2 Kings 17:24-41

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 17:24-41

Never was land lost, we say, for want of an heir. When the children of Israel were dispossessed, and turned out of Canaan, the king of Assyria soon transplanted thither the supernumeraries of his own country, such as it could well spare, who should be servants to him and masters to the Israelites that remained; and here we have an account of these new inhabitants, whose story is related here that we may take our leave of Samaria, as also of the Israelites that were carried captive into... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:24

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 rather his son Esarhaddon, see Ezra 4:2 , and from Cuthah ; which, according to Josephus F11 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 14. sect. 1. , was a city in Persia, where was a river of the same name;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:25

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 own; but even this those men did not do: therefore the Lord sent lions among them ; even into their cities, into which lions sometimes came F12 Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 44. Plin.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:26

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 to be a topical deity, limited peculiarly to the land of Israel, whereas he was the God of the whole earth; a like notion obtained among the Syrians, see 1 Kings 20:28 now they say they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:27

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 God of the land ; it is in the plural number, "let them go", &c.; F15 ילכו וישבו "eant et sedeant", Montanus. ; there might be more priests than one ordered, or, however,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:28

Then one of the priests whom, they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel ,.... According to an Arabic writer F18 Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 65. , his name was Uzziah; but Epiphanius F19 Contr. Haeres. l. 1. Haer. 8. says his name was Esdras; but he wrongly makes him to be sent by Nebuchadnezzar, thirty years after the captivity of the Jews in Babylon: this priest was, doubtless, one of the priests of the calves; for there were none else in the kingdom... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:29

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 Israel, retained and served their own deities: and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt; as the Israelites had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:30

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 F21 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 63. 2. , 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 veneration by the Babylonians; though others rather think those Succothbenoth, "tabernacles", or "booths of the daughters", as the words may be rendered, have... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:31

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 F2 Aeneid. l. 6. So Ovid. Metamorph. l. 9. Fab. 12. ver. 689. , an Egyptian deity; though that is said F3 Jablonski apud Michael. Obs. Sacr. Exercit. 4. p. 66, 67. to have its name from NOeb, which in the Egyptian language signifies "gold", the statutes of it being made... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:32

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 were to sacrifice to the God of Israel in the high places, and temples built there; for otherwise they had, no doubt, priests of their own to sacrifice to their gods, and which they... read more

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