2 Kings Chapter 17 — The Fall of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria, and its people are taken into exile due to persistent idolatry and disobedience to God's commandments.
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Notable Verses
2 Kings 17:6
“In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”
This verse records the definitive historical moment when the Northern Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist as a nation.
2 Kings 17:13
“Yet the LORD testified to Israel and to Judah, by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes..."”
It emphasizes that the exile was not sudden but followed many ignored warnings from God's messengers.
2 Kings 17:33
“They feared the LORD, and also served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.”
This describes the religious compromise of the new inhabitants who occupied the land after Israel was removed.
Chapter Summary
2 Kings 17 records the tragic end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Hoshea, the final king, attempts to rebel against Assyria by forming an alliance with Egypt, leading Shalmaneser V to besiege Samaria. After three years, the city falls, and the Israelites are deported to various regions within the Assyrian Empire. The text offers a detailed explanation for this catastrophe, attributing it to Israel’s long-standing rejection of God’s laws, their adoption of pagan rituals, and their refusal to listen to the prophets' warnings. Following the deportation, the King of Assyria repopulates the land with foreigners from Babylon, Cuthah, and other regions. These new inhabitants develop a syncretistic religion, fearing the LORD out of necessity—prompted by a plague of lions—while continuing to serve their own ancestral idols. This settlement marks the origin of the Samaritan population described in the region's later history.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text states that Israel was exiled because they had sinned against the LORD, practiced idolatry, built high places for false gods, and rejected the warnings of the prophets sent to call them to repentance.
Hoshea the son of Elah was the final king. His reign ended when the King of Assyria discovered his conspiracy with Egypt and subsequently captured Samaria.
The King of Assyria brought people from Babylon and other regions to live in the cities of Samaria. These groups eventually blended their own traditions with the worship of the LORD, taught to them by an exiled priest.
After lions began killing the new settlers, the king was told it was because the people did not know the 'law of the god of the land.' He sent a priest to teach the new inhabitants how to fear the LORD.
Study Note
The archaeological record of Sargon II confirms the Assyrian capture of Samaria and the subsequent deportation of tens of thousands of Israelites.
Related Chapters
1 Kings 12
This chapter details the original sins of Jeroboam which led Israel astray, mentioned as a primary cause for the exile in 2 Kings 17.
2 Kings 18
The following chapter contrasts the fall of Israel with the reign of Hezekiah in the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter contains the blessings and curses of the covenant, providing the legal basis for the exile described here.
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