2 Kings 17:9

2 Kings 17:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
• New International Version (NIV)The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.

Context of 2 Kings 17:9

7All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods 8and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 11They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.

2 Kings 17:9 word by word

וַיְחַפְּא֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל דְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־כֵ֔ן עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּבְנ֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם בָּמוֹת֙ בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל נוֹצְרִ֖ים עַד־עִ֥יר מִבְצָֽר׃Read the interlinear

• The Israelitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• The Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• The Israelitesדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• secretly didחָפָאchâphâ' · to do secretlyH2644
• things againstעַל‛al · uponH5921
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• thatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• rightכֵּןkên · rightH3651
• From watchtowerמִגְדָּלmigdâl migdâlâh · towerH4026
• From watchtowerנָצַרnâtsar · to watchH5341
• toעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• fortifiedמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
• cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• they builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• in allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605

Cross-references for 2 Kings 17:9

• Deuteronomy 13:6If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
• Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
• Job 31:27so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
• Ezekiel 8:12“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
• 2 Kings 18:8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.
• Hosea 12:11Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 17:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Did secretly those things - There was much hidden iniquity and private idolatry among them, as well as public and notorious crimes. From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city - That is, the idolatry was universal; every place was made a place for some idolatrous rite or act of worship; from the largest city to the smallest village, and from the public watchtower to the shepherd's cot.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Literally, the words run thus - “And the children of Israel concealed (or dissembled‘) words which were not so concerning the Lord their God;” the true meaning of which probably is, the Israelites cloaked or covered their idolatry with the pretence that it was a worship of Yahweh: they glossed it over and dissembled toward God, instead of openly acknowledging their apostasy. From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city - This phrase was probably a…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-23Verses 7-23 Though the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes was but briefly related, it is in these verses largely commented upon, and the reasons of it given. It was destruction from the Almighty: the Assyrian was but the rod of his anger, Is 10:5. Those that bring sin into a country or family, bring a plague into it, and will have to answer for all the mischief that follows. And vast as the outward wickedness of the world is, the secret sins…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-13Israel 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 17:9

• Assyria
• Babylon
• High Places
• Judgments
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Children of Israel
• Watches
• Assyria
• Captivity
• Fear
• Gardener
• High Place
• Hoshea

Commentaries on 2 Kings 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings