2 Kings 17 20

2 Kings 17:20 kjv

And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

2 Kings 17:20 nkjv

And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight.

2 Kings 17:20 niv

Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.

2 Kings 17:20 esv

And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

2 Kings 17:20 nlt

The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence.

2 Kings 17 verses

2 Kings 17 20 Meaning

This verse declares that the LORD entirely repudiated and rejected the nation of Israel due to their persistent unfaithfulness and idolatry. As a consequence, He afflicted them with suffering and handed them over to hostile nations, specifically the Assyrians, who plundered and ultimately deported them from their land. This action represented God’s ultimate act of judgment, expelling them from His favor and presence in the promised land.

2 Kings 17 20 Context

Chapter 17 of 2 Kings documents the theological explanation for the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, to the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The preceding verses (2 Ki 17:7-18) extensively detail the specific sins of Israel, primarily their rampant idolatry, adoption of pagan practices, disregard for God's laws, and refusal to heed prophetic warnings. They are described as forsaking the LORD, building high places, worshipping idols, and even sacrificing their children. Verse 20 serves as a succinct summary and culmination of the LORD's divine verdict and its consequences, illustrating that the national calamity was not a random geopolitical event but a direct outcome of God's righteous judgment against their pervasive sin. This theological framework underscores the Deuteronomistic understanding of history, where divine blessing and curse are tied directly to covenant obedience or disobedience.

2 Kings 17 20 Word analysis

• And the LORD rejected: (וַיִּמְאַס יְהוָה - wayyima'as Yahweh) The verb ma'as is a strong Hebrew term meaning "to despise," "to loathe," "to reject utterly." It emphasizes God's deliberate and complete repudiation of Israel due to their actions. It signifies a breaking of the covenant relationship from God's side as a consequence of their unfaithfulness, showing His active agency in their downfall.
• all the offspring of Israel: (בְּכָל זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל - b'chol zera' Yisrael) "Offspring" (zera') refers to the descendants or progeny. While the immediate context is the Northern Kingdom, the term "Israel" implies the entire covenant people, signifying a national and collective rejection. This shows that the judgment applied comprehensively to the collective entity that abandoned God, transcending individual tribes.
• and afflicted them: (וַיְעַנֵּם - way'annehm) The verb 'anah means "to afflict," "to humble," "to oppress," "to bring low." This refers to the suffering and distress inflicted upon Israel by God, which often came through external enemies. It is a direct result of the rejection, showing that their hardships were not random but part of the divine punitive action.
• and delivered them into the hand of plunderers: (וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד שֹׁסִים - wayittnehm b'yad shosīm) The phrase "delivered... into the hand of" (natan b'yad) is a common biblical idiom for giving someone over to the control or power of another, often an enemy. "Plunderers" (shosīm) refers to those who take spoils or lay waste, in this historical context, primarily the Assyrian army. This emphasizes God's sovereign control in allowing or directing the actions of foreign nations to carry out His judgment.
• until He had cast them out of His sight: (עַד הַשְׁלִיכוֹ אֹתָם מִפָּנָיו - 'ad hashlikho otam mippanāw) "Cast them out" (shalakh) means to throw, hurl, or send away forcefully. "Out of His sight" or "from His face" (mippanāw) is a powerful anthropomorphism, signifying a complete removal from God's presence, favor, and protective oversight within the land He gave them. It points directly to the ultimate consequence: national exile and deportation from the Promised Land, implying a severing of their privileged status.
• Word Grouping Analysis:
  • "And the LORD rejected all the offspring of Israel": This initial phrase sets the absolute and divine origin of the judgment. It asserts God's ultimate authority and intentionality behind Israel's fate, making it clear that their suffering was not accidental or merely human-initiated. It underscores the broken covenant relationship.
  • "and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers": These two clauses describe the direct and indirect means of God's judgment. The affliction signifies internal hardship and distress, while being delivered to plunderers speaks of external aggression and subjugation. It highlights the practical consequences of divine rejection—loss of protection and suffering at the hands of enemies.
  • "until He had cast them out of His sight": This final clause presents the climax and culmination of the divine judgment: complete expulsion and removal from the land, which was the physical manifestation of being "out of His sight" or favor. It signifies the end of their corporate dwelling in the promised land as a people under God's blessing.

2 Kings 17 20 Bonus Section

• Covenant Fidelity: This verse strongly underlines the conditional nature of the Old Covenant. While God's promise to Abraham and His love for Israel were steadfast, their occupancy and blessing within the Promised Land were contingent upon their fidelity to the covenant given at Sinai. Their consistent failure to adhere to the statutes, particularly in their devotion to other gods, brought about the stipulated curses, culminating in exile.
• Prophetic Fulfillment: The actions described in this verse—rejection, affliction, delivery to plunderers, and being cast out—are direct fulfillments of curses warned of centuries earlier in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (e.g., Lev 26:30-33, Deut 28:49-52, 64-68). This historical event thus validated the prophetic warnings given to the nation from its inception.
• Distinction and Universal Principle: While this verse immediately concerns the Northern Kingdom's fate, the sweeping language "all the offspring of Israel" also conveys a universal principle about God's dealings with nations and individuals who forsake Him. What happened to Israel due to idolatry is a potent warning against spiritual compromise for any people called by His name.

2 Kings 17 20 Commentary

2 Kings 17:20 acts as a potent theological summary of Israel's national downfall. It profoundly asserts God's active role in their rejection, affirming that their calamitous end was not due to geopolitical missteps alone, but to the LORD's righteous verdict against their systemic apostasy and unrepentant rebellion. The repetition of verbs of divine action—rejected, afflicted, delivered, cast out—underscores His sovereign and deliberate agency. "All the offspring of Israel" highlights the widespread nature of the spiritual corruption, warranting comprehensive judgment. This verse reinforces the fundamental biblical principle that covenant breaking leads to dire consequences, demonstrating God's justice in executing promised curses. While harsh, this judgment was preceded by persistent warnings through prophets, underscoring God's patience before the ultimate withdrawal of His presence and protection, leading to exile and dispersion. It is a sobering testament to the cost of disobedience.