2 Kings 17:37
in 2 Kings 17And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods:
KJV
And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
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This verse in 2 Kings 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which he wrote for you - It is worth observing here, first, that the author regards the whole Law as given to the Israelites in a written form; and secondly, that he looks on the real writer as God.
This site's exposition
Do not worship other gods or bow down to them
on 2 Kings 17:35-39
Verses 35 to 39 recite the Sinai covenant, the commandments of Exodus 20:2 to 5, in the LORD's own words. Its first command is “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them”. Five verses circle one command broken for generations, and the chapter states what was always required.
This site's exposition
He wrote for you
Barnes drew two things from the words He wrote: the writer took the whole Law in written form, and he took God as its author. Matthew Henry counted the ban on other gods three times, in verses 35, 37 and 38. The repetition marks the chief article.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and never forget that covenant which God had made with them, the promises and conditions of that covenant, especially that great article of it which is here thrice repeated, because it had been so often inculcated and so much insisted on, that they should not fear other gods.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
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
And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment which he wrote for you,....
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֻקִּ֨ים | hachukim | the statutes | H2706 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֜ים | hamishpatim | the judgments | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וְהַתּוֹרָ֤ה | vehatorah | and the law | H8451 → | 219 times |
| וְהַמִּצְוָה֙ | vehamitzvah | and the commandment | H4687 → | 181 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כָּתַ֣ב | katav | he wrote | H3789 → | 224 times |
| לָכֶ֔ם | lakhem | for you | ||
| תִּשְׁמְר֥וּן | tishmerun | you will take care ! | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיָּמִ֑ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִֽירְא֖וּ | tireu | you must fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִֽים׃ | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַחֻקִּ֨יםthe statutes
hachukimH2706 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֜יםthe judgments
hamishpatimH4941 →422 times
וְהַתּוֹרָ֤הand the law
vehatorahH8451 →219 times
וְהַמִּצְוָה֙and the commandment
vehamitzvahH4687 →181 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כָּתַ֣בhe wrote
katavH3789 →224 times
לָכֶ֔םfor you
lakhem
תִּשְׁמְר֥וּןyou will take care !
tishmerunH8104 →468 times
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיָּמִ֑יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִֽירְא֖וּyou must fear
tireuH3372 →315 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִֽים׃other
ʾacherimH312 →166 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
Deuteronomy 12:32See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:2
You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.
- Revelation 22:18–19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- Proverbs 30:6
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
- Deuteronomy 13:18
because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments I am giving you today and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
- Deuteronomy 4:2
Through
Leviticus 19:37You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 8:1
You must carefully follow every commandment I am giving you today, so that you may live and multiply, and enter and possess the land that the LORD swore to give your fathers.
- Leviticus 18:4–5
You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.
- Deuteronomy 8:1
Through
Deuteronomy 5:31But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them…
it leads to
- Galatians 3:19
Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
- Galatians 3:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.