And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
What does 2 Kings 17:24 mean?
The terror of the Almighty will sometimes produce a forced or feigned submission in unconverted men; like those brought from different countries to inhabit Israel.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside 2 Kings 17:24-28 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 2 Kings 17:24
Sargon is probably the king of Assyria intended, not (as generally supposed) either Shalmaneser or Esar-haddon. The ruins of Cutha have been discovered about 15 miles northeast of Babylon, at a place which is called Ibrahim, because it is the traditional site of a contest between Abraham and Nimrod. The name of Cuilia is found on the bricks of this place, which are mostly of the era of Nebuchadnezzar. The Assyrian inscriptions show that the special god of Cutha was Nergal (see the 2 Kings 17:30 note). Ava or Ivah or Ahava Ezra 8:15 was on the Euphrates; perhaps the city in ancient times called Ihi or Aia, between Sippara (Sepharvaim) and Hena (Anah).
Key words
- Assyria
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And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon,.
- brought
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And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon,.
- Babylon
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And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon,.
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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Glossary
- Samaria Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Samaria.
- Assyria Place
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Biblical region. Modern identification: Nineveh.
- Avva Place
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A place in Assyria from which colonies were brought to Samaria ( 2 Kings 17:24 ). It is probably the same with Ivah (18:34; 19:13; Isa. 37:13 ). It has been identified with Hit on the Euphrates. Modern identification: Kafr Aya.
- Babylon Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Babylon.
- Cuth Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Ibrahim.
- Hamath Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Hama.
- Sepharvaim Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: between Damascus and Hamath.