Lux Domini
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

What does 2 Kings 17:26 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

HopeAnxiety and fearJustice and mercyTruthProphetic witness

Read with

Keep this verse inside 2 Kings 17:24-28 and alongside a few nearby related passages.

Commentary on 2 Kings 17:26

Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria,....

Key words

Wherefore

Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria,.

spake

Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria,.

Assyria

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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.

prophetic witnessjudgmentexileidolatry

Explore by topic

Bible verses about hope

A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.

Bible verses about anxiety and fear

Verses for readers searching for biblical language about fear, worry, troubled thoughts, and the call to trust God under pressure.

Bible verses about justice and mercy

Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.

Bible verses about truth

Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.

Glossary

Samaria Place

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Samaria.

Assyria Place

Biblical region. Modern identification: Nineveh.