And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
What does 2 Kings 17:2 mean?
When the measure of sin is filled up, the Lord will forbear no longer. The inhabitants of Samaria must have endured great affliction.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 2 Kings 17:1-2 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 2 Kings 17:2
Not as the kings of Israel that were before him - The repentance of a nation like that of an individual, may be "too late." God is long-suffering; but after national sins have reached a certain height, after admonitions and warnings have been repeatedly rejected, after lesser punishments have failed - judgment begins to fall. Forces have been set in motion, which nothing but a miracle could stop; and God does not see fit to work a miracle in such a case. Compare Butler, 'Analogy, ' Pt. 1 Chronicles 2 end.
Key words
- sight
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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
- LORD
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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
- kings
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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
Context in 2 Kings 17
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2 Kings 17 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as decline of Judah. Second Kings follows the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, recounts the decline of both kingdoms, and ends with Jerusalem’s fall and a faint glimmer of Davidic continuity. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prophetic witness, judgment, and exile in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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