2 Kings 17:21 kjv
For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
2 Kings 17:21 nkjv
For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin.
2 Kings 17:21 niv
When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.
2 Kings 17:21 esv
When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin.
2 Kings 17:21 nlt
For when the LORD tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.
2 Kings 17 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 11:11-13 | Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice... I will surely tear the kingdom... | Prophecy of kingdom's division due to Solomon's sin. |
| 1 Ki 11:29-31 | Ahijah found Jeroboam... Ahijah took hold of the new cloak... "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear..." | Prophecy symbolizing kingdom division with Jeroboam as leader. |
| 1 Ki 12:15 | So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD... | God's sovereign hand in Rehoboam's refusal and kingdom division. |
| 1 Ki 12:26-30 | Jeroboam said in his heart... "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem... Here are your gods, O Israel!" | Jeroboam's establishment of golden calves at Dan and Bethel. |
| 1 Ki 13:33-34 | After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way... this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam... | Jeroboam's persistence in idolatry leading to his house's downfall. |
| 1 Ki 14:15-16 | "the LORD will strike Israel... He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam..." | Prophecy against Jeroboam and Israel's exile due to his sins. |
| 1 Ki 15:26 | He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. | Jeroboam's sin becomes the standard for Northern Kingdom kings. |
| 1 Ki 16:31 | as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took... Jezebel | Ahab's egregious sin, still referencing Jeroboam's foundation. |
| 2 Ki 3:3 | Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin... | Another king following Jeroboam's idolatrous path. |
| 2 Ki 10:29 | Nevertheless, Jehu did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin... | Jehu, despite purging Baal worship, retained calf worship. |
| 2 Ki 17:2 | He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. | Hoshea, last king, still adhered to foundational sins of Jeroboam. |
| 2 Ki 17:18 | Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only. | Direct consequence of Israel's widespread sin, leading to exile. |
| 2 Ki 17:22 | For the people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam had done... | Summary statement linking Israel's sins directly to Jeroboam. |
| Deut 4:27-28 | And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples... there you will serve gods of wood and stone... | Prophecy of exile and idolatry as consequence for disobedience. |
| Deut 13:6-10 | If your brother... entices you secretly, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods"... | Warning against being led astray to worship other gods. |
| Isa 1:4 | Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity... they have forsaken the LORD... | General prophetic condemnation of Israel's spiritual adultery. |
| Jer 2:13 | For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me... and hewed out cisterns... | Israel abandoning God, source of living water, for idolatry. |
| Hos 8:5-6 | Your calf is rejected, O Samaria! My anger burns against them... they made a molten image for themselves... | Direct prophetic judgment against Israel's calf worship. |
| Matt 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | New Testament warning against leaders who lead people astray. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality... idolatry... those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | Idolatry as a severe sin, showing its enduring spiritual gravity. |
| Eph 5:5 | For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. | Affirmation of the consequence of idolatry: exclusion from God's kingdom. |
2 Kings 17 verses
2 Kings 17 21 Meaning
This verse serves as a crucial theological explanation for the downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It states that the fundamental act which led to their systemic apostasy and eventual exile was the division of the unified kingdom initiated by Jeroboam. His establishment of idolatrous worship, driven by political expediency, actively turned Israel away from following the LORD, thereby committing a "great sin" that set the stage for centuries of religious deviation and divine judgment.
2 Kings 17 21 Context
2 Kings chapter 17 provides the theological explanation for the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and their exile by Assyria in 722 BCE. After briefly introducing the last king, Hoshea, the narrative shifts to recap the continuous pattern of sin and rebellion against God that marked Israel's history from the very beginning of the divided monarchy. Verses 7-20 recount Israel's various transgressions, including idolatry, rejection of God's statutes, and following pagan practices. Verse 21 then pinpoints the genesis of this prolonged apostasy, attributing it to Jeroboam's actions in breaking away from the Davidic covenant and initiating widespread idolatry, which subsequently permeated the entire history of the Northern Kingdom. This verse highlights that Israel's destruction was not an arbitrary event but the just consequence of a foundational and persistent spiritual rebellion rooted in Jeroboam's original sin.
2 Kings 17 21 Word analysis
- For he tore (קָרַע - qāraʿ):
- Meaning: To tear, rend, rip apart.
- Significance: This is a powerful, almost violent, verb indicating a decisive and irreversible separation. It echoes the prophetic symbolism in 1 Ki 11:30-31 where Ahijah the prophet tore his new cloak into twelve pieces, giving ten to Jeroboam, signifying the tearing away of ten tribes from Solomon's (Davidic) rule. This act was divinely ordained, yet carried out through human agency.
- Israel:
- Significance: Specifically refers to the Northern Kingdom, comprising the ten tribes that revolted against Rehoboam. This distinguishes them from Judah, the Southern Kingdom, which remained under the Davidic line.
- from the house of David:
- Significance: Refers to the lineage of kings descended from King David, a lineage to whom God had made an eternal covenant of kingship (2 Sam 7:12-16). Jeroboam's action was not merely political secession but a rejection of God's chosen dynastic line.
- they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king:
- Significance: While Jeroboam's rise was prophesied, the people actively chose him as their king. This phrase emphasizes human responsibility and the consequences of their decision to follow him rather than adhering to God's established order. Jeroboam is identified by his full name and father's name, emphasizing his historical identity as the one responsible for the 'great sin'.
- Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD (הִדִּיחַ - hiddîaḥ):
- Meaning: To drive out, thrust away, remove, lead astray, entice.
- Significance: This verb signifies active instigation and leadership in leading people into error. Jeroboam didn't merely allow sin; he intentionally created an alternative, illicit religious system to deter his subjects from worshipping in Jerusalem, thereby compelling them away from true worship of YHWH. This was a direct, systematic abandonment of God's covenant commands.
- made them commit great sin (חַטָּאָה גְדֹלָה - ḥaṭṭāʾāh gĕdōlāh):
- Meaning: Great sin, major transgression, grave iniquity.
- Significance: This phrase specifically refers to the establishment of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel, the rejection of the Levitical priesthood in favor of common priests, and the alteration of the divinely ordained feasts (1 Ki 12:26-33). This was not merely an individual sin but a corporate, state-sponsored apostasy, which became the foundational and enduring sin of the Northern Kingdom, constantly referenced as "the sin of Jeroboam" for every subsequent king of Israel. It represents a fundamental break from the Mosaic covenant.
2 Kings 17 21 Bonus section
The repetitive mention of "the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat" throughout the books of Kings (e.g., 1 Ki 15:26, 16:2, 16:19, 16:26, 16:31; 2 Ki 3:3, 10:29, 13:2, 14:24, 15:9, 15:18, 15:24, 15:28, 17:2, 17:22) functions as a theological and literary refrain. This motif serves several purposes: it underscores the persistent and foundational nature of Israel's apostasy, highlights the lack of spiritual reformation among the Northern kings, and justifies the eventual divine judgment of exile. The author's consistent reintroduction of this phrase demonstrates that the calf worship and associated illicit practices were not incidental or occasional transgressions but represented the core theological problem of the Northern Kingdom's entire existence, ultimately defining its spiritual failure and its fate.
2 Kings 17 21 Commentary
2 Kings 17:21 succinctly identifies the core reason for the Northern Kingdom's eventual demise. It points directly to Jeroboam as the pivotal figure who initiated a chain of spiritual deviation. His tearing Israel away from the legitimate "house of David" and establishing rival, idolatrous worship centers was a strategic political move that became a profound spiritual catastrophe. By actively "driving" the people from faithful adherence to God's commands and fostering a "great sin" through false religious practices, Jeroboam effectively cemented idolatry as the national religion of Israel. This state-sponsored apostasy persisted throughout their history, serving as a constant offense to God and ultimately justifying their judgment and exile. This verse is a powerful statement of divine justice, demonstrating that continuous, generations-long rebellion stemming from an initial foundational sin has unavoidable consequences.