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Matthew Henry

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 17:25

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 17:25

The Lord sent lions among them - The land being deprived of its inhabitants, wild beasts would necessarily increase, even without any supernatural intervention; and this the superstitious new comers supposed to be a plague sent upon them, because they did not know how to worship him who was the God of the land; for they thought, like other heathens that every district had its own tutelary deity. Yet it is likely that God did send lions as a scourge on this bad people. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 17:26

The manner of the God of the land - משפט mishpat , the judgment; the way in which the God of the land is to be worshipped. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 17:27

Carry thither one of the priests - Imperfect as this teaching was, it, in the end, overthrew the idolatry of these people, so that soon after the Babylonish captivity they were found to be as free from idolatry as the Jews themselves, and continue so to the present day. But they are now nearly annihilated: the small remains of them is found at Naplouse and Jaffa; they are about thirty families; and men, women, and children, amount to about two hundred persons! They have a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 17:1-41

THE REIGN OF HOSHEA OVER ISRAEL . DESTRUCTION OF THE ISRAELITE KINGDOM , AND THE GROUNDS OF IT RE - PEOPLING OF THE KINGDOM BY ASSYRIAN COLONISTS . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 17:24-41

Re-peopling of the kingdom of Israel by Assyrian colonists , and formation of a mixed religion . The writer, before dismissing the subject of the Israelite kingdom, proceeds to inform us of certain results of the conquest. Having removed the bulk of the native inhabitants, the Assyrians did not allow the country to lie waste, but proceeded to replace the population which they had carried off by settlers from other localities ( 2 Kings 17:24 ). These settlers were, after a short time,... read more

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