2 Kings 17 17

2 Kings 17:17 kjv

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

2 Kings 17:17 nkjv

And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

2 Kings 17:17 niv

They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.

2 Kings 17:17 esv

And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

2 Kings 17:17 nlt

They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD's anger.

2 Kings 17 verses

2 Kings 17 17 Meaning

This verse outlines grave and abominable practices of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, providing a key reason for their eventual downfall and exile. It describes their deliberate and intense engagement in child sacrifice, forbidden occult practices like divination and sorcery, and their total commitment to rebellion against God. These actions collectively provoked the LORD to righteous anger, demonstrating a profound spiritual apostasy and defiance of divine law.

2 Kings 17 17 Context

This verse is found within a pivotal passage (2 Ki 17:7-23) that meticulously explains why the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) fell to Assyria and why its people were exiled. Having detailed Israel's persistent abandonment of the LORD's commands, their adoption of pagan worship, and their refusal to heed prophetic warnings, verse 17 itemizes some of their most egregious abominations. These specific practices—child sacrifice and various forms of sorcery—were central to the Canaanite religions they embraced. Historically, the Northern Kingdom, particularly after the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, was deeply immersed in Baal and Asherah worship, which often incorporated practices like child sacrifice, fertility rites, and divination, directly challenging Yahweh's covenantal demands. This verse serves as a crucial theological justification for the divine judgment that befell Israel, demonstrating their complete and willing embrace of practices explicitly forbidden by the LORD, who had redeemed them from Egypt and brought them into the land. It directly critiques and condemns the idolatrous beliefs and cultic practices prevalent in the surrounding nations and those adopted by Israel itself.

2 Kings 17 17 Word analysis

• And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire,

  • "caused... to pass through the fire" (וַיַּעֲבִירוּ בָאֵשׁ - vayyaʿăvi ru ba'esh): This phrase unequivocally refers to child sacrifice, specifically the practice of offering children to pagan deities like Molech (as mentioned in Lev 18:21; 20:2-5 and Deut 18:10). The verb "to cause to pass through" (עבר - ʿavar) in the Hiphil causative stem signifies that they made their children do this, highlighting their active and deliberate involvement in this horrific ritual. This act was seen as an ultimate defiance of God, defiling the children and the land, and showing a rejection of God as the true source of life and covenant loyalty.

• and used divination

  • "divination" (וַיִּקְסְמוּ קְסָמִים - vayyiqsəmū qəsāmîm): From the root קסם (qasam), meaning to practice divination, to divine. This refers to the attempt to discover the unknown or predict the future through supernatural means, particularly forbidden methods like casting lots, fortune-telling, or communicating with spirits. It indicates reliance on other powers besides the LORD for guidance and revelation, a direct affront to God's exclusive role as the Revealer of truth.

• and enchantments,

  • "enchantments" (וַיְנַחֲשׁוּ - vayinnaḥăshū): From the root נחש (naḥash), often associated with "serpent" or "omens." It describes a practice involving observing omens, interpreting signs, or practicing sorcery. While often grouped with divination, naḥash can specifically imply more precise magical operations, such as necromancy (consulting the dead), observing birds, or other natural phenomena for omens. Both divination and enchantments represent a fundamental distrust in God's providence and an illicit attempt to control or foresee destiny outside His will.

• and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD,

  • "sold themselves" (וַיִּתְמַכְּרוּ - vayyitmakkeru): This is a reflexive form of the verb מָכַר (makar), meaning "to sell." The reflexive implies a deliberate, conscious act of self-enslavement or abandonment. It depicts an utter surrender to a course of evil, indicating that their commitment to sin was not incidental but a wilful, decisive choice, akin to giving themselves over completely. This powerful metaphor signifies a deep spiritual depravity and bondage.
  • "to do evil" (לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרָע - laʿăśōwt haraʿ): This refers to their deliberate and ongoing practice of what is morally, ritually, and ethically wrong according to God's law. It's not an isolated act but a committed lifestyle.
  • "in the sight of the LORD" (בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה - bəʿêynê Yahweh): This emphasizes that their actions were not hidden or incidental, but blatant and open before the all-seeing God. It highlights God's perfect knowledge and justice, underscoring their accountability for sins committed in full view of their Creator.

• to provoke Him to anger.

  • "to provoke Him to anger" (לְהַכְעִיסוֹ - ləhaḵə‘îsō): The infinitive verb כעס (kaʿas), "to vex, irritate, anger," signifies the intended or resultant effect of their actions. It implies that their persistent and heinous sins directly stimulated God's holy indignation and wrath. This phrase directly links their specific abominable practices to the divine response of judgment, indicating that God's anger is a just and warranted reaction to such profound rebellion.

• Words-group analysis:

  • The progression of sins: The verse reveals a chilling escalation from external ritualistic sin (child sacrifice, divination, enchantments) to a deeper internal spiritual state of self-enslavement to evil. This shows a journey from adopting pagan practices to becoming fundamentally corrupt in their very being, demonstrating total rebellion against God.
  • Deliberate rejection: The consistent use of verbs implying active choice ("caused to pass through," "used," "sold themselves") underlines the Israelite's conscious decision to abandon their covenant relationship with the LORD. This was not accidental transgression but wilful apostasy.
  • The nature of forbidden practices: Child sacrifice was the ultimate defiance of human life's sanctity, usurping God's sovereignty over life and death. Divination and enchantments represented a rejection of God as the sole source of divine truth and guidance, turning to illicit, unreliable sources often tied to demonic powers. Both fundamentally denied Yahweh's authority and uniqueness.
  • The catalyst for divine wrath: The cumulative effect of these grave offenses was to "provoke Him to anger." This highlights that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to persistent and profound disobedience, demonstrating His holiness and justice in the face of widespread wickedness and covenant infidelity.

2 Kings 17 17 Bonus section

The phrase "sold themselves" (vayyitmakkeru) used in this verse is notably used elsewhere only concerning Ahab in 1 Ki 21:20 and 21:25. This parallel suggests that the entire nation of Israel had collectively reached the same depths of depravity and willful spiritual enslavement as their most wicked king. This indicates a deep-seated, pervasive spiritual malaise throughout the society of the Northern Kingdom, not merely isolated acts by a few. It underscores the concept of corporate sin and its consequences. Furthermore, the systematic nature of these forbidden practices reveals a rejection of all the ways God had offered them life and prosperity under the covenant, highlighting the consistent theme of divine grace meeting human stubbornness until judgment becomes inevitable. God's warnings were delivered consistently through prophets (e.g., Amos, Hosea), but His patience was ultimately exhausted by their determined embrace of these vile ways.

2 Kings 17 17 Commentary

2 Kings 17:17 serves as a stark summation of Israel's spiritual decline and the deep roots of their apostasy that led to their catastrophic judgment. The Northern Kingdom, in rejecting the Mosaic Law and the true worship of Yahweh, descended into the abhorrent practices of their pagan neighbors. Child sacrifice, exemplified by making their children "pass through the fire," was an act of profound dehumanization and the ultimate idolatrous worship, exchanging the Most High for cruel deities like Molech, demanding the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul (Mic 6:7). The adoption of divination and enchantments showcased a systemic abandonment of seeking counsel from God's prophets and Law, instead relying on the deceptive and forbidden means of sorcery, often tied to demonic forces. The phrase "sold themselves to do evil" powerfully conveys the extent of their voluntary and determined surrender to sin, likening their spiritual state to voluntary servitude or slavery to evil. This complete moral bankruptcy, openly practiced "in the sight of the LORD," made their actions a direct and egregious insult to God's holiness and His covenant. Consequently, their relentless pursuit of these abominations "provoked Him to anger," a righteous divine indignation against blatant rebellion. The verse underscores that God's judgment upon Israel was a direct, just, and unavoidable consequence of their unrepentant, active, and pervasive disobedience, highlighting the principle that continued sin, particularly wilful and abhorrent sin, draws divine retribution.Example: Much like a child who, despite repeated warnings, persists in defiance and dangerous behavior, ultimately faces consequences from a loving but firm parent, Israel's repeated and escalating sin necessitated God's righteous discipline.