Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 17:9
And the children of Israel did secretly [those] things that [were] not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
9. And the children of Israel did secretly ] The verb here used occurs nowhere else in the Bible, though one apparently cognate, and differing only by a single letter, is found several times. This latter is used of covering the head, and also of covering walls with gold to look more beautiful than the bare stone would do. From the first notion comes the sense ‘they did secretly’ which both A.V. and R.V. prefer. Others, with the LXX. ( ), think that the meaning probably is ‘they decked out’ their worship, employed things alien to the simplicity of the Mosaic ordinances, viz. the high places, pillars and Asherim of which mention is made in the next clauses.
from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city ] This seems a sort of proverbial expression. It is found again 2Ki 18:8. The towers, in which watchmen were stationed to keep guard over the flocks and crops, were always in the most lonely and deserted spots, while fenced cities implied the presence of many inhabitants. So the sense appears to be ‘in the loneliest as well as in the most populous places’.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Literally, the words run thus – And the children of Israel concealed (or dissembled) words which were not so concerning the Lord their God; the true meaning of which probably is, the Israelites cloaked or covered their idolatry with the pretence that it was a worship of Yahweh: they glossed it over and dissembled toward God, instead of openly acknowledging their apostasy.
From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city – This phrase was probably a proverbial expression for universality, meaning strictly; alike in the most populous and in the most desolate regions. Towers of watchmen were built for the protection of the flocks and herds which were pastured in waste and desert places 2Ch 26:10; 2Ch 27:4.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ki 17:9
And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right.
Infatuation of sin
Again we come upon this report which we have had as it were a thousand times in identical terms. What is the wonderful charm of evil? Surely the philosophers have not answered that inquiry completely. There must be some peculiar inexpressible charm in evil, or men would no do it, and do it with both hands earnestly, and live in the doing of it, and reap in its execution some kind of harvest of contentment and gladness. What is this charm? Men repeat the evil even whilst denominating it iniquity and marking it as vile. In this matter we are curiously and wondrously made. We go back to the evil. The devil seems to be more attractive than God. One would have thought that one vision of truth, beauty, heavens own light, would have for ever fascinated us, and made us incapable of meanness, wrong-doing, untruthfulness, or any form or colour of iniquity. But it is not so. The devil is most charmful! We know he tells lies, but he tolls them eloquently. We are aware that he cannot keep any promise that he ever made, yet when he puts out his black hand to us we grope for it in the dark, and think the fellowship not without advantage! Who can explain this? Is the explanation in the heart? The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, (J. Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. Did secretly those things] There was much hidden iniquity and private idolatry among them, as well as public and notorious crimes.
From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.] That is, the idolatry was universal; every place was made a place for some idolatrous rite or act of worship; from the largest city to the smallest village, and from the public watchtower to the shepherd’s cot.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Things that were not right against the Lord: this belongs, either,
1. To their gross idolatries, and other abominable practices, which they were ashamed to own before others: compare Eze 8:12. Or,
2. To the worship of calves; and so the words are otherwise rendered, and that agreeably to the Hebrew text, they cloaked, or disguised, or covered things that were not right against, or before, or towards the Lord, i.e. they covered their idolatrous worship of the calves with fair pretences of necessity, the two kingdoms being now divided, and at enmity; and of their honest intention of serving the true God, and retaining the substance of the Jewish religion, from which they alleged that they differed only in circumstances of worship.
From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city; in all parts and places, both in cities and in the country; yea, in the most uninhabited and neglected parts, where few or none dwell beside the watchmen, who are left there in towers, to preserve the cattle and fruits of the earth, or to give notice of the approach of enemies.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God,…. As being partly conscious to themselves that they were not right, and ashamed to commit them openly; and partly as foolishly imagining, that, being done privately, they were not seen and observed of God, having imbibed some atheistical notions of him, that he was not omniscient, or saw not, and had forsaken the earth; or they “covered” g these actions of theirs under reigned and plausible pretences, that what they did they were obliged to by their kings, and with political views, and that they worshipped the true God in the calves; but these were coverings too thin not to be seen through:
and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city; not content with those built in former times, they built new ones; and these not in their metropolis only, but in all the cities of the kingdom; and not in large cities only, but in every town and village between one fortified city and another; even wherever there was a watch tower erected, either for shepherds to watch their flocks, or for keepers of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, to watch the fruits of them, that they were not taken away.
g “occultaverunt”, Montanus, Vatablus, Grotius; “palliaverunt”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Did secretly.The literal sense is covered. In this connection it is natural to remember that Heb. verbs of covering and hiding are often used in the sense of dealing perfidiously or deceitfully. (Comp. mal, l Chron. 10:13, with mel, mantle; and bgad, to deal treacherously, Hos. 5:7, with bged, garment.) The form in the text (the pihel of hph) is only found here.
They built them high places.First, the institution of unlawful places of worship.
From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.The towers are such as are mentioned in 2Ch. 26:10. Here, and in 2Ki. 18:8, these solitary buildings, tenanted by a few herdsmen, are contrasted with the embattled cities which protected multitudes. Wherever men were, whether in small or large numbers, these high places were established.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord Literally, covered things (or words, which are not right upon Jehovah. The general idea is, that they distorted his worship, and sacrilegiously changed his ordinances. Keil translates and explains thus: “They covered words which were not right concerning Jehovah their God; that is, they sought to conceal the true nature of Jehovah by arbitrary perversions of the word of God. This covering of words over Jehovah showed itself in the fact that they built altars on high places, and by worshipping God in ways of their own invention concealed the nature of the revealed God, and made Jehovah like the idols.” Similarly Bahr: “They covered Jehovah with things which were not right; that is, they concealed him by them so that he could no longer be seen and recognised; which is as much as to say that they practically denied and ignored him.”
High places Compare note on 1Ki 3:2.
Tower of the watchmen A tower built in the desert or in lonely places for the convenience of shepherds and the protection of flocks. Compare 2Ch 26:10. Here and in chap. 2Ki 18:8 it is named in antithesis to the thickly populated and fortified towns.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly [those] things that [were] not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
Ver. 9. And the children of Israel did secretly. ] Heb., They hid, or covered, or cloaked over what they did, see Eze 8:12 but all in vain; for God is all eye, and to him dark things appear, dumb things answer, silence itself maketh confession, as an ancient speaketh.
From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
from the tower . . . to the fenced city: from the remote watchtower in the country to the fortified city = the whole country.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
secretly: Deu 13:6, Deu 27:15, Job 31:27, Eze 8:12
from the tower: 2Ki 18:8, Hos 12:11
Reciprocal: 1Ki 14:23 – groves 2Ki 23:19 – the houses Jer 32:30 – children Eze 33:29 – because Hab 2:1 – tower
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly [those] things that [were] not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower {e} of the watchmen to the fenced city.
(e) Meaning, throughout all their borders.