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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
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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“Faithless Israel has shown itself less guilty than false Judah.” The letter of the text just read has something unclear that we need to understand first. Then, after this, if God wills, we shall know his mystical plan. He wants us then to know in these words, just as it is written in Kings, that the people were divided in those times into the kingdom of ten tribes under Jeroboam and the kingdom of two tribes under Roboam. And those under Jeroboam were called Israel, and those under Roboam Judah. And the division of the people persisted, according to the history, until today. For we know of nothing in the history that united Israel and Judah “into the same nation.” Then Israel first, under Jeroboam and under his successors, sinned excessively, and Israel sinned so much beyond Judah that they were sentenced by providence to become captives “to the Assyrians until the sign,” as the Scripture says. After this, the people of Judah also sinned, and as captives they were sentenced to Babylon, not until a sign, as Israel, but for “seventy years,” as Jeremiah prophesied and Daniel also mentioned.
[The Lord] takes hold of two principal lions, the Assyrians and the Babylonians. According to the history in the fourth book of Kings, there are two. For Assyria removed the sons of Israel to Assyria “until today,” but Babylon removed the sons of Judah “to Babylon.” Except he did not say here first and second, but first and last. For the first lion is the antagonistic devil; he is a murderer. The very last lion at the completion of the age is “the man of sin, the son of perdition, who exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship.”
Finally, how inseparable is the sacrament of unity and how hopeless are they and what greatest perdition they seek for themselves from the indignation of God—they who make a schism and, after having abandoned their bishop, appoint for themselves another false bishop from without—the divine Scripture declares in the book of Kings, when from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin ten tribes were separated and, abandoning their king, appointed themselves another from without. “And the Lord was offended,” it says, “at all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them and delivered them up to plunder till he cast them away from his face because Israel was torn from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam son of Nabath their king.” It said that the Lord was offended and gave them over to perdition because they had been dispersed from unity and had appointed another king for themselves.And so great indignation of the Lord remained against those who had made the schism that even when the man of God had been sent to Jeroboam to upbraid him for his sins and to foretell future vengeance, he was forbidden also to eat bread and to drink water among them. Since he had not heeded this and had dined contrary to the precept of God, he was immediately stricken by the majesty of divine censure; on his return, he was killed on the journey by the attack and bite of a lion. And does anyone of you dare to say that the life-giving water of baptism and heavenly grace can be common with schismatics with whom neither earthly food nor worldly drink ought to be common?
Moreover, the Lord satisfies us in his gospel and reveals a greater light of understanding that the same people who then had separated themselves from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin and, after having abandoned Jerusalem, had withdrawn to Samaria should be reputed among the profane and the Gentiles. For when he first sent his disciples upon the ministry of salvation, he commanded and said, “Do not go in the direction of the Gentiles or enter the town of the Samaritans.” Sending first to the Jews, he orders the Gentiles to be passed over as yet; but, adding that the city of the Samaritans, where there were schismatics, ought to be omitted, he shows that the schismatics were in the same category as the Gentiles.
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Summary
Second Kings 17:23 serves as the definitive theological conclusion to the narrative of the Northern Kingdom of Israel's demise, unequivocally stating that the LORD Himself orchestrated their removal from the promised land and their subsequent exile to Assyria. This pivotal verse highlights God's absolute sovereignty over human history, His unwavering faithfulness to His declared word—even words of judgment delivered through His prophets—and the severe, enduring consequences of persistent covenant unfaithfulness, marking a permanent rupture in Israel's national existence from the author's perspective.
Context
Literary Context
This verse provides the climactic theological rationale for the fall of the Northern Kingdom, culminating the detailed indictment found in 2 Kings 17:7-23. The preceding verses meticulously enumerate Israel's grievous sins: abandoning the Lord, worshipping idols, adopting pagan practices, rejecting the prophets' warnings, and breaking the covenant established at Mount Sinai. The historical event of Samaria's fall to Assyria in 722/721 BC is recounted earlier in 2 Kings 17:6, and verse 23 provides the ultimate divine interpretation and agency behind this catastrophe. It transforms a mere historical account into a profound theological statement, asserting that Israel's exile was not a random geopolitical misfortune but a direct and deliberate act of divine judgment. This verse functions as the final, damning verdict on Israel's apostasy, setting the stage for the subsequent focus on the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Assyrian Empire, particularly under the reigns of Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II, was the dominant military and political power in the ancient Near East during this period. Their imperial strategy included systematic mass deportation of conquered peoples, a brutal but effective method designed to dismantle national identity, prevent rebellion, and integrate diverse populations into the Assyrian economic and military structure. The exile of Israel to specific locations like Halah, Habor, the river of Gozan, and the cities of the Medes (as detailed in 2 Kings 17:6) was a standard Assyrian practice. For Israel, this meant not only the catastrophic loss of their land—a central pillar of their covenant identity and God's promise to Abraham—but also the complete dissolution of their social, religious, and political structures. The concluding phrase "unto this day" is a crucial editorial comment, reflecting the enduring reality of this dispersion from the perspective of the Deuteronomistic historian, who likely wrote centuries later, confirming that the Northern Kingdom never returned as a unified, independent entity.
Key Themes
2 Kings 17:23 powerfully encapsulates several key theological themes pervasive throughout the Deuteronomistic History. Firstly, it emphatically declares Divine Judgment and Sovereignty, asserting that God is not a distant deity but an active participant in human history, holding nations accountable for their covenant faithfulness. The exile was thus a deliberate act of God's justice, not a historical accident. Secondly, it underscores the Fulfillment of Prophecy, emphasizing God's unwavering faithfulness to His word, even when that word is one of impending judgment. Generations of prophets, from Elijah and Elisha to Amos and Hosea, had consistently warned Israel of this very outcome if they persisted in their idolatry and disobedience (e.g., Amos 5:27 and Hosea 9:3). Thirdly, the verse vividly illustrates the Consequences of Persistent Disobedience. Despite God's immense patience and repeated warnings, Israel's unrepentant rebellion against the covenant stipulations (as detailed in Deuteronomy 28) ultimately led to the most severe curse: expulsion from the promised land. Finally, it marks the Irreversible End of the Northern Kingdom as a distinct political and religious entity, a stark contrast to the later, temporary Babylonian exile of Judah, which saw a return.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root signifies "to turn off," "to depart," or "to take away." In the context of 2 Kings 17:23, it emphasizes God's direct and active agency in causing Israel's departure from their land. It implies more than a passive allowance of conquest; rather, it indicates that God Himself "turned them aside" or "removed them." This active verb conveys a deliberate act of divine judgment and the withdrawal of His protective presence, signifying a profound spiritual severance alongside the physical displacement.
Literally meaning "face" or "presence," this plural noun (used singularly) refers here to God's favorable presence, protective gaze, or covenantal relationship. To be "removed out of his sight" means to be cast out from His favor, protection, and intimate covenantal fellowship. This phrase conveys a powerful sense of divine rejection and abandonment due to Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, signifying the termination of their privileged status as God's chosen people dwelling securely in the land He had given them.
While the full phrase is "‘ad hayyôm hazzeh" (עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה), the core word yôwm (day) is used here as a temporal marker. This common biblical idiom serves as an authorial comment, emphasizing the enduring reality and lasting impact of the event being described from the perspective of the Deuteronomistic historian. In this specific context, it highlights the permanence of the Northern Kingdom's exile and dispersion, confirming that they had not returned as a unified nation by the time this historical account was compiled, thereby reinforcing the severity and finality of God's judgment upon them.
Verse Breakdown
"Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight"
This opening clause unequivocally establishes divine sovereignty as the ultimate cause of Israel's downfall. It asserts that the exile was not merely the result of Assyrian military might or geopolitical forces, but the active will and righteous judgment of Yahweh. The phrase "out of his sight" vividly portrays God's withdrawal of favor, protection, and covenantal presence, a direct and devastating consequence of Israel's persistent idolatry and covenant breaking.
"as he had said by all his servants the prophets."
This crucial phrase underscores the profound themes of prophetic fulfillment and the absolute reliability of God's word. The exile was not an unforeseen calamity or an arbitrary act, but the precise execution of warnings delivered over centuries by a succession of God's faithful messengers. This validates the authority and divine inspiration of the prophets, demonstrating God's unwavering faithfulness to His declared intentions, whether of blessing for obedience or judgment for rebellion.
"So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria"
This clause describes the physical, historical, and devastating consequence of God's judgment. The Northern Kingdom, once a vibrant and integral part of God's chosen nation, was forcibly deported from the land promised to their ancestors. This act of "carrying away" signifies the catastrophic loss of national identity, political sovereignty, and the physical space that fundamentally defined their covenant relationship with God.
"unto this day."
This concluding phrase, an editorial comment from the Deuteronomistic historian, emphasizes the lasting and irreversible nature of this judgment. Unlike the later Babylonian exile of Judah, which saw a partial return, the Northern Kingdom of Israel never reconstituted itself as a distinct political entity. This led to the dispersal and eventual assimilation of the "ten lost tribes," underscoring the finality and severity of God's judgment upon their apostasy.
Literary Devices
2 Kings 17:23 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological message. It functions as a Summary Statement, encapsulating the entire narrative of Israel's sin and God's judgment found in the preceding verses of 2 Kings 17. The explicit mention of prophetic fulfillment ("as he had said by all his servants the prophets") makes it a clear Fulfillment Narrative, reinforcing the theme of God's word being absolutely reliable and true, demonstrating His sovereignty over history. The phrase "out of his sight" is an example of Anthropomorphism, attributing human-like qualities (sight, and by extension, a turning away or rejection) to God to convey His emotional and relational posture towards His disobedient people in a relatable manner. Finally, the concluding phrase "unto this day" is a common Idiom in biblical literature, serving as a historical marker that emphasizes the enduring reality and permanence of the event for the original audience, underscoring the finality of the Northern Kingdom's demise and the lasting impact of divine judgment.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse stands as a profound theological statement on God's immutable character and the nature of His covenant with Israel. It unequivocally demonstrates God's sovereignty over history, asserting that He is not a passive observer but an active, righteous agent who intervenes decisively in the affairs of nations. It highlights His justice, revealing that persistent sin, idolatry, and rebellion against His revealed will inevitably lead to severe and predetermined consequences. Furthermore, it underscores God's absolute faithfulness to His word, proving that His warnings delivered through the prophets were not empty threats but sure declarations of future judgment if Israel remained unrepentant. The exile serves as a stark and enduring reminder that a covenant relationship demands faithful obedience, and that God's immense patience, while profound, is not infinite. This catastrophic event established a critical precedent for understanding divine judgment throughout biblical history, particularly for the subsequent warnings issued to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Reflection and Application
2 Kings 17:23 serves as a sobering and urgent reminder of the gravity of spiritual disobedience and the unwavering truth of God's word. It compels us to deeply reflect on the nature of our own relationship with God, challenging any complacency or presumption of His unconditional favor apart from genuine faith and obedient living. The Northern Kingdom's downfall was not a sudden, unpredictable catastrophe but the culmination of centuries of gradual spiritual decline, marked by pervasive idolatry, systemic injustice, and a hardened heart against the persistent warnings of God's prophets. This narrative impresses upon us the critical importance of actively heeding God's voice, whether conveyed through the direct revelation of Scripture, the promptings of conscience, or the faithful messengers He sends. Our response must be characterized by humility, repentance, and a sincere commitment to walk in His ways. It reminds us that God is both infinitely merciful and perfectly just, and while His patience is indeed immense, there are ultimately severe consequences for persistent rebellion and the spurning of His grace. Our spiritual walk is not merely a private affair but has profound implications for our communities, our witness in the world, and the trajectory of our lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "removed Israel out of his sight" truly mean?
This phrase signifies a profound act of divine judgment and rejection, extending beyond mere physical relocation. "His sight" (Hebrew: pānîm) refers to God's active presence, His favor, and His protective gaze. To be removed from His sight means to be cast out from His covenant blessing, protection, and intimate relationship due to persistent unfaithfulness and rebellion. It implies God's deliberate withdrawal of His active presence and favor, leaving Israel vulnerable to the full consequences of their sin, which ultimately led to their devastating exile and dispersal.
Why did God allow the Northern Kingdom to be permanently exiled, unlike Judah's return from Babylon?
The biblical text attributes Israel's permanent exile to the extreme severity and persistence of their idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness, which, from the Deuteronomistic perspective, exceeded that of Judah at the time. While Judah also faced exile, their return was part of God's larger redemptive plan to preserve the Davidic line and the lineage leading to the Messiah. The Northern Kingdom, however, had a longer and more consistent history of rejecting the true worship of Yahweh, establishing alternative worship centers and embracing pagan practices from its very inception under Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 12:25-33). Their exile and subsequent dispersal were a definitive and irreversible judgment on their deep-seated apostasy, serving as a stark, enduring example for future generations and a testament to the consequences of persistent rebellion.
Does this passage imply that God's patience has limits?
Absolutely. 2 Kings 17:23 powerfully illustrates that while God is incredibly patient, long-suffering, and abounding in steadfast love, His patience is indeed not infinite. The preceding narrative of 2 Kings 17:7-23 meticulously details centuries of repeated warnings delivered through prophets, numerous opportunities for repentance, and God's continued forbearance despite their provocations. Yet, Israel's persistent rebellion, entrenched idolatry, and unwavering rejection of His covenant eventually exhausted His patience, leading to the execution of the severe curses outlined in the covenant (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15-68). This serves as a timeless and solemn theological principle: God's perfect justice will ultimately prevail when His grace, mercy, and warnings are continually spurned and His covenant disregarded.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The tragic narrative of 2 Kings 17:23 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a mere repetition of exile, but in the profound solution to the fundamental problem of humanity's persistent rebellion against God. Israel's failure to maintain covenant faithfulness, leading to their removal from God's sight and their promised land, powerfully foreshadows the universal human condition of being alienated and separated from God due to sin (as profoundly articulated in Romans 3:23). This "removal" from God's presence due to sin is the ultimate spiritual exile, a separation from the very source of life, blessing, and peace. Jesus Christ, the true and faithful Israelite, perfectly fulfilled the covenant requirements that Israel repeatedly failed to keep (as evidenced in Matthew 3:15). He, through His sacrificial death on the cross, bore the full weight of God's righteous judgment for humanity's sin, experiencing the ultimate "removal" from the Father's sight and the agony of divine dereliction (as seen in Mark 15:34) so that all who believe in Him might never be cast out. Through Christ's atoning work, the "new covenant" (promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34) is established, gathering a people for God not by physical descent or geographical land, but by faith in Him, uniting both Jew and Gentile into one new humanity in Christ (as beautifully described in Ephesians 2:11-22). Thus, the judgment on Israel in 2 Kings 17:23 points forward to the greater judgment that Christ endured on our behalf, and His victory offers a new, eternal belonging in God's presence for all who trust in Him, transcending any earthly land or kingdom.