Keraia
2 Kings 17

2 Kings 17:28

Samaria Resettled · 2 Kings 17:24–41
Read 2 Kings 17

Translations

Modern
Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD.
Traditional
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth–el, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
Literal
And one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came, and he dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear YHWH.
Latin
Igitur cum venisset unus de sacerdotibus his qui captivi ducti fuerant de Samaria, habitavit in Bethel, et docebat eos quomodo colerent Dominum.

Original

Hebrew
English
Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD.

Notes

2 Kings 17:26–31

  • The king of Assyria was Sargon II. He ruled from 721 to 705 BC.

  • the God of the land … has sent lions: People in the ancient Near East believed a land's peace and success were tied to its god and religious practices.

  • One of the priests returned to Bethel, but his teachings on worshiping the Lord were likely influenced by Jeroboam I's religion and mixed with pagan practices.

  • The foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. They added the worship of Israel’s God to their own practices. Most of the false gods mentioned here are unknown. Jewish scribes may have changed their names.

  • Nergal was the Mesopotamian god of the underworld. Nibhaz and Tartak were probably Elamite gods.

2 Kings 17:24–41

The writer adds information about later events in Israel, like foreigners moving into the land and the mixed population's blended religious practices.

Theme notes and profiles

Arameans Assyria Samaritans

Places

Bethel: Important city in Israel, associated with Abraham and Jacob Samaria: Capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel; Samaritan inhabitants

Glossary

Bethel (Place), Bethelite Book of Micah Jeroboam Kings, Books of First and Second Manasseh, Tribe of Orontes Samaritans Syria, Syrians

Topics

Beth-El: A City North of Jerusalem: Shalmanezer Sends a Priest To Christian Minister: Duties of Cuth: A District of Asia, from Which Colonists Were Transported to Samaria Fear of God: Reverence Judgments: Delivered: Into the Hands of the Assyrians Missions: General Scriptures Concerning Samaria: Country of: Foreign Colonies Distributed Among the Cities of, by the King of Assyria