2Ki 17:24-41 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Kgs 17:24-41: 17:24-41 The writer appends information concerning later events in Israel, including the repopulation of the land with foreigners and the syncretistic worship that developed among the mixed population. 17:24 Not only were the Israelites exiled to other places held by the Assyrians (17:6 ), but groups of people were sent to settle in Israel. By mixing diverse peoples, the Assyrians hoped to have better control of the resulting population and transfer their loyalties to Assyria . • Samaria became the official name of the new Assyrian province.

a17:24-41►

b17:24►

c17:6►

d17:26-31►

e17:32-34►

f2 Chr 30:10-19►

g17:35-39►

hExod 20:5►

iDeut 6:4-15►

j17:40-41►

kNeh 4:1-2►

l10:28-31►

mJohn 4:7-9►

‏ 2 Kings 17:24-41

Summary for 2Kgs 17:24-41: 17:24-41 ^a The writer appends information concerning later events in Israel, including the repopulation of the land with foreigners and the syncretistic worship that developed among the mixed population. 17:24 ^b Not only were the Israelites exiled to other places held by the Assyrians (17:6 ^c), but groups of people were sent to settle in Israel. By mixing diverse peoples, the Assyrians hoped to have better control of the resulting population and transfer their loyalties to Assyria.

• Samaria became the official name of the new Assyrian province.
Summary for 2Kgs 17:26-31: 17:26-31 ^d The king of Assyria was Sargon II (721–705 BC).

• the God of the land ... has sent lions: Religious belief in the ancient Near East held that the tranquility and success of a land was strongly identified with its god and the rites associated with his worship.

• One of the priests ... returned to Bethel, though his instruction in how to worship the Lord was doubtless influenced by the religion of Jeroboam I and mixed with paganism.

• The foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. They simply added the worship of Israel’s God to the worship of their own gods. Most of the false gods mentioned here are unknown. Their names may have been altered by Jewish scribes.

• Nergal was the Mesopotamian god of the underworld. Nibhaz and Tartak were probably Elamite deities.
Summary for 2Kgs 17:32-34: 17:32-34 ^e worshiped the Lord, but ... continued to follow their own gods: Hebrew faith, already blended with the religion of Jeroboam I, was now mixed with many different foreign religious customs. Genuine worship of the Lord virtually disappeared. Only a handful of faithful Israelites remained to respond to Hezekiah’s later invitation to come to Judah for the Passover celebration (2 Chr 30:10-19 ^f).
Summary for 2Kgs 17:35-39: 17:35-39 ^g According to Israel’s covenant with the Lord (Exod 20:5 ^h; Deut 6:4-15 ⁱ), Israel was to worship only the Lord. He alone could provide true redemption and rescue them from all ... enemies.
Summary for 2Kgs 17:40-41: 17:40-41 ^j worshiped the Lord ... worshiped their idols: The reconstituted Samaritan religion was thoroughly syncretistic (an eclectic combination of religions), perhaps explaining why Samaritans were later regarded with suspicion and disdain (see Neh 4:1-2 ^k; 10:28-31 ^l; John 4:7-9 ^m).