own, and put  them in the houses  of the high places  which the Samaritans  had made,  every nation  in their cities  wherein they dwelt.  [30] of Babylon  made  Succothbenoth,  of Cuth  made  Nergal,  of Hamath  made  Ashima,  [31] And the Avites  made  Nibhaz  and Tartak,  and the Sepharvites  burnt  their children  in fire  to Adrammelech  and Anammelech,  of Sepharvaim.  [32] 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.  [33] the LORD,  and served  their own gods,  after the manner  of the nations  whom they carried away  [34] Unto this day  they do  after the former  manners:  not the LORD,  neither do  they after their statutes,  or after their ordinances,  or after the law  and commandment  which the LORD  commanded  the children  of Jacob,  whom he named  Israel;  [35] With whom the LORD  had made  a covenant,  and charged  them, saying,  Ye shall not fear  other  gods,  nor bow  yourselves to them, nor serve  them, nor sacrifice  to them: [36] But the LORD,  who brought you up  out of the land  of Egypt  with great  power  and a stretched out  arm,  him shall ye fear,  and him shall ye worship,  and to him shall ye do sacrifice.  [37] And the statutes,  and the ordinances,  and the law,  and the commandment,  which he wrote  for you, ye shall observe  to do  for evermore;  and ye shall not fear  other  gods.  [38] And the covenant  that I have made  with you ye shall not forget;  neither shall ye fear  other  gods.  [39] But the LORD  your God  ye shall fear;  and he shall deliver  you out of the hand  of all your enemies.  [40] Howbeit they did not hearken,  but they did  after their former  manner.  [41] So these nations  the LORD,  and served  their graven images,  both their children,  as did  their fathers,  so do  they unto this day. 

What does 2 Kings 17:24-41 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The immediate result of the captivity ( 2 Kings 17:24-33) 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 province that they called Samaria ( 2 Kings 17:24). The king who did this was probably Sargon II (722-705 B.C.). Shalmaneser died either during or shortly after the siege of Samaria. These imported foreigners eventually intermarried with the Jews who remained in the land and probably were the ancestors of the Samaritans of Jesus" day (cf. John 4:9). As polytheists the Assyrians did not hesitate to worship Yahweh as well as their other gods (cf. Exodus 20:3). They had no priestly caste but appointed anyone as a priest ( 2 Kings 17:32). The syncretistic worship of Yahweh and false gods prevailed ( 2 Kings 17:32-33). The writer again emphasized the judgment of God that came on the Israelites who remained in the land for their apostasy.
The continuing result of the captivity ( 2 Kings 17:34-41) was the same. In this section of verses the theme of Israel"s disobedience reaches a climax. In 2 Kings 17:35-39 there are several loose quotations of passages from the Mosaic Law: Exodus 6:6; Exodus 9:15; Exodus 14:15-30; Exodus 20:4-5; Exodus 20:23; Leviticus 19:32; Deuteronomy 4:23; Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 5:6; Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 5:32; Deuteronomy 6:12-13; and Deuteronomy 7:11; Deuteronomy 7:25.
This chapter concludes the second major section of Kings: the history of the Divided Kingdom ( 1 Kings 12 - 2 Kings 17). The lessons of the history of this period that the writer emphasized could not be clearer.
"God"s people had become disloyal to their Suzerain who had brought them redemptively out of Egyptian servitude. They had expressed disloyalty by worshipping other gods ( 2 Kings 17:15-17). And they did all this despite his persistent reminders to them through his spokesmen, the prophets, that what they were doing constituted high treason. The inevitable result was the judgment of God, a judgment which took the form of exile from the land of promise." [1]