2 Kings 17

Hosea becomes King of Israel, verse 1. Is subjected to the King of Assyria, after that besieged by him,saken prisoner, and with all the people carried captives to Assyria, 3. all this for their sins, 7. the strange Nations, wherewith their land was planted are troubled with Lions, 24. for which cause an Israelitish priest is sent to them. 27. whence foloweth a mixture of religion, 29.

1. In the twelveth year of Achaz King of Juda, Hosea the son of Ela became king over Israel at Samaria, (and reigned) [of these inserted words, see 1 Kings 15 on verse 33.] nine years. [he had indeed taken possession of the Kingdome of Israel in the fourth year of Achaz, that is, eight years before, above chapter 15 on verse 30 but in regard the land was full of contestings and troubles about the crown, neither he, nor any man else seemeth to have confirmed, or settled King those eight years, or if he had been yet held to be king he was notwithstanding under the tribute of the King of Assyria, yea also (as some conceive) his prisoner; so that the fore mentioned eight years, come not here in the account of his reign: else he had reigned seventeen years. Compare above chapter 15 verse 30 and below chapter 18 verse 9. others conceive that he reigned the first eight years absolutely as sovereign and the other nine as tributary and that the holy scripture here onely maketh mention of these last.

2. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD: yet not as the King of Israel that had been before him. [that is, not with such great Idolatry: for the former Kigs had for the most part worshipped not onely the golden calves, but also Baal and other abominations of the heathen. Some likewise conceive, that he had let his people go up to Jerusalem, to offer there; which was formerly fobbiden them.]

3. Against him marched Salmaneser. [Otherwise, called also in some Histories, Nabonasser. Although some is of opinion that they were diver’s men] King of Assria: and hosea became his servant. (so) that he gave him a present. [That is, a yearly Tribute, or Tax.

4. But the King of Assyria perceived a conspiracy in Hosea, [Namely about the fifth, or sixth year of this reign of Hosea. Compare below chapter 18. V. 9.] that he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, [otherwise called in Histories Sabachos, who having expelled his Predecessor Zychis, reigned many years over Egypt. This man’s help did Hosea crave against the Assyrians] and brought not up the present from year to year to the king of Assyria, as formerly (he had done) from year to year: so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him to prison. [Heb. The house of shut ting up, or compulsion. This was done in the ninth year of king Hosea’s reign, mentioned in first verse.]

5. For the King of Assyria marched up into all the land; yea he marched up into all the land; yea marched up to Samaria, and he besieged it three years.

6. in the ninth year of Hosea, the King of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Isreal into Assyria, and made them dwell in Hakah, [samoe hold it to be Calacine of Assyria, lying above Abiabene. See hereof also below chapter 18.11. 1 Chronicles 5. Vers. 26.] and in habor, [which is conceived to be an hilly land of Assyria, bordering on Media. See below chapter 18.11.] by the river of Gozan, [a river in Mesopotamia, below chapter 18.11. 1 Chronicles 15. V 26: oth. Nebar-Gozan, a country (as some conceive) in Media] and in the cities of Medes. [Gen. 10. On ver. 2.]

7. for it came to pass, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh the King of Egypt; and had feared other Gods. [see Gen. 35 on v. 2.]

8. And had walked in the statutes of the Heathen, which the Lord had driven out before the face of the children of Israel, and of the Kings of Isreal, that had made them. [understand the statutes, which the Kings of Israel had made see below v.19. or the Kings of Israel, which they, to wit, the children of Isreal, had set up.]

9. And the children of Israel had cloaked [Heb. Properly covered] the things that are not right, against the Lord their God: [oth, with the Lord, &c. that is, with the name, or clock of the service of God. The meaning is, they excused their idolatry and sins and cloathed them with the name and shew of Religion, holiness and good meaning, willing to serve God, not according to his word, but according to their own fancie, against the express command of God, Numb. 15.39.] and had built them high places in all places all their cities, from the watch-tower to the fenced cities. [i.e. every where thorow out the whole land, as well in small, and unhibited places, and in the field as in great and populous places and cities. The Watch-Towers were here and there built in the land, to warn the people of the enemies approach, or to secure the cattel, and the fruits of the ground.]

10. And they had reared them up standing images, [see Lev. 26. On v. 1] and groves, [see Exodus 34:13. and Deuteronomy 7:5. with the annotate. Oth. Grove-gods, grove-images] on all, (or every) high hill and all (or every) green tree. [see Deu. 12 on v. 2.]

11. And there they had burnt incense on all the high places, as (did) the heathen, whom the LORD had carred away from their faces: and they had done evil things to provoke the LORD to anger.

12. And they served the Dung-Gods [See Lev. 26. On v. 30] whereof the LORD had said uto them; thou shalt not do this thing. [see Exodus 20:3;4;19. Deuteronomy 4:7, 8.]

13. Now when the LORD had testified against Israel, and against Juda by the ministry [Heb. Hand] of all the Prophets, (and) of all the seers, [to wit, to whom God had declared his will, in all manner of ways, which he used in those times to instruct men by, as by Oracles, Vision, or dreams: see Numb. 12 on v. 6:] saying; turn ye from your evil ways and keep my commandments, (and) my statutes, according to all the law, which I commended your fathers; and which I sent to you by the hand of my servants the prophets: [see Jerem. 8.11 and 25.5. and 35.15.]

14. They then hearkened not; but they hardened their neck, [that is, they were disobedient, and rebellious to the utmost, refusing to yield the exhortations of God: see Exod. 22 on vers. 9] as the neck of their fathers had been, that had not believed o the Lord their God. [that is, had not believed his threatening.]

15. Moreover, they rejected their statutes, and his covenant, which he had made with their fathers, and his testimonies, which he had testified against them and walked after vanity, [idolatry is called vanity, as well because idols are a thing of nothing, as because of the confidence fixed on them is in vain; yea also because idolaters are deprived of right judgment and understanding] (so) that they became vain, and after the heathen, that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.

16. Yea they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, two calves, and made gloves, and bowed themselves before all the host of heaven, [see Deu. 4. On verse 19.] and served Baal. [see Judges 2 on ver 11.]

17. they also caused their son and their daughters to pass through the fire, [see Lev. 18. On v. 21] and used sooth-saying, [Heb sooth-sayings] and gave bead to the noise of fowls, [see Lev. 19 on verse 26] and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, [see the meaning of this phrase, 1 Kings 21 on verse 21 to provoke him to anger.

18. Therefore the Lord was angry against Israel, (so) that he removed them from his face: [i.e. out of the Land of Canaan, which he had hallowed for a habitation to himself, having therein his church in the midst whereof he dwelt, and wherein he shewed the outward tokens of his presence: so below v 20 and 23 and chapter 23 v. 27 and 24.3.] there was nothing left, save the tribe of Juda onely. [being here-under comprised the Levites, that dwelt in the tribe of Juda and Simeonites, that were mingled among them, with a part of Benjamin. [see 1 Kings 1 on v. 32]

19. Even Juda kept not the commandments of the Lord their God: but they walked in the statutes of Israel, which they [to wit, the Israelites] he made. [this aggravate the sinne of the Israelites, that they made by their evil examples those of Juda also to sinne and provoked them to idolatry: see Hosea 4:15:]

20. So the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, [to wit, the ten tribes, who are called Israel, to distinguish them from Juda, as appeareth by the following verse] and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of the spoilers: until he had cast them away from his face.

21. For he rent the house from the house of David, [He, namely the LORD, 1 Kings 14:24. or Israel rent itself from the house of David] and they made Jerobeam the son of Nebat King, and Jerobeam drave Israel away from after the Lord and he made them to sin a great sinne. [see 1 Kings 12 on verse 30]

22. So the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jerobean, which he had done: [see above chapter 14 on v. 16.] they departed not from them.

23. Until the LORD removed Israel from his face according as he had spoken by the ministery [Heb. Hand] of all his servants the Prophets: so Israel was carried away out of their (own) land to Assyria, unto his day. [i.e. which transportation maketh them to be Exiles, and to continue in banishment unto this day, when this was written.]

24. Now the king of Assyria brought (people) from Babeland from Cata, [A countery (as is thought) of desert Arabia, inhabited by the Citanians, which border on Syria: or Persia, having the name from the river Cata,] and from Ava, [see Deut. 2 on verse 23, called also Java, below chapter 18.34.] and from Hamath, [see Numb 13 on verse 21.] and Sepharvaim, [the land of the city of Sephora, lying in Mesopotamia by Euphrates] and made them dwell in the cities of Samari, Instead of the chidren of Israel: and they took Samaria hereditarily, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

25. And it came to pass in the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD, [that is, they feared him not according to the lawful manner prescribed by Moseh] so the Lord sent Lions among them, which killed some of them.

26. Therefore they spake unto the King of Assyria, [to wit, the Inhabitants by their Ambassadors, whom they dispatched away to the King, to acquaint him with this grievance of theirs] saying; The Nations which thou hast carried away, and hast caused to dwell in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the Land: therefore he hath sent Lions among them, and behold they kill them, becase they know not the manner of the God of the Land.

27. Then the King of Assyria commanded, saying; bring hither one of the Priests. [which were not the Levitical Priests, but which King of Israel had made of the meanest of the people, 1 Kings 12:31.] whom ye brought away from thence, that they [to wit, the priest with his retinue, servants and household; or with those that conducted him] may go, and dwell there: and that he may teach them the manner of the God of the land.

28. So one of the Priests, whom they had carried away from Samaria, came and dwelt at Bethel: and he taught them how they should fear the LORD. [i.e. Serve him: although doubtless more after the Idolatrous manner of the former kings, then after the Law of God given by Moseh: So below v. 32,33,41.]

29. But every Naion [Heb. Nation, nation: so in the following words of this verse: see Gen. 7.on v. 2.] made their (own) Gods, and they put them in the Houses of the high places, which the Samaritans had made; each nation in their cities, wherein they dwelt.

30. For the men Babel made Succoth Benoth; [this name, with the rest that follow in this verse, and in the Samaritans worshipped. But hereof are divers opinions among the learned] and the men of Chutmade Nergal; and the men of Hamath made Afima;

31. And the Avvites made Nibba, [otherwise, Nibban] and tartak and the Separvites burnt their sons with fire to Adramelech and Anamelech, the Gods of Separvaim. [see Lev. 18 on v. 21.]

32. They also feared the Lord and made unto themselves priestd of the high places, of their meanest (ones) [Heb. Of their ends, or of their uttermost parts: see 1 Kings 12 on verse 31.] which did (service) for them in the houses of the high places.

33. they feared the LORD and served (also) their (own) Gods, after the manner of the Nations, from whom [Heb. From whence they had carried them away. [to wit, each their Idol, accrding to the manner of their country from whence each Nation was carried thither by the Assyrias. See Zephaniah 1:5.]

34. Until this day they do after the former manners: [understand here the Israelites: of whom see above verse. 23 For here is made an opposition between the stiffneckedness of the Israelites, that are carried away into Assyria, because they would not live their old Idolatry;and the changeableness of The Assyrians to serve the Lord after the aolatrous manner of the Israelites although they had not formerly done it.] they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their rights, and after the law, and after the commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob to whom he gave the name of Israel. [this is here added, to upbraid the Israelites, that they had forgotten the exceeding great mercies, which God had shewed to their father Jacob and likewise to them; which ought to have moved them to serve the same God alone purely and to cleave unto him faithfully.]

35. Yet the Lord had made a covenant with them, [see Genesis 17:7. Exodus 19:5, &c and 24.7&c.] and had changed them saying: ye shall not fear other Gods. Nor how down your selves before them, nor serve them nor do sacrifice to them. [see Judges 6:10]

36. but the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a stretched out arm, [see Exod.6. on v.5.] him shall ye fear and before him shall ye do sacrifice.

37. And the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, [Understand by these four words: first the ceremonial Law. Secondly, the judicial or civil Laws, Thirdly, the true doctrine. Fourthly, the moral law. See Genesis 26 on v. 5] which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do at all dayes: and ye shall not fear other Gods.

38. And the covenant, which I have made with you, ye shall not forget; and ye shall not fear other Gods.

39. but ye shall fear God your LORD your god: and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

40. Yet they hearkened not, but they did after their former manner. [Which was ordained by Jerobeam, and other Idolatrous Kings.]

41. But these Nations [namely the Heathen, which were come out of Assyria, to dwell in Samaria, and in the land of the Israelites] feared the Lord [to wit, after the idolatrous manner of the Israelites. See above on verse 28.] and spread their carved images: their children also and their children do unto this day, according as their father have done.