17:3 Hoshea became his vassal It is unclear whether Hoshea submitted willingly to Assyria, as Ahaz, king of Judah, had done (16:7–9).

17:4 found treachery in Hoshea The actions described in this verse suggest that Hoshea was trying to mount a revolt against Assyria and was seeking help from Egypt.

So king of Egypt Outside of this verse, there is no evidence for an Egyptian king named So. The name might refer to the city of Sais, written as “Sa” in Akkadian documents.

year after year Vassal nations typically paid annual tribute to their ruling powers. During the peak of Solomon’s rule, Israel received an abundance of tribute from lesser nations (1 Kgs 10:25).

Samaria Capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. See 1:3 and note.

deported Israel to Assyria The second deportation of Israel’s people recorded in 1–2 Kings (compare 15:29).

17:7 the Israelites had sinned against Yahweh This statement introduces a long list of offenses (vv. 7–17) that led to Israel’s expulsion from the land (v. 18).

they feared other gods The primary cause of the Israelites’ expulsion is their worship of other gods, which violates the command to follow Yahweh (Exod 20:3–6; Deut 5:6–10; 6:4–15).

17:8 They walked in the statutes of the nations The law forbids Israel from adopting the practices of the previous inhabitants of the promised land (Lev 18:3; Deut 7:1–6; 18:9).

17:9 high places for themselves in all their towns In violation of the law, the Israelites had established their own worship sites and incorporated foreign altars, idols, and practices into their worship of Yahweh. They disobeyed the command to worship Yahweh at the place of His choosing, namely the Jerusalem temple. See Deut 12:2–7.

17:10 stone pillars A pillar or set apart stone; the context of this instance implies that these were in honor of foreign gods or some sort of idols that were intended, albeit wrongfully, to honor Yahweh.

poles of Asherah worship Refers to sacred poles that were affiliated with the worship of the Canaanite fertility goddess Asherah.

under every green tree Refers to pagan worship. Canaanites considered trees to be sacred because they symbolized fertility and life.

17:11 all the high places See note on 2 Kings 17:9.

17:12 idols The Hebrew word used here, gillulim, may be literally rendered as “dung.” It is often used as a disparaging term for idols (see Ezek 14:3 and note; 18:6).

17:13 seer Refers to a divine messenger (or visionary). The author of Chronicles often uses “seer” in place of “prophet” (2 Kgs 21:10; 2 Chr 33:18).

17:15 They rejected The Hebrew word used here, ma'as, often refers to violating God’s commands (Lev 26:15; Ezek 5:6; 20:13). It also is used when the Israelites reject God’s rule and ask for a human king (1 Sam 10:19).

17:16 calf-shaped idols Refers to the idols built by Jeroboam (see 1 Kgs 12:25–33 and note).

a pole of Asherah worship See note on 2 Kings 17:10.

the army of the heavens Refers to the sun, moon, stars, and planets (23:5). Astral worship was forbidden by the law (e.g., Deut 4:19).

Baal The Canaanite storm god. King Ahab had promoted Baal-worship in Israel after he married Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:31–32).

17:17 They made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire The ot forbids child sacrifice (Deut 18:10). Compare note on 2 Kgs 16:3.

they practiced divination Prohibited in Lev 20:6 and Deut 18:10–14.

17:18 none remained except the tribe of Judah alone Although the northern kingdom falls to Assyria, the kingdom of Judah continues to exist until it is conquered by Babylon in 586 bc (2 Kgs 25:1–21).

17:20 he banished them from his presence In 1 Kgs 9:6–9, Yahweh warned that He would expel Israel from the promised land if Solomon or his descendants rejected Yahweh for other gods. Compare Lev 26:27–33; Deut 28:58–63.

17:21 he had torn Israel from the house of David Refers to the division of the kingdom, which occurred because Solomon rejected Yahweh (1 Kgs 11:9–13).

they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king Described in 1 Kgs 11:26–40.

17:22 all the sins of Jeroboam that he committed Jeroboam instituted syncretistic and idolatrous worship (see note on 2 Kgs 3:3).

17:23 all his servants, the prophets A reference to the prophets Elijah, Elisha, and others.

17:24 the cities of Samaria From this point forward, Samaria refers primarily to the entire region of what used to be the northern kingdom of Israel. The people living in this region eventually became known as Samaritans.

17:25 Yahweh sent lions among them The lion was a symbol of strength and power throughout the ancient Near East. A devouring lion was a common motif for divine punishment (1 Kgs 13:24; 20:36; Amos 3:8; Nah 2:12–13). Lion imagery also is associated with the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:9; Rev 5:5).

17:27 one of the priests whom you deported A priest originally from the kingdom of Israel; however, this priest likely would have been synchronistic and idolatrous since these practices were prevalent in Israel before the Israelites’ exile.

17:28 Bethel Where Jeroboam had set up one of his golden calves (1 Kgs 12:28–29).

they should fear Yahweh The king of Assyria, believing that Yahweh is angry, decides that he must ensure the people of Israel worship Yahweh, so that he may be appeased.

Pagan Deities in the Old Testament Table

17:32 made Jeroboam also appointed non-Levite priests from among the people (1 Kgs 12:31).

17:33 but their gods they were serving Like the Israelites, the new residents of Samaria fuse worship of Yahweh with foreign practices.

17:34 none of them are fearing Yahweh Fearing God in the ot indicates showing reverence toward Him. It can mean being obedient or faithful to Him or His covenant (Deut 5:29; 10:12–13).

Fearing God in the Old Testament

17:37 that he wrote to you Alluding to when Moses wrote down God’s law (Exod 34:27–28).