2 Kings 17:28
in 2 Kings 17Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear Jehovah.
KJV
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth–el, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
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This verse in 2 Kings 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The priest sent to the colonists was not a true Yahweh-priest, but one of those who had been attached to the calf-worship, probably at Bethel. Hence, he would be willing to tolerate the mixed religion, which a true Yahweh-priest would have unsparingly condemned.
This site's exposition
Carry thither one of the priests
on 2 Kings 17:27-28
Assyria's solution is pragmatic rather than evangelistic: send back one priest of the calf religion Israel had practiced, and let him teach the newcomers the manner of the God of the land. That priest settles in the very city where Jeroboam had set up the golden calf two centuries before, so what the colonists learn is Israel's own corrupted worship, not the law given at Sinai. The chapter has already named this the root sin of the north, and now it becomes the seed of a second people's religion.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
However, he came and dwelt among them, to teach them how they should fear the Lord. Whether he taught them out of the book of the law, or only by word of mouth, is uncertain. That, being thus taught, they made a mongrel religion of it, worshipped the God of Israel for fear and their own idols for love (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — 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
Taught them - The manner of God's worship, as it was practiced in Israel; as may be gathered both from the quality of this person, who was an Israelitish priest; and from the place of his residence, Beth-el, a place infamous for the worship of the calves, and from the manner of their making priests by this man's direction.
Then one of the priests whom, they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel,....
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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֞א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶחָ֣ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים | mehakohanim | from the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִגְלוּ֙ | higlu | they had taken into exile | H1540 → | 186 times |
| מִשֹּׁ֣מְר֔וֹן | mishomeron | from Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
| וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּבֵֽית־ | beveit- | in Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֑ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| וַֽיְהִי֙ | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מוֹרֶ֣ה | moreh | teaching | H3384 → | 80 times |
| אֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֵ֖יךְ | ʾeikh | how? | H349 → | 82 times |
| יִֽירְא֥וּ | yireu | will they fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיָּבֹ֞אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶחָ֣דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֗יםfrom the priests
mehakohanimH3548 →750 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִגְלוּ֙they had taken into exile
higluH1540 →186 times
מִשֹּׁ֣מְר֔וֹןfrom Samaria
mishomeronH8111 →109 times
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁבand he dwelt
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
בְּבֵֽית־in Beth-
beveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֑ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
וַֽיְהִי֙and he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
מוֹרֶ֣הteaching
morehH3384 →80 times
אֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֵ֖יךְhow?
ʾeikhH349 →82 times
יִֽירְא֥וּwill they fear
yireuH3372 →315 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
Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 33:31–33
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest…
- Jeremiah 12:2
You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
- Mark 7:2–13
and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
- Matthew 15:2–9
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Jeremiah 3:10
Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
- Ezekiel 33:31–33
Through
Matthew 15:14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
it leads to
- Luke 6:39
Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
- Isaiah 56:10
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
- Matthew 23:16–24
Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
- Luke 6:39
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
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About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The Second Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.