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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 17:7-23

Though the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes was but briefly related, it is in these verses largely commented upon by our historian, and the reasons of it assigned, not taken from the second causes?the weakness of Israel, their impolitic management, and the strength and growing greatness of the Assyrian monarch (these things are overlooked)--but only from the First Cause. Observe, 1. It was the Lord that removed Israel out of his sight; whoever were the instruments, he was the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:7

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 king of Egypt ; which is observed to show their ingratitude, and to aggravate their sin of idolatry: and had feared other gods ; which could do them neither good nor hurt, wherefore it must... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:8

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, as they were particularly cautioned against walking in them, Leviticus 18:3 . and of the kings of Israel, which they had made ; their laws and statutes, to worship the golden calves, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:9

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 of God, having imbibed some atheistical notions of him, that he was not omniscient, or saw not, and had forsaken the earth; or they "covered" F7 יחפאו "occultaverunt", Montanus, Vatablus,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:10

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 ; see Gill on 1 Kings 14:23 , so the Indians to this day have idols dispersed here and there in the fields, placed in little groves, or at the foot of some hill that casts a shadow F8 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:11

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 things to provoke the Lord to anger : by their several immoralities, but especially their idolatries. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:12

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 F9 Vid. Macrob. l. 1. c. 7. Lactant. de fals. Relig. l. 1. c. 20. : whereof the Lord said unto them, ye shall not do this thing ; see Exodus 20:3 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:13

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 Hosea, Amos, and Micah, and others: saying, turn ye from your ways ; repent of them, and reform from them, worship of the calves particularly: and keep my commandments, and my statutes,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:14

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 made and served the calf, and those that rebelled against Moses and Aaron; it is a metaphor taken from oxen, that will not submit their necks to the yoke, but draw back from it, or cast it off,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 17:15

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 many testifications of his mind and will what they should do, or otherwise what should be done to them; Ben Gersom also interprets this of the feasts of the passover and tabernacles,... read more

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