New English Translation
2 Kings 17:9
9The Israelites said things about the Lord their God that were not right. They built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress.
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
7This happened because the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods; 8they observed the practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before Israel, and followed the example of the kings of Israel. The Israelites said things about the Lord their God that were not right. They built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress. 10They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 11They burned incense on all the high places just like the nations whom the Lord had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the Lord angry.
Read all of 2 Kings 172 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- did secretlyחָפָאchâphâ' · to do secretlyH2644
- thingsדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- not right against the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and they builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- them high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- in all their citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- from the towerמִגְדָּלmigdâl migdâlâh · towerH4026
- of the watchmenנָצַרnâtsar · to watchH5341
- to the fencedמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
Cross-references for 2 Kings 17:9
- Deuteronomy 13:6Suppose your own full brother, your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have previously known,
- Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent to the Lord, the work of the craftsman – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
- Job 31:27so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,
- Ezekiel 8:12He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’”
- 2 Kings 18:8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from the watchtower to the city fortress.
- Hosea 12:11Is there idolatry in Gilead? Certainly its inhabitants will come to nothing! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed 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
In the dictionaries
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
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