2 Kings 17:34 - Exposition

Unto this day — i.e; the time at which Kings was written— they do after the former manners —that is, they maintain the mixed religion, which they set up on the coming of the Samaritan priest from Assyria a hundred and fifty or sixty years previously— they fear not the Lord. This statement seems directly opposed to the thrice-repeated one ( 2 Kings 17:32 , 2 Kings 17:33 , 2 Kings 17:41 ), "They feared the Lord;" but the apparent contradiction is easily reconciled. The new immigrants "feared Jehovah" in a certain sense, i.e. externally. They admitted him into their pantheon, and had ritual observances in his honor. But they did not really fear him in their hearts. Had they done so, they would have inquired what were his laws, statutes, and ordinances, and would have set themselves to obey them. This they did not think of doing. Neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances— either the "statutes" and "ordinances" are regarded as having become de jure " theirs " by their occupation of the Holy Land, or "their" refers by anticipation to "the children of Jacob" towards the close of the verse— or after the Law —rather, and after the Law— and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel (see Gem 32:28).