2 Kings 17:30
in 2 Kings 17The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
KJV
And the men of Babylon made Succoth–benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
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This verse in 2 Kings 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth - This, literally, signifies the tabernacles of the daughters or young women, and most evidently refers to those public prostitutions of young virgins at the temple of Melitta or Venus among the Babylonians. See at the end of the chapter, 2Ki 17:41 (note). From benoth it is probable that the word Venus came, the B being changed into V, as is frequently the case, and the th into s, benoth, Venos. The rabbins say that her emblem was a hen with her chickens; see Jarchi on the place.
This site's exposition
every nation made gods of their own
on 2 Kings 17:29-31
Every resettled nation keeps its own god inside the shrines the Samaritans had already built, and the text names them one by one, Succoth-benoth and Nergal from Babylon and Cuth, Ashima from Hamath, Nibhaz and Tartak from the Avites. The Sepharvites burn their own children to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the same child sacrifice already named against Israel at verse 17, now practiced by the very people brought in to replace them. The list reads like a small table of nations of gods, each import keeping its home religion rather than taking up the land's.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
If we may credit the traditions of the Jewish doctors, they tell us that Succoth-Benoth was worshipped in a hen and chickens, Nergal in a cock, Ashima in a smooth goat, Nibhaz in a dog, Tartak in an ass, Adrammelech in a peacock, Anammelech in a pheasant. Our own tell us, more probably, that Succoth-Benoth (signifying the tents of the daughters ) was Venus.
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 men of Babylon made Succothbenoth,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Succoth-benoth--that is, the "tents" or "booths of the daughters," similar to those in which the Babylonian damsels celebrated impure rites (Am 2:8). Nergal--The Jewish writers say this idol was in the form of a cock, and it is certain that a cock is often associated with a priest on the Assyrian monuments [LAYARD].
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Succoth-benoth probably represents a Babylonian goddess called Zir-banit, the wife of Merodach. She and her husband were, next to Bel and Beltis, the favorite divinities of the Babylonians. Nergal, etymologically “the great man,” or “the great hero,” was the Babylonian god of war and hunting. His name forms an element in the Babylonian royal appellation, Nergal-shar-ezar or Neriglissar. The Assyrian inscriptions connect Nergal in a very special way with Cutha, of which he was evidently the tutelary deity. Ashima is ingeniously conjectured to be the same as Esmun, the AEsculapius of the Cabiri or “great gods” of the Phoenicians.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י | veanshei | and [the] people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| בָבֶ֗ל | vavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| עָשׂוּ֙ | ʾasu | they made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| סֻכּ֣וֹת | sukot | Succoth | H5524 → | |
| בְּנ֔וֹת | benot | Benoth | H5524 → | |
| וְאַנְשֵׁי־ | veanshei- | and [the] people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| כ֔וּת | khut | Cuthah | H3575 → | |
| עָשׂ֖וּ | ʾasu | they made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נֵֽרְגַ֑ל | neregal | Nergal | H5370 → | |
| וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י | veanshei | and [the] people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| חֲמָ֖ת | chamat | Hamath | H2574 → | 35 times |
| עָשׂ֥וּ | ʾasu | they made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשִׁימָֽא׃ | ʾashima' | Ashima | H807 → |
וְאַנְשֵׁ֣יand [the] people of
veansheiH582 →566 times
בָבֶ֗לBabylon
vavelH894 →262 times
עָשׂוּ֙they made
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
סֻכּ֣וֹתSuccoth
sukotH5524 →
בְּנ֔וֹתBenoth
benotH5524 →
וְאַנְשֵׁי־and [the] people of
veanshei-H582 →566 times
כ֔וּתCuthah
khutH3575 →
עָשׂ֖וּthey made
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נֵֽרְגַ֑לNergal
neregalH5370 →
וְאַנְשֵׁ֥יand [the] people of
veansheiH582 →566 times
חֲמָ֖תHamath
chamatH2574 →35 times
עָשׂ֥וּthey made
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲשִׁימָֽא׃Ashima
ʾashima'H807 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
2 Kings 17:24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 18:34
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
- Matthew 10:5
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
- 2 Kings 19:13
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
- 2 Kings 17:30–31
The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
- 2 Chronicles 33:11
So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
- 2 Kings 18:34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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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); 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.