2 Kings 17
DOYLY2 Kings 17:4
- — to So king of Egypt.] This So is the same with Sabacon the Ethiopian, mentioned by heathen authors, who, having invaded Egypt, and taken prisoner Boccharis king of the country, caused him to be put to death with great cruelty, and then seized on the kingdom. Dean Prideaux.
4.—brake in pieces the brasen serpent] The reason assigned for Hezekiah’s destroying this serpent is, that “the children of Israel burnt incense unto it.” We are not to suppose, however, that all along from the days Moses this had been an object of religious worship, since probably such princes as David and Solomon would not have allowed it: the commencement of the superstition must have been of much later date. One inducement to the false worship of this image may probably have been, a mistake of the words of Moses. For whereas it was said at Numb. xxi. 8, that whosoever looked upon it should live; some may have imagined that they could obtain a blessing by means of it, and so may have made it an object of superstitious worship. However, we may imagine that their burning of incense unto it was at first designed only in honour of the true
2 Kings 17:6
- — and carried Israel away] Shalmaneser, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Amos and other Prophets, transported the people of the seven western tribes beyond Assyria, and planted them in Media, whither his father had before transplanted the tribes east of Jordan, 2 Kings xv. 23. Dr. Hales. Thus in the course of nineteen years was completed the captivity of the ten revolted tribes.
— in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan.] Halah, otherwise written Chalach, is thought with great probability to denote the country in the north of Assyria, called by Ptolemy Calachene. Habor, otherwise Chabor, is thought to be a mountainous country between Media and Assyria, called by Ptolemy Chaboras. The river Gozan is thought by most writers to be that which is also called Gauzanites. Dr. Wells.
— in the cities of the Medes.] It is probable that this colony was placed in the mountainous part of Media, because it was less peopled than the lower country. Strabo says, that it was chiefly peopled by strangers and by colonies from abroad. Stackhouse.
2 Kings 17:7
- For so it was, that &c.] Thus did the just providence of Heaven withdraw its wonted protection from a nation which, from the very first instances of its special and miraculous favours, and amidst a long succession of mercies and blessings, frustrated the designs of what was done for them, by forsaking the laws of true religion, and wandering into all the superstitious and idolatrous rites of those very heathens, whom they saw destroyed for similar practices, and whose country was given to the Israelites, expressly for the punishment of their crimes. Pyle. Thus an end was put to the kingdom of Israel. The ten tribes now carried into captivity never returned. It is true that some of them took advantage of the liberty given to the Jews under Ezra, to return to their land, and so returned together with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; but this never amounted to a full restoration of the ten tribes, the main bulk of them continued in the land of their
2 Kings 17:9
- — from the tower of the watchmen &c.] By “the tower of the watchmen” is thought here to be meant small houses, built by the country people, in which they might watch their flocks and produce, and preserve them from wild beasts or robbers: thus the expression of the text signifies that they built high places in all parts, both in the country and in the cities. Bp. Patrick. Or the meaning of the expression, “from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city,” is “from one side of the borders of the kingdom to the other;” no part of it, whether more solitary or more frequented, being left free. Bp. Hall.
2 Kings 17:10
- — and groves] The Hebrew word, which we Israel for sin is carried into captivity. Before CHRIST 721.
2 Kings 17:13
- Yet the Lord testified against Israel, &c.] What aggravated the guilt of this people was, that they never were left without continual warnings, persuasions, and threatenings from Heaven, by the mouth of inspired Prophets, during the whole course of their impieties, to shew them their errours, convince them of their danger, and lead them back to their true interest. But all was in vain with men, who, by the allurements of the pomp and pageantry of heathen worship, by the power of lust and secular views, suffered themselves to be at last abandoned to the worst of those abominations that were most destructive of the honour of God, and the happy constitution of their own religion and government. Pyle.
2 Kings 17:18
- Therefore the Lord &c.] This course of wicked behaviour at last induced God to abandon them, and
deliver up so corrupted a branch of this once favourite nation into the hands of a foreign power, while no part of it was left but the united tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who had yet some further space given them for repentance. Pyle.
— removed them out of his sight.] That is, from the Holy Land where His temple was, in which He dwelt among them. Bp. Patrick.
2 Kings 17:24
24.—from Cuthah, and from Ava, &c.] The Cuthah here mentioned is supposed by many to be the same with Cush, which is said by Moses to be encompassed by the river Gibon; accordingly it is much the same with the country called by the Greeks Susiana, and which is said to this very day to bear the name of Chusestan. It is difficult to give an account of the city or country called Ava: perhaps it was the same as Ivah, mentioned at chap. xviii. 34: the learned Grotius supposes it was in Bactriana; observing, that Ptolemy mentions a people there under the name of Avadise. Sepharvaim is thought to be a city called Sipphara by Ptolemy: the word Sepharvaim has a plural termination in the Hebrew, which belongs to it probably for
Before CHRIST 721. about 672. The nations which were transplanted CHAP. XVII. make a mixture of religions.
feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, and slew some of them.
2 Kings 17:25
- — therefore the Lord sent lions among them.] If it should be asked, why these new inhabitants were thus punished for not fearing the Lord, while the Israelites, whose guilt was the same, were not so punished: it, may be answered, that the Israelites were indeed addicted to idolatry; but still they believed in the one almighty eternal God, and were far from denying His power and providence; while these new inhabitants had no notions of any objects of religious adoration beyond the empty idols which they worshipped. Stackhouse.
2 Kings 17:26
- — know not the manner of the God of the land.] They deemed the God of Israel to be of the same kind with their idols, who presided over a particular country and people, and would be honoured with particular rites which were acceptable to Him, and no other. Bp. Patrick.
2 Kings 17:27
- — saying, Carry thither one of the priests] Accordingly, the king ordered one of the principal Israelite priests, and probably several more under him, to be sent back to teach these new inhabitants the religion and worship of the Israelites, which might be improved as a fair opportunity of embracing the true religion by such of them as were of sincere and more uncorrupt dispositions. Pyle. One of the priests of Israel is appointed to be carried back to Samaria, to teach the Assyrian colony the fashions of the God of the land; not for devotion, but for impunity. Vain politicians think to satisfy God by patching up religions. Thus the Assyrian priests teach and practise the worship of their own gods: the Israelitish priest prescribes the worship of the true God; the people will follow both, the one out of liking, the other out of fear. Bp. Hall. Here began a new kind of religion, not unlike that of the Israelites, consisting in the worship of the true God, and of a number of false deities. Hence sprang that mutual hatred between the Jews and Samaritans, the former
abominating even the name of the latter, and the latter always disowning any kindred with the former in time of adversity, though forward enough to claim it in time of prosperity. Universal History.
2 Kings 17:30
- — the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth.] The words “Succoth-benoth” literally mean, “the tabernacles or tents of the young women:” and it is supposed, with considerable probability, that these were the places where the young women exposed themselves to prostitution in honour of a Babylonish goddess, called Mylitta. Herodotus gives a particular account of these abominable and detestable practices, which, there is reason to conclude from this passage, the Babylonians introduced into Judea. Parkhurst, Calmet.
As to the names of the idols which follow, Nergal, Ashima, &c. various conjectures have been formed; but no information can be given respecting them with any tolerable certainty.
— the men of Hamath] There were several cities and countries of this name; probably that which is here meant was a province of Syria, lying on the river Orontes. Stackhouse.
2 Kings 17:32
- So they feared the Lord.] So they worshipped the Lord God of Israel, together with their idols, making as strange a medley and confusion of religions as the Israelites themselves had before practised in this very country. Pyle. Making a formal profession of serving the Lord, they continued the worship of their own false gods. Bp. Hall.
Soon after the settlement of these people in Samaria, they were taught the worship of the true God; but, retaining also the worship of their false deities, their religion was for some years a mixture of heathenish and Jewish. In process of time, however, having many of the Israelites incorporated among them, and having built a temple on Mount Gerizim, like to that at Jerusalem, they appear to have abandoned all idolatry, and to have worshipped only the God of Israel. Bp. Tomline.
2 Kings 17:34
- Unto this day they do &c.] These and the following words relate to the children of Israel, who though
The wickedness of Samaria. Hezekiah’s good reign. Before CHRIST about 675. f Gen. 22. 28.
2 Kings 17:41
- So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images.] In the foregoing account of the colony planted in Samaria by the king of Babylon, to supply the place of the ten tribes, we have an instance of heathens, placed probably in the most advantageous circumstances in which it was possible for heathens to be placed, in order to reclaim them from idolatry; introduced to supply the place of one part of God’s chosen people who had been expelled for their idolatries, thus brought into immediate contact with the remaining part from whom they could not but learn much of the wonders of Jehovah’s power; convinced by their own experience of the necessity of conciliating Him as the supreme guardian God of the country in which they were newly settled, and compelled by their fears to solicit instruction in His law: they received that instruction; the books were placed in their hands, and were from that time uniformly acknowledged by them as of Divine authority. Yet so deeply rooted were their idolatrous propensities, that, although thus favourably circumstanced, with examples of Divine punishment immediately under their observance, instructed in the tenour, and acknowledging the authority of the Divine law, they could not be taught to discern the folly and impiety, or forsake the practice, of associating the worship of the basest idols with that of the great Jehovah. Dr. Graves. See note on Ezra iv. 3.
Chap. XVIII. This chapter is to be compared with
Isaiah xxxvi. and xxxvii. to ver. 21; also with 2 Chron. xxix, xxx, xxxi, xxxii, where is a fuller account of the reign of Hezekiah.
Ver. 1.—Hezekiah—began to reign.] After a race of kings, the best of whom were but careless observers of God’s law, and the worst extremely flagitious, it must needs have affected every pious heart with joy and wonder to see such a king as Hezekiah rise up, like a glorious sun after a long season of clouds and darkness, who, though descended from such idolatrous ancestors, had seal and courage to reform the church and state of Judah, to remove the high places, break down the images, and cut down the groves, and bring the religion to the condition in which it was in the time of David. Reading. How seasonably hath the providence of God kept the best man for the worst times! When God has a great work to do, He always knows how to supply Himself with instruments. Bp. Hall.