Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 17:27
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
27. one of the priests whom ye brought from thence ] The Assyrian king takes what he would believe to be the best step towards remedying the mischief. A priest of the Israelitish worship was clearly the right person to be sent. No doubt all the priests were among the population that had been carried away. Hence the few Israelites left behind would not be regarded as capable of instructing the new colonists. For among the heathen, ‘the manner’, i.e. the ceremonial and particular observances in performing worship, was the matter of highest import. The less spiritual the worship, the more it tends to lay weight on the ‘manner’ and mode of the worship. Hence the magnificence so usual in idolatrous countries. The LXX. does not represent the words ‘one of the priests’.
let them go ] The priest would not be expected to go alone. For such services as the king of Assyria had in his thoughts the person ministering must be attended by a body of minor people to add grandeur to the ceremonies.
and let him teach ] The priest would naturally be the teacher. Hence we can see the reason of the change of number in the pronouns in this clause and the last.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Carry one of the priests …; let them go and dwell there, and let him teach – The double change of number is curious; but rise text needs no emendation. The priest would require to be accompanied by assistants, who would go and dwell, but would not be qualified to teach. The arcana of the worship would be known to none excepting the priests who had ministered at the two national sanctuaries of Dan and Bethel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 27. Carry thither one of the priests] Imperfect as this teaching was, it, in the end, overthrew the idolatry of these people, so that soon after the Babylonish captivity they were found to be as free from idolatry as the Jews themselves, and continue so to the present day. But they are now nearly annihilated: the small remains of them is found at Naplouse and Jaffa; they are about thirty families; and men, women, and children, amount to about two hundred persons! They have a synagogue, which they regularly attend every Sabbath; and they go thither clothed in white robes. The reader may find much curious information relative to this people, in a Memoire sur L’Etat actuel des Samaritains, by Baron Sylvestre de Sacy, 8vo., Paris, 1812.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
One of the priests, i.e. one of the chief of the priests, with others, to be under his inspection and direction, as may be gathered from the following words; where it is said of the same person, or persons,
let them go, & c., and then,
let him teach, & c. Nor is it probable that one priest could suffice for the instruction of the inhabitants of so many and distant parts.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying,…. Gave the following orders and directions:
carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; for they carried away all the people of every class, civil and religious:
and let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land; it is in the plural number, “let them go”, c. o there might be more priests than one ordered, or, however, others, to attend and assist him in his work; the Jews say p, two were sent to circumcise them, and teach them the book of the law; and they give their names, Dosthai, or Dosithaeus, and Zachariah; and Josephus q says, the people desired that priests might be sent to them of the captives.
o “eant et sedeant”, Montanus. p Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. q Antiqu. l. 9. c. 14. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(27) Carry.Cause to go.
Let them go and dwell.To be corrected after the Syriac and Vulg.: let him go and dwell.
Ye brought.Ye carried away.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 17:27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
Ver. 27. Carry thither one of the priests. ] One of Jeroboam’s priests, for want of a better. Docendi munus suscipit quisquis ad sacerdotium accedit. An unteaching priest is a monster. 2Ch 15:3
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
one of the priests. An idolatrous Israelite priest from Samaria (2Ki 17:28).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
They Feared the Lord and Served Their Own Gods
2Ki 17:27-41
The policy of peopling Israel with other races was intended to keep the land under cultivation, and to break the ties of fatherland, which are the spring of patriotism. Men will not fight for a land which does not pull at their heart-strings. These newly-imported peoples believed that each country was under the care of its own local deity. They therefore deemed it advisable, that, without renouncing their own gods, they should give the God of Israel some sort of recognition. Samaritan religion of this kind is still very popular. Too many people feel that they ought to do something to show their respect for God. They attend to the outward forms of worship, lest they should lose caste; but in their hearts they enthrone worldly and worthless ideals.
The Jews, as we learn from Joh 4:9, hated the Samaritans, as a kind of mongrel race. But how generous was the Savior, ministering to the woman of Sychar, healing the Samaritan leper, and making one of this despised people the central figure in his parable of mercy, thus compelling the world to speak of the good Samaritan!
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
one of the priests: Jdg 17:13, 1Ki 12:31, 1Ki 13:2, 2Ch 11:15
Reciprocal: 2Ki 17:26 – know not 2Ki 17:34 – fear not Ezr 4:2 – we do Joh 4:22 – ye know Heb 8:11 – Know the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 17:27. Then the king of Assyria commanded, Carry thither one of the priests That is, one of the chief priests, with others under his inspection and direction, as may be gathered from the following words, where it is said of the same person or persons, Let them go, &c, and then, Let him teach, &c. Nor is it probable that one priest could suffice for the instruction of the inhabitants of so many and distant districts.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God {p} of the land.
(p) That is, how to worship him: thus the wicked rather than losing their conveniences will change to all religions.