2 Kings 17:11

provoking the LORD to anger: When God is angry, he is not mean or bad-tempered. Instead, human wrongdoing angers him because people have turned against God and harmed each other. God deals with human wrongdoing through his justice (see also 2 Kings 13:3; 17:17–18; 21:6; 22:13, 17; 23:26–27; 24:20; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:6; 1 John 1:8–10).

Israel committed many sins, including pagan rituals and practices. Whether done openly or in secret, God knew about them all. Israel's kings often started these practices by building pagan shrines, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles. They copied pagan sacrifices and idol worship (2 Kings 10:29; 15:18, 28; 1 Kings 12:28–33; 15:34; 16:30–33).

People from all parts of Israelite society, both royalty and commoners, continued these sins. They ignored warnings from God's prophets, including Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, and Micah.

The report of the northern kingdom's fall has two main parts:

1. Events during the reign of Israel's last king, Hoshea, including the capture of Samaria and the deportation of Israel's people (2 Kings 17:1–6);

2. The reasons for Israel's fall and Assyria's conquest:

   • Israel's many sins (2 Kings 17:7–17) that led to God's judgment (2 Kings 17:18–20), and

   • the major sin of Jeroboam I, who started Israel's widespread disobedience to God (2 Kings 17:21–23).