2 Kings 17:26
in 2 Kings 17So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the law of the god of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the law of the god of the land.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe manner of the God of the land - משפט mishpat, the judgment; the way in which the God of the land is to be worshipped.
This site's exposition
so He sent lions among them
on 2 Kings 17:25-26
They did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, a judgment stated as plainly as any sent on Israel. The settlers read the lions as the act of a local god. A priest is sent, and verse 33 shows the worship that follows stays divided.
This site's exposition
the requirements of the God of the land
Adam Clarke gave the Hebrew behind requirements as mishpat, the due order of worship owed to the God of the land. Matthew Henry observed that these settlers read the lions as a message from God faster than Israel had read its own judgments. Leviticus 26:22 had threatened wild beasts.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Herein they shamed the Israelites, who were not so ready to hear the voice of God's judgments as they were, and who had not served the God of that land, though he was the God of their fathers and their great benefactor, and though they were well instructed in the manner of his worship.
Israel Subdued by Assyria. 1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the L ORD , but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:90%@v1-3
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Believing that he would adopt the best and simplest method for them, it is unlikely that he took the written law with him, and so gave origin to the Samaritan copy of the Pentateuch [DAVIDSON, Criticism]. Besides, it is evident from his being one of the exiled priests, and from his settlement at Beth-el, that he was not a Levite, but one of the calf-worshipping priests.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ | vaiyomeru | and people said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְמֶ֣לֶךְ | lemelekh | to [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁוּר֮ | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֗ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִגְלִ֙יתָ֙ | higlita | you took into exile | H1540 → | 186 times |
| וַתּ֙וֹשֶׁב֙ | vatooshev | and you caused to dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּעָרֵ֣י | bearei | in [the] cities of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| שֹׁמְר֔וֹן | shomeron | Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָֽדְע֔וּ | yadeu | they know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁפַּ֖ט | mishpat | [the] custom of | H4941 → | 422 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] god of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַיְשַׁלַּח־ | vayshalach- | and he has sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בָּ֣ם | bam | among them | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲרָי֗וֹת | haarayot | <the> lions | H738 → | |
| וְהִנָּם֙ | vehinam | and there they | H2009 → | 843 times |
| מְמִיתִ֣ים | memitim | [are] killing | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ | kaasher | <as> since | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֵינָ֣ם | ʾeinam | not they | H369 → | 789 times |
| יֹדְעִ֔ים | yodeim | [are] knowing | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁפַּ֖ט | mishpat | [the] custom of | H4941 → | 422 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | ʾelohei | [the] god of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand people said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
לְמֶ֣לֶךְto [the] king of
lemelekhH4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁוּר֮Assyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הַגּוֹיִ֗םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִגְלִ֙יתָ֙you took into exile
higlitaH1540 →186 times
וַתּ֙וֹשֶׁב֙and you caused to dwell
vatooshevH3427 →1079 times
בְּעָרֵ֣יin [the] cities of
beareiH5892 →1090 times
שֹׁמְר֔וֹןSamaria
shomeronH8111 →109 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָֽדְע֔וּthey know
yadeuH3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִשְׁפַּ֖ט[the] custom of
mishpatH4941 →422 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] god of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַיְשַׁלַּח־and he has sent
vayshalach-H7971 →845 times
בָּ֣םamong them
bam
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֲרָי֗וֹת<the> lions
haarayotH738 →
וְהִנָּם֙and there they
vehinamH2009 →843 times
מְמִיתִ֣ים[are] killing
memitimH4191 →839 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
כַּאֲשֶׁר֙<as> since
kaasherH834 →5497 times
אֵינָ֣םnot they
ʾeinamH369 →789 times
יֹדְעִ֔ים[are] knowing
yodeimH3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִשְׁפַּ֖ט[the] custom of
mishpatH4941 →422 times
אֱלֹהֵ֥י[the] god of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 10:25Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 8:11–18
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 17:14–20
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like…
- 1 Samuel 8:11–18
Through
1 Samuel 8:9Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:25
Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own…
- Ezekiel 46:18
The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people by evicting them from their property. He is to provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none…
- Ezekiel 3:18
If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man…
- 1 Samuel 10:25
Through
Amos 8:14Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.”
it leads to
- Amos 5:5
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
- 1 Kings 12:28–29
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out…
- Deuteronomy 9:21
And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it…
- Amos 5:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this verse
About 2 Kings

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
- PlaceThe northern hill countrySamariaThe hill Omri bought and built his capital on, where Ahab raised a temple to Baal, where the four lepers found the Aramean camp em…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
