Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 17:34
Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
34. they fear not the Lord ] i.e. This worship of Jehovah, merely because they regard Him as the local deity of the land, is no worship at all. God will not be served from policy. There need be no difficulty in understanding the words here in contrast to ‘they feared the Lord’ in verses 32, 33, 41. These latter express what the new colonists thought they were doing, and what they also thought to be enough. This verse expresses what the writer knew to be the truth as God regarded the service.
neither do they after their statutes ] ‘Their’ refers by anticipation to ‘the children of Jacob’, who are mentioned at the close of the verse.
after the law and commandment ] As the preposition is twice expressed in Hebrew, R.V. has or after the commandment.
whom he named Israel ] See Gen 32:28.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They fear not the Lord – The new-comers in one sense feared Yahweh 2Ki 17:33, 2Ki 17:41. They acknowledged His name, admitted Him among their gods, and kept up His worship at the high place at Bethel according to the rites instituted by Jeroboam 2Ki 17:28. But in another sense they did not fear Him. To acknowledge Yahweh together with other gods is not really to acknowledge Him at all.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Unto this day they do; either,
1. The Samaritans, whose religion he hath hitherto been describing, and to the description whereof he returns, 2Ki 17:41. So the following verses are a digression, wherein he designs only to take an occasion to compare them with the Israelites, and to aggravate the sins of the Israelites above theirs, which he doth, 2Ki 17:35, &c., and then returns to the former description, 2Ki 17:41. Or rather,
2. The Israelites, who are the principal subjects of this whole discourse; and of whom he unquestionably speaks, 2Ki 17:35, and thence to 2Ki 17:41, of whom also the last words of 2Ki 17:33 are to be understood; and from thence he takes an occasion to return to his main business, to relate and aggravate the sins of Israel, and thereby to justify his severe proceedings against them to all the world. So the sense of the place is this, As the Israelites before their captivity gave these nations an ill example, in serving the Lord and Baal together; so, or after their former manner, they do unto this day, in the land of their captivity. They fear not the Lord; though they pretended to fear and serve both the Lord and idols, yet in truth they did not, and do not fear or worship the Lord, but their own calves, or other vain inventions; and God will not accept that mongrel and false worship, which they pretend to give to the true God. Or this may intimate that the Israelites were worse than their successors, because these feared the Lord and idols too; but they did quite cast off the fear and worship of God in their captivity, and wholly degenerate into heathenish idolatry. Their statutes, i.e. Gods law delivered to their fathers, and to them, as their inheritance, Psa 119:111. This is alleged as an evidence that they did not fear the Lord, whatsoever they pretended because they lived in the constant breach of his statutes. The children of Jacob, i.e. themselves; the noun put for the pronoun; which is usual among the Hebrews. Israel; a name signifying his special interest in God, and power with him, which was given to him, not only for himself, but for his posterity also, whom God frequently honours with that name. And by this great favour he aggravates their sin.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
34. Unto this daythe time ofthe Babylonian exile, when this book was composed. Their religion wasa strange medley or compound of the service of God and the service ofidols. Such was the first settlement of the people, afterwards calledSamaritans, who were sent from Assyria to colonize the land, when thekingdom of Israel, after having continued three hundred fifty-sixyears, was overthrown.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Unto this day they do after the former manners,…. Which may be understood either of the new colonies in Samaria doing after the former customs in their own land, or after the customs of the idolatrous Israelites; or of the Israelites in captivity continuing in their idolatry, not being in the least reformed by their troubles; or of such of them as were left in the land, who repented not of their idolatries, nor reformed from them:
they fear not the Lord; did not worship him, at least not alone, and much less in a spiritual manner, with reverence and godly fear:
neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; that is, they did not observe the statutes and ordinances of the law given on Mount Sinai respecting religious worship, to act according to them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(34-41) THE RELIGIOUS STATE OF THE MIXED POPULATION OF SAMARIA IN THE TIME OF THE EDITOR.
(34) They do after the former manners.They still keep up the religious customs of the first colonists.
They fear not the Lord.They fear Him not in the sense of a right fear; they do not honour Him in the way He has prescribed in the Torah. The LXX. omits both nots in this verse.
After their statutes, or after their ordinances.The writer here thinks of the remnant of the Ten Tribes who amalgamated with the new settlers (2Ki. 23:19; 2Ch. 34:6; 2Ch. 34:9; 2Ch. 34:33; Joh. 4:12).
Ordinances.Heb., ordinance, or judgment.
Or after the law and commandment.This pair of terms is exegetical of the preceding pair. Probably, however, the original reading was, after the statutes, and after the ordinances, as in 2Ki. 17:37, where the same four terms recur. Then the sense will simply be, that the Samaritans contemporary with the writer do not worship Jehovah according to the Torah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
34. They do They here refers to the mixed population, composed of the colonists from the several Eastern nations mentioned in the preceding verses.
After the former manners They continued in our historian’s day to practice the mixed religion described in 2Ki 17:29-33.
They fear not the Lord That is, as is immediately explained, they do not reverence and worship him according to the requirements of that holy law which he gave to the people whom he named Israel. There was at least a portion of them who, like the teaching priest and other Israelites at Beth-el, worshipped Jehovah in connexion with images like the golden calves of Jeroboam; but this was a form of worship so akin to idolatry, and so alien to the requirements of the law, that our author does not attempt to distinguish particularly the different classes of the people, but treats them all as being in irreconcilable antagonism to the statutes and ordinances of the true Israel.
Thus these Samaritans continued till the return of the Jews from exile, when they desired to unite with Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers in rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. Ezr 4:2. The latter denied their request, and thenceforth the Samaritans were regarded as “the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin.” They long hindered the rebuilding of the temple, and also opposed Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 4. Subsequently a son of Jehoiada, the high priest, married the daughter of Sanballat the Samaritan governor, (Neh 13:28,) and was expelled from Jerusalem, whereupon he withdrew to the Samaritans, and Sanballat built for him a temple on Mount Gerizim to rival that at Jerusalem. JOSEPHUS, Antiq., 2Ki 11:8 ; 2Ki 11:2 ; 2Ki 11:4. From this time the Samaritans seem to have gradually abandoned their earlier idolatry, and became thoroughly monotheistic, but the enmity between them and the Jews never ceased. It rather became intensified, and in the time of our Lord the two nations had no dealings with each other. Joh 4:9. Compare note on Mat 10:5. A remnant of the Samaritans still linger in the vale of Shechem, and three times a year go up to the top of Mount Gerizim to worship.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 17:34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
Ver. 34. They fear not the Lord. ] Rightly they feared him not, because neither truly nor totally: their religion was a galimaufrey, a mixture of true and false, which is as good as none; for God will not part stakes with the devil at any hand. Such a religion is a mere irreligion, because contrary, (1.) To God’s law, which rejecteth heathen rites; 2Ki 17:34 ; 2Ki 17:36-37 ; 2Ki 17:39-40 (2.) To God’s covenant, which heathens have nothing to do with. 2Ki 17:33 ; 2Ki 17:38 The mongrel religion of the Samaritans was afterwards refined by Manasseh, a Jewish priest, that in Alexander’s time made a defection to them, and brought many Jews with him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they. These, according to the Structure, are the Israelites. The member (34-40, p. 514) records their continued obduracy in their dispersion.
statutes. See note on Deu 4:1.
whom, &c. Render: “after the manner of the [several] nations; [gods] which had caused them [i.e. the Israelites] to go captive thence [i.e. out of the Land]. Gen 32:28. 1Ki 18:31.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fear not: 2Ki 17:25, 2Ki 17:27, 2Ki 17:28, 2Ki 17:33
whom he named Israel: Gen 32:28, Gen 33:20, Gen 35:10, 1Ki 11:31, 1Ki 18:11, Isa 48:1
Reciprocal: 1Ki 18:31 – saying 2Ki 17:40 – but they did 2Ch 11:3 – to all Israel Mic 4:5 – all Mat 6:24 – serve Rom 11:8 – unto this day 2Co 6:16 – what
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 17:34. Unto this day, &c. That is, till the time when this book was written, and long after, about three hundred years in all, till the time of Alexander the Great, when Manasseh, brother to Jaddus the high-priest of the Jews, having married the daughter of Sanballat, governor of the Samaritans, went over to them, and, obtaining leave of Alexander to build a temple on mount Gerizim, drew over many of the Jews to him, and prevailed with the Samaritans to cast away their idols, and to worship the God of Israel only. Yet their worship was mixed with so much superstition, that our Lord tells them they knew not what they worshipped. They do after the former manners As the Israelites, before their captivity, (2Ki 17:33,) gave these nations an ill example, in serving the Lord and Baal together; so these nations both worshipped the God of Israel, and those other gods. But, adds the historian, they feared not the Lord Their pretended fear of him, and serving him together with their idols, was not worthy of the name of piety, or the fear of the Lord: nor would God accept such a mongrel religion and false worship as they offered to him. Neither do they after their statutes Gods law delivered to the Israelites, and to them as their inheritance, Psa 119:111. This is alleged as an evidence that they did not fear the Lord, whatsoever they pretended, because they lived in the constant breach of his statutes. Which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel A name signifying Jacobs special interest in God, and power with him, which was given to him, not only for himself, but for his posterity also, whom God frequently honoured with that name. And by this great favour he aggravates the sin, both of the Israelites, and of those nations planted in their land, who professed to learn their way of worshipping God, and to imitate it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after {s} their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
(s) He means by this the Israelites to whom God had given his commandments.