For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
What does 2 Kings 17:21 mean?
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.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside 2 Kings 17:19-23 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 2 Kings 17:21
The strong expression "drave Israel" is an allusion to the violent measures whereto Jeroboam had recourse in order to stop the efflux into Judea of the more religious portion of his subjects 2 Chronicles 11:13-16 , the calling in of Shishak, and the permanent assumption of a hostile attitude toward the southern kingdom.
Key words
- Israel
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For he rent Israel from the house of David,.
- house
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For he rent Israel from the house of David,.
- David
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For he rent Israel from the house of David,.
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.
Related topics
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Glossary
- David Person
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Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
- Jeroboam Person
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Increase of the people. (1. ) The son of Nebat ( 1 Kings 11:26-39 ), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B. C. 976-945).
- Nebat Person
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Sight; aspect, the father of Jeroboam, the king of Israel ( 1 Kings 11:26 , etc. ).