2 Kings 17:11
in 2 Kings 17They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom Jehovah carried away before them; and they wrought wicked things to provoke Jehovah to anger;
KJV
And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger:
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This verse in 2 Kings 17
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The burning of incense was a common religious practice among the Egyptians and the Babylonians; and from the present passage we gather that the Canaanite nations practiced it as one of their ordinary sacred rites. The Israelites are frequently reproached with it Hos 2:13; Hos 4:13; Isa 65:3.
This site's exposition
the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city
on 2 Kings 17:9-12
Verses 9 to 12 catalogue the buildup by scale rather than by list: high places built in every city from the watchtower to the walled town, images and groves set on every high hill and under every green tree, incense burned in all of them. The idols are named only by category, because the point is saturation rather than inventory. The Lord had said plainly, ye shall not do this thing, and the chapter measures the distance between that one sentence and generations of practice covering the whole land.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
(7.) They followed vanity. Idols are called so, because they could do neither good nor evil, but were the most insignificant things that could be; those that worshipped them were like unto them, and so they became vain and good for nothing (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And there they burnt incense in all the high places,.... As even the tribe of Judah did, which is observed in all the preceding reigns: as did the Heathen whom the Lord carried away before them: the Canaanites, and therefore they might justly expect to be carried captive also: and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: by their several immoralities, but especially their idolatries.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְקַטְּרוּ־ | vaykateru- | and they made smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
| שָׁם֙ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | at all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּמ֔וֹת | bamot | [the] high places | H1116 → | 102 times |
| כַּגּוֹיִ֕ם | kagoyim | like the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶגְלָ֥ה | heglah | he had taken into exile | H1540 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם | mipeneihem | from before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֙ | vaiyaasu | and they did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| דְּבָרִ֣ים | devarim | things | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| רָעִ֔ים | raim | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לְהַכְעִ֖יס | lehakhis | to provoke to anger | H3707 → | 54 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיְקַטְּרוּ־and they made smoke
vaykateru-H6999 →116 times
שָׁם֙there
shamH8033 →834 times
בְּכָל־at all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
בָּמ֔וֹת[the] high places
bamotH1116 →102 times
כַּגּוֹיִ֕םlike the nations
kagoyimH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֶגְלָ֥הhe had taken into exile
heglahH1540 →186 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑םfrom before them
mipeneihemH6440 →2123 times
וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֙and they did
vaiyaasuH6213 →2628 times
דְּבָרִ֣יםthings
devarimH1697 →1440 times
רָעִ֔יםevil
raimH7451 →662 times
לְהַכְעִ֖יסto provoke to anger
lehakhisH3707 →54 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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 Kings 13:1Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 23:17
Then the king asked, “What is this monument I see?” And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced these things…
- 1 Kings 12:32–33
And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to…
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15
By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.
- 2 Kings 23:17
Through
2 Kings 21:6He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 17:17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
- Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
- Leviticus 18:21
You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- 2 Kings 17:17
Through
Jeremiah 44:17Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 7:18
The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me…
- Nehemiah 9:34
Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.
- Jeremiah 7:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.