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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Kings 17:7–23. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Though the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes was but briefly related, it is in these verses largely commented upon by our historian, and the reasons of it assigned, not taken from the second causes - the weakness of Israel, their impolitic management, and the strength and growing greatness of the Assyrian monarch (these things are overlooked) - but only from the First Cause. Observe, 1. It was the Lord that removed Israel out of his sight; whoever were the instruments, he was the author of this calamity. It was destruction from the Almighty; the Assyrian was but the rod of his anger, Isa 10:5. It was the Lord that rejected the seed of Israel, else their enemies could not have seized upon them, Kg2 17:20. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord? Isa 43:24. We lose the benefit of national judgments if we do not eye the hand of God in them, and the fulfilling of the scripture, for that also is taken notice of here (Kg2 17:23): The Lord removed Israel out of his favour, and out of their own land, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. Rather shall heaven and earth pass than one tittle of God's word fall to the ground. When God's word and his works are compared, it will be found not only that they agree, but that they illustrate each other. But why would God ruin a people that were raised and incorporated, as Israel was, by miracles and oracles? Why would he undo that which he himself had done at so vast an expense? Was it purely an act of sovereignty? No, it was an act of necessary justice. For, 2. They provoked him to do this by their wickedness. Was it God's doing? Nay, it was their own; by their way and their doings they procured all this to themselves, and it was their own wickedness that did correct them. This the sacred historian shows here at large, that it might appear that God did them no wrong and that others might hear and fear. Come and see what it was that did all this mischief, that broke their power and laid their honour in the dust; it was sin; that, and nothing else, separated between them and God. This is here very movingly laid open as the cause of all the desolations of Israel. He here shows,
I.What God had done for Israel, to engage them to serve him.
1.He gave them their liberty (Kg2 17:7): He brought them from under the hand of Pharaoh who oppressed them, asserted their freedom (Israel is my son), and effected their freedom with a high hand. Thus they were bound in duty and gratitude to be his servants, for he had loosed their bonds; nor would he that rescued them out of the hand of the king of Egypt have contradicted himself so far as to deliver them into the hand of the king of Assyria, as he did, if they had not, by their iniquity, betrayed their liberty and sold themselves.
2.He gave them their law, and was himself their king. They were immediately under a divine regimen. They could not plead ignorance of good and evil, sin and duty, for God had particularly charged them against those very things which here he charges them with (Kg2 17:15), That they should not do like the heathen. Nor could they be in any doubt concerning their obligation to observe the laws which they are here charged with rejecting, for they were the commandments and statutes of the Lord their God (Kg2 17:13), so that no room was left to dispute whether they should keep them or no. He had not dealt so with other nations, Psa 147:19, Psa 147:20.
3.He gave them their land, for he cast out the heathen from before them (Kg2 17:8), to make room for them; and the casting out of them for their idolatries was as fair a warning as could be given to Israel not to do like them.
II.What they had done against God, notwithstanding these engagements which he had laid upon them.
1.In general. They sinned against the Lord their God (Kg2 17:7), they did those things that were not right (Kg2 17:9), but secretly. So wedded were they to their evil practices that when they could not do them publicly, could not for shame or could not for fear, they would do them secretly - an evidence of their atheism, that they thought what was done in secret was from under the eye of God himself and would not be required. Again, they wrought wicked things in such a direct contradiction to the divine law that they seemed as if they were done on purpose to provoke the Lord to anger (Kg2 17:11), in contempt of his authority and defiance of his justice. They rejected God's statutes and his covenant (Kg2 17:15), would not be bound up either by his command or the consent they themselves had given to the covenant, but threw off the obligations of both, and therefore God justly rejected them, Kg2 17:20. See Hos 4:6. They left all the commandments of the Lord their God (Kg2 17:16), left the way, left the work, which those commandments prescribed them and directed them in. Nay, lastly, they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, that is, they wholly addicted themselves to sin, as slaves to the service of those to whom they are sold, and, by their obstinately persisting in sin, so hardened their own hearts that at length it had become morally impossible for them to recover themselves, as one that has sold himself has put his liberty past recall.
2.In particular. Though they were guilty (no doubt) of many immoralities, and violated all the commands of the second table, yet nothing is here specified, but their idolatry. This was the sin that did most easily beset them; this was, of all sins, most provoking to God: it was the spiritual adultery that broke the marriage-covenant, and was the inlet of all other wickedness. Hence it is again and again mentioned here as the sin that ruined them.
(1.)They feared other gods (Kg2 17:7), that is, worshipped them and paid their homage to them, as if they feared their displeasure.
(2.)They walked in the statutes of the heathen, which were contrary to God's statutes (Kg2 17:8), did as did the heathen (Kg2 17:11), went after the heathen that were round about them (Kg2 17:15), so prostituting the honour of their peculiarity, and defeating God's design concerning them, which was that they should be distinguished from the heathen. Must those that were taught of God go to school to the heathen - those that were appropriated to God take their measures from the nations that were abandoned by him?
(3.)They walked in the statutes of the idolatrous kings of Israel (Kg2 17:8), in all the sins of Jeroboam, Kg2 17:22. When their kings assumed a power to alter and add to the divine institutions they submitted to them, and thought the command of their kings would bear them out in disobedience to the command of their God.
(4.)They built themselves high places in all their cities, Kg2 17:9. If in any place there was but the tower of the watchmen (a country tower that had no walls, but only a tower to shelter the watch in time of danger), or but a lodge for shepherds, it must be honoured with a high place, and that with an altar. If there was a fenced city, it must be further fortified with a high place. Having forsaken God's only place, they knew no end of high places, in which every man followed his own fancy and directed his devotion to what god he pleased. Sacred things were hereby profaned and laid common, when their altars were as heaps in the furrows of the field, Hos 12:11.
(5.)They set them up images and groves - Asherim (even wooden images, so some think the term, which we translate groves, should be rendered) or Ashtaroth (so others) - directed contrary to the second commandment, Kg2 17:10. They served idols (Kg2 17:12), the works of their own hands and creatures of their own fancy, though God had warned them particularly not to do this thing.
(6.)They burnt incense in all the high places, to the honour of strange gods, for it was to the dishonour of the true God, Kg2 17:11.
(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 (Kg2 17:16), vain in their devotions, which were brutish and ridiculous, and so became vain in their whole conversation.
(8.)Besides the molten images, even the two calves, they worshipped all the host of heaven - the sun, moon, and stars: for it is not meant of the heavenly host of angels; they could not rise so far above sensible things as to think of them. And, withal, they served Baal, the deified heroes of the Gentiles, Kg2 17:16.
(9.)They caused their children to pass through the fire, in token of their dedicating them to their idols.
(10.)They used divinations and enchantments, that they might receive directions from the gods to whom they paid their devotions.
III.What means God used with them, to bring them off from their idolatries, and to how little purpose.
He testified against them, showed them their sins and warned them of the fatal consequences of them by all the prophets and all the seers (for so the prophets had been formerly called), and pressed them to turn from their evil ways, Kg2 17:13. We have read of prophets, more or less, in every reign. Though they had forsaken God's family of priests, he did not leave them without a succession of prophets, who made it their business to teach them the good knowledge of the Lord, but all in vain (Kg2 17:14); they would not hear, but hardened their necks, persisted in their idolatries, and were like their fathers, that would not bow their necks to God's yoke, because they did not believe in him, did not receive his truths, nor would venture upon his promises: it seems to refer to their fathers in the wilderness; the same sin that kept them out of Canaan turned these out, and that was unbelief.
IV.How God punished them for their sins.
He was very angry with them (Kg2 17:18); for, in the matter of his worship, he is a jealous God, and resents nothing more deeply than giving that honour to any creature which is due to himself only. He afflicted them (Kg2 17:20) and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, in the days of the judges and of Saul, and afterwards in the days of most of their kings, to see if they would be awakened by the judgments of God to consider and amend their ways; but, when all these corrections did not prevail to drive out the folly, God first rent Israel from the house of David, under which they might have been happy. As Judah was hereby weakened, so Israel was hereby corrupted; for they made a man king who drove them from following the Lord and caused them to sin a great sin, Kg2 17:21. This was a national judgment, and the punishment of their former idolatries; and, at length, he removed them quite out of his sight (Kg2 17:18, Kg2 17:23), without giving them any hopes of a return out of their captivity.
Lastly, Here is a complaint against Judah in the midst of all (Kg2 17:19): Also Judah kept not the commandments of God; though they were not as yet quite so bad as Israel, yet they walked in the statutes of Israel; and this aggravated the sin of Israel, that they communicated the infection of it to Judah; see Eze 23:11. Those that bring sin into a country or family bring a plague into it and will have to answer for all the mischief that follows.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
With the words “from watchtower to fortified city” [the Scripture] denounces the large number of their idols, that is, [there were] idols from border to border. The text refers to the “fortified city” as Jerusalem, but other [interpreters] say Antioch.
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Summary
Second Kings 17:11 profoundly articulates the deep spiritual apostasy of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, detailing their widespread adoption of pagan worship practices. This verse underscores their deliberate imitation of the very idolatry that led to the expulsion of the Canaanite nations from the land, culminating in actions specifically designed to provoke the righteous anger of the LORD. It serves as a stark indictment of Israel's persistent covenant unfaithfulness, setting the theological stage for the inevitable divine judgment and their subsequent exile.
Context
Literary Context
Second Kings 17:11 is strategically placed within a pivotal chapter that provides the theological rationale for the downfall and Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The preceding verses, particularly 2 Kings 17:7-10, enumerate a comprehensive list of Israel's transgressions, emphasizing their abandonment of the LORD's covenant commands and their eager embrace of foreign religious customs. Verse 11 specifically elaborates on the nature of their idolatry, highlighting the pervasive use of "high places" and the burning of incense, practices that directly violated the Mosaic Law and the call for exclusive worship of Yahweh. This verse functions as a crucial bridge, detailing the specific acts of rebellion that intensified God's wrath, leading directly into the narrative of Samaria's siege and Israel's deportation by the Assyrians, as described in 2 Kings 17:18-23. It powerfully underscores the prophetic warnings that went unheeded, demonstrating the justness of God's judgment as a direct consequence of their persistent covenant breaking.
Historical & Cultural Context
The "high places" (Hebrew: bamot) were elevated cultic sites, often situated on hills or artificial mounds, which held a long and complex history in the ancient Near East. While some might have initially been used for legitimate Yahwistic worship, they became increasingly corrupted, serving as prevalent centers for pagan rituals, including the burning of incense to foreign deities such as Baal, Asherah, and the host of heaven. This practice was explicitly forbidden by God, who commanded Israel to utterly destroy such sites belonging to the Canaanites whom they dispossessed (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). The comparison to "the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them" is profoundly significant, referring to the Canaanite nations. Israel, having witnessed God's judgment against these nations for their abominable practices, ironically adopted and perpetuated those very same idolatries. This deliberate imitation of pagan worship, despite clear covenant stipulations and the historical precedent of divine judgment, constituted a severe breach of their covenant with the LORD, marking a profound act of defiance that ultimately led to their own exile to Assyria.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes found throughout 2 Kings and the broader Deuteronomistic History. Firstly, it vividly portrays the pervasive nature of idolatry and syncretism within Israel. The burning of incense on high places was a clear act of worship directed towards false deities, representing a direct violation of the First Commandment and the broader covenantal call to exclusive worship of Yahweh. Secondly, it underscores disobedience and rebellion as core characteristics of Israel's relationship with God. Their actions were not merely mistaken but a conscious choice to "wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger," indicating a deliberate rejection of God's laws and persistent defiance despite repeated prophetic warnings. Thirdly, the phrase "provoke the LORD to anger" highlights the theme of divine anger and righteous judgment. God's anger is not a capricious human emotion but a holy and just indignation against injustice, unholiness, and covenant breaking, which ultimately led to the Assyrian captivity, a major consequence outlined in this chapter. Finally, the verse serves as a powerful testament to the consequences of sin, mirroring the fate of the nations God had previously judged, demonstrating the immutable principle that persistent unfaithfulness brings severe repercussions.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The term בָּמָה (bâmâh), translated as "high places," refers to elevated cultic sites, which could be natural hills or artificial mounds. According to H1116, it signifies "an elevation; height, high place, wave." These sites became ubiquitous throughout Israel, and while some may have initially been used for legitimate worship of Yahweh, they were increasingly corrupted into centers for pagan rituals, including the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other foreign deities. Their widespread presence, as indicated by "all the high places," signifies the pervasive nature of Israel's idolatry and syncretism, demonstrating a complete disregard for God's command to centralize worship in Jerusalem and to destroy all pagan altars.
The Hebrew word גּוֹי (gôwy), according to H1471, refers to "a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile." It can also figuratively denote "a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts." In this context, "the heathen" specifically refers to the Canaanite nations whom the LORD had dispossessed from the land before Israel. The comparison highlights Israel's profound failure to learn from God's past judgments. By adopting the abominable practices of these "foreign nations," Israel deliberately chose to mimic the very peoples whose wickedness led to their divine expulsion, thereby forfeiting their unique covenant identity and inviting similar judgment.
The Hebrew verb כָּעַס (kaʻaç), as defined by H3707, means "to trouble; by implication, to grieve, rage, be indignant; be angry, be grieved, take indignation, provoke (to anger, unto wrath), have sorrow, vex, be wroth." When applied to God, it describes His righteous displeasure and holy wrath in response to deliberate and persistent sin, particularly idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. It implies that Israel's actions were not accidental or unwitting, but a conscious and repeated offense that deeply grieved and angered the holy God, leading to a just and measured divine response rather than an impulsive outburst.
Verse Breakdown
"And there they burnt incense in all the high places,"
This opening clause describes the primary idolatrous act of the Northern Kingdom. "Incense" (קְטֹרֶת, qetoret) was a central element in both legitimate Israelite worship (as commanded for the Tabernacle/Temple) and pagan rituals. Its burning symbolized prayer, devotion, and an offering to a deity. By burning incense "in all the high places," Israel was offering worship and devotion to false gods, thereby transferring their allegiance from the LORD to idols, a direct violation of the covenant. The phrase "all the high places" emphasizes the widespread and pervasive nature of this apostasy across the entire Northern Kingdom, indicating a systemic spiritual failure.
"as [did] the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them;"
This is a crucial comparative clause, highlighting Israel's profound failure to learn from history and God's past judgments. "The heathen" refers to the Canaanite nations (e.g., Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites) whom the LORD had dispossessed from the land to make way for Israel. Their expulsion was a direct consequence of their abominable practices, including idolatry and child sacrifice. Israel, the chosen people, was now mimicking the very practices that led to the destruction of these nations, demonstrating a shocking spiritual blindness and a deliberate rejection of their unique covenant identity and the lessons of divine justice. The verb "carried away" (H1540, gâlâh') here implies exile or removal, foreshadowing Israel's own impending deportation.
"and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:"
This final clause summarizes the spiritual essence and consequence of their actions. "Wrought wicked things" (וַיַּעֲשׂוּ דְּבָרִים רָעִים, vayya'asu devarim ra'im), using H6213 (ʻâsâh') for "wrought" (to do or make) and H7451 (raʻ') for "wicked" (bad or evil), signifies their deliberate engagement in evil practices, not merely passive neglect. The explicit purpose or outcome of these actions was "to provoke the LORD to anger." This phrase underscores the intentionality of Israel's rebellion and the righteous nature of God's response. God's anger is not arbitrary but a just reaction to their persistent and defiant unfaithfulness, setting the stage for the divine judgment that would soon befall them.
Literary Devices
Second Kings 17:11 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of Israel's profound apostasy and impending judgment. Juxtaposition is central, contrasting Israel's covenant obligations and their unique relationship with Yahweh with their chosen imitation of the "heathen" nations. This highlights the profound irony of a people called to be distinct becoming indistinguishable from those God had judged. The phrase "provoke the LORD to anger" is a form of anthropomorphism, attributing a human emotion (anger) to God. However, this is not a capricious human emotion but a theological statement conveying God's righteous indignation and just response to covenant breaking and spiritual adultery. The repetition of themes related to idolatry and disobedience throughout 2 Kings 17 (and indeed, the entire Deuteronomistic History) serves to emphasize the cumulative nature of Israel's sin and the inevitability of divine judgment. The verse also functions as a form of foreshadowing, implicitly pointing to the coming Assyrian exile as the direct, divinely ordained consequence of the "wicked things" Israel "wrought."
Theological and Thematic Connections
Second Kings 17:11 stands as a stark testament to the immutable nature of God's holiness and His unyielding demand for exclusive worship. It reveals that idolatry is not merely a misguided practice but a profound act of spiritual rebellion, a direct affront to the Creator who delivered Israel from slavery and entered into a covenant with them. The verse underscores the theological principle that God's covenant promises are conditional upon faithfulness, and persistent unfaithfulness, particularly through the adoption of pagan practices, inevitably leads to divine judgment. Israel's failure to learn from the fate of the Canaanites demonstrates a deep-seated spiritual blindness and a willful rejection of God's sovereignty. This narrative serves as a timeless warning against syncretism and the dangers of allowing anything to usurp God's rightful place in one's life, emphasizing that God's righteous anger is a just response to such deliberate and sustained rebellion against His divine authority and love.
Reflection and Application
The historical account of Israel's downfall in 2 Kings 17:11 offers profound and enduring lessons for believers today. While we may not burn physical incense on literal high places, the temptation to engage in modern forms of idolatry remains ever-present and insidious. Anything that occupies the supreme place in our hearts and lives—be it career success, material possessions, relationships, personal comfort, self-image, or even political ideologies—can become an idol, subtly diverting our worship and ultimate devotion from the one true God. This verse calls us to a rigorous and honest self-examination, to discern what truly holds our allegiance and to repent of any divided loyalties. It reminds us that God's character and His commands are unchanging; deliberate disobedience and spiritual compromise still grieve His Spirit and provoke His righteous displeasure. Just as Israel was called to be distinct from the surrounding nations, so too are believers called to live set apart, reflecting God's holiness and truth in a fallen world. Learning from Israel's tragic history compels us to cultivate a steadfast commitment to exclusive worship of God, understanding that true freedom, lasting joy, and abundant blessing are found only in wholehearted obedience and undivided devotion to Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why were "high places" so problematic if they were sometimes used for legitimate worship?
While some "high places" might have initially been used for legitimate worship of Yahweh, their inherent problem lay in their association with pagan practices and, more critically, their direct violation of God's command for centralized worship. God explicitly commanded Israel to destroy the high places of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 12:2-3) and to worship Him exclusively at the single place He would choose (which became Jerusalem, the site of the Temple). The "high places" became problematic because they fostered syncretism, blending the worship of Yahweh with the corrupt rituals and deities of surrounding pagan cultures. This led to a corrupted form of worship that was an abomination to the LORD, as clearly seen in 2 Kings 17:10.
What does it mean that Israel "provoked the LORD to anger"?
The phrase "provoke the LORD to anger" (Hebrew: kaʻaç, H3707) signifies that Israel's actions were not merely accidental or ignorant, but deliberate and persistent acts of rebellion against God's covenant and His holy character. God's anger is not a human emotion of petulance or loss of temper; rather, it is a righteous, holy, and just indignation against sin, unholiness, and covenant breaking. It implies that Israel's continuous idolatry and disobedience were a direct affront to His holiness, a rejection of His loving guidance, and a breach of their covenant relationship, leading to a just divine response, as evidenced by the subsequent judgment and exile described in 2 Kings 17:18.
How does Israel's sin in 2 Kings 17:11 relate to the concept of covenant?
Israel's sin in 2 Kings 17:11 is fundamentally a profound breach of their covenant with the LORD. The Mosaic Covenant, established at Sinai, required exclusive worship of Yahweh and explicitly forbade idolatry (Exodus 20:3-5). By burning incense to false gods on high places and adopting the practices of the "heathen," Israel directly violated the core tenets of this covenant. Their actions demonstrated a rejection of their unique identity as God's chosen people and a blatant disregard for the blessings and curses outlined in the covenant (e.g., Deuteronomy 28). This verse highlights that their idolatry was not just a religious error but a profound act of covenant infidelity, leading directly to the covenant curses of exile and dispersion.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The tragic failure of Israel to remain faithful to their covenant, as vividly depicted in 2 Kings 17:11, ultimately points to the profound necessity of Jesus Christ. Israel's persistent idolatry and inherent inability to perfectly obey God's commands on their own underscores humanity's pervasive sinfulness and our desperate need for a perfect mediator and a new covenant. Where Israel "wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger," Jesus, the true and faithful Israel, perfectly obeyed the Father in every respect, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). He did not burn incense to false gods but offered Himself as the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice, taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Through His perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, Christ inaugurated a new covenant, not based on human performance but on His finished work, enabling true worship "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). He is the one who fulfills the righteous demands of the law and provides the means for reconciliation with a holy God, offering forgiveness for the very idolatry and rebellion that plagued ancient Israel and continues to plague humanity, freeing us from the empty deceptions of the world (Colossians 2:8) and drawing us into true, unadulterated worship of the Father.