Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary2 Kings 17

Samaria Besieged by the Assyrians; Israel Subdued by Assyria.This section tells the story of Hoshea, the last king of Israel, and the final fall of the kingdom. Even though Hoshea became king by violence, he did not rule right away. His reign was marked by trouble, and the people of Israel continued in their sins. God allowed the Assyrians to conquer Israel because of the nation’s long history of disobedience. The people were taken away as captives, and the kingdom of Israel came to an end. This was a sad result of many years of turning away from the Lord

v. 2: Hoshea was not as evil as the kings before him, especially in his attitude toward idol worship. Some say he even allowed people to go to Jerusalem to worship. But even though he was less wicked, the people of Israel continued in their sins. God’s judgment came not just because of the king’s actions, but because of the sins of the whole nation and their ancestors (2 Kings 17:2; Hosea 8:5 ).

v. 3: The king of Assyria made Israel pay tribute. This was a warning from God, giving them a chance to repent. If they had turned back to God, they might have avoided greater punishment .

v. 4: Hoshea tried to rebel against Assyria by making an alliance with Egypt and stopped paying tribute. Instead of trusting God, he trusted Egypt, which was like leaning on a broken stick. This made the king of Assyria angry and led to harsher punishment .

v. 5: The Assyrian army invaded all of Israel and captured the land. They treated the people as traitors, not just as enemies. The city of Samaria was besieged for three years, and the people suffered greatly .

v. 6: Finally, Samaria was taken, and the people of Israel were carried away as captives to Assyria. They were scattered in different places so they could not join together again. The nation of Israel was finished, and the people lost their land and freedom. Those who forgot God were themselves forgotten, and those who wanted to be like other nations were buried among them. Only a few poor people were left behind, and the rest became known as Samaritans or Galileans .Even though the kingdom of Israel ended, God kept a remnant of His people. The name “Israel” continued in the spiritual sense, as the people of God in the gospel age (Revelation 7:1-8; James 1:1 ; Acts 26:7; Galatians 6:16 ).

The Wickedness of Israel.This section explains why God allowed the kingdom of Israel to be destroyed. The historian does not focus on military or political reasons, but on the spiritual cause: Israel’s sin against the Lord

v. 8: The Israelites followed the customs of the nations that God had driven out before them. They also copied the evil practices of the kings of Israel, instead of obeying God’s law.

v. 9: The people did things in secret that were not right in the sight of the Lord

v. 10: They set up images and groves (wooden idols) on every high hill and under every green tree, breaking God’s commandments and dishonoring Him.

v. 11: The Israelites burned incense on all the high places, just like the nations God had removed. They did these things to provoke the Lord

v. 12: They served idols, even though God had clearly told them not to do this. Their disobedience was open and repeated.

v. 13: God sent prophets and seers to warn Israel and call them to turn from their evil ways. He wanted them to keep His commandments and statutes, but they refused to listen.

v. 14: The people were stubborn and would not believe in the Lord

v. 15: Israel rejected God’s statutes and covenant. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They copied the nations around them, even though God had told them not to do so.

v. 16: They left all the commandments of the Lord

v. 17: The people even sacrificed their own children in the fire, practiced witchcraft, and used magic. Their sins grew worse and worse.

v. 18: Because of all these sins, God was very angry with Israel. He removed them from His presence, leaving only the tribe of Judah.

v. 19: Even Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord

v. 20-23: God rejected all the descendants of Israel, allowed them to be defeated by their enemies, and finally removed them from their land, just as He had warned through His prophets. The people’s own sins brought this disaster upon them, and God’s word was fulfilled.

The Samaritans' Idolatry.This section explains what happened in the land of Israel after the Israelites were taken away by the Assyrians. The king of Assyria brought people from other nations to live in Samaria. These new settlers did not know the ways of the Lord

v. 25: When these new people first lived in the land, they did not fear the Lord

v. 26: The settlers told the king of Assyria that they were being attacked by lions because they did not know how to worship the God of the land. They believed they needed to learn how to please Him .

v. 27-28: The king of Assyria sent back one of the priests who had been taken from Israel. This priest came to teach the new people how to fear the Lord

v. 29-31: Even after being taught, each group of settlers made their own gods and placed them in the high places. They worshipped both the Lord

v. 32-33: The people tried to serve the Lord

v. 34-35: The new settlers did not truly obey the Lord

v. 36-39: God had commanded Israel to worship Him alone, because He had brought them out of Egypt and made a covenant with them. He promised to protect them if they obeyed, but they did not listen (2 Kings 17:36-39 ).

v. 40-41: The people continued in their old ways, serving both the Lord