2 Kings 17 30

2 Kings 17:30 kjv

And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

2 Kings 17:30 nkjv

The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

2 Kings 17:30 niv

The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima;

2 Kings 17:30 esv

The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

2 Kings 17:30 nlt

Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.

2 Kings 17 verses

2 Kings 17 30 Meaning

This verse details specific idolatrous practices adopted by different foreign peoples resettled in Samaria by the Assyrians after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. It explicitly names three groups – the men of Babylon, Cuth, and Hamath – and identifies the distinct deities or cult objects they fashioned and worshipped, illustrating the widespread syncretism and polytheism that replaced the exclusive worship of the LORD in the land of Israel.

2 Kings 17 30 Context

This verse is situated within 2 Kings chapter 17, which provides the historical and theological explanation for the downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and its subsequent repopulation by foreign peoples. After the Assyrian conquest under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II (circa 722/721 BC), the native Israelite population was deported, and various ethnic groups from different parts of the Assyrian empire were brought in to inhabit the vacated land. These new settlers, unfamiliar with the God of Israel, faced divine judgment (lions attacking them) because they did not know or worship the LORD. As a solution, an exiled Israelite priest was sent back to teach them "the law of the god of the land" (2 Kgs 17:26). However, the outcome was not pure Yahwism, but a syncretistic blend where they nominally feared the LORD yet continued to worship their ancestral gods. Verse 30 specifically enumerates three of these groups and their particular deities, providing concrete examples of the widespread idolatry and mixed worship prevalent in the new Samaritan society. This practice highlights the stark contrast with God's commandment for exclusive worship, emphasizing the true spiritual condition of these newly established communities.

2 Kings 17 30 Word analysis

• And the men of Babylon (אַנְשֵׁי בָבֶל - 'anshei Bavvel): Refers to the people deported from the city-state of Babylon, a powerful Mesopotamian center known for its rich pantheon and advanced civilization. This signifies a distinct cultural and religious origin for this group of settlers. Their worship reflects the dominant religious practices of their homeland.
• made (וַיַּעֲשׂוּ - vayyaasu`): This Hebrew verb, commonly translated as "made" or "did," indicates the physical creation or fashioning of cultic objects. It implies intentionality in constructing idols or shrines, directly contrasting with the natural, unmade essence of the one true God. The emphasis is on human effort in creating what they would then worship, a recurring biblical polemic against idols (Ps 115; Isa 44).
• Succoth-Benoth (סֻכּוֹת בְּנוֹת - sukkôt bᵉnôt): The specific deity or cult object made by the Babylonians. The name literally means "booths of daughters" or "shrines of daughters." Scholars offer several interpretations:
  • It might refer to a specific cultic practice, possibly involving sacred prostitution or fertility rites associated with Babylonian goddesses.
  • It could be a distorted Hebrew transliteration or an intentional wordplay on a Babylonian deity. Some identify it with Zarpanitum (Zer-panitum), the consort of Marduk (chief god of Babylon), or with Ishtar, a prominent goddess of fertility, war, and love, sometimes depicted as a cow. The "booths" could refer to portable shrines.
  • Another possibility suggests it was a form of sacral structure or an emblem associated with a female deity, perhaps represented as a calf or a cow, linking to the Golden Calf incidents in Israelite history.
• and the men of Cuth (אַנְשֵׁי כוּת - 'anshei Kut): Refers to the people from Cuthah (also Kutha), an ancient Sumerian city in Mesopotamia (modern Tell Ibrahim, Iraq). Cuthah was particularly associated with a specific major Mesopotamian deity.
• made (וַיַּעֲשׂוּ - vayyaasu`): Again, highlighting the deliberate fabrication of their object of worship, demonstrating the contrast between the true God and man-made idols.
• Nergal (נֵרְגַל - nērgal): The chief god of Cuthah. Nergal was a powerful Mesopotamian deity associated primarily with the underworld, plague, pestilence, and war. He was a god of destruction, often depicted with a lion's head or a mace, linking to the lion attacks mentioned earlier in 2 Kings 17:25-26, suggesting that the newly arrived foreign settlers correctly perceived the cause of the attacks to be divine displeasure, though they misunderstood the true God's nature and sought to appease a god they knew.
• and the men of Hamath (אַנְשֵׁי חֲמָת - 'anshei Ḥamath): Refers to the people from the Aramean kingdom of Hamath, located in central Syria. Hamath was a significant ancient city, often interacting with both Israel and Assyria. Their religious practices would reflect the traditions of the West Semitic and Aramean pantheons.
• made (וַיַּעֲשׂוּ - vayyaasu`): Reinforces the theme of man-made worship.
• Ashima (אֲשִׁימָא - 'ašîmā’): The deity or cult object associated with the Hamathites. The nature of Ashima is less certain than Nergal. Proposed connections include:
  • A Syro-Hittite goddess, potentially related to Ashima-Beth-El, a goddess worshipped at Bethel, suggesting a connection to an ancient place of worship with syncretistic tendencies.
  • Some scholarly interpretations link Ashima to the god Asim or 'Ēšam, an Edomite or Arabian deity possibly identified with the head of a goat, leading to associations with goat worship.
  • Could also be related to the Assyrian divine epithet "Isimmu," connected with lions or roaring, or another form of a fierce deity. Its obscure nature still points to a specific, non-Yahwistic pagan worship.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• And the men of Babylon made Succoth-Benoth: This grouping highlights the specific association between a geographical/ethnic group and their distinct chosen deity. The naming of a foreign, powerful nation (Babylon) and their particular god reinforces the idea of distinct pagan cults being imported into the land. It exemplifies religious pluralism against Yahweh's singularity.
• and the men of Cuth made Nergal: Similarly, this grouping reinforces the specific, distinct cultural origins and their respective deities. The mention of Nergal, the god of plague and the underworld, after the account of lion attacks (2 Kgs 17:25-26), could subtly suggest that these foreign people attributed their misfortune to a god known to them who was related to death or destruction, misidentifying the true source (Yahweh's judgment) but reinforcing their ingrained pagan mindset.
• and the men of Hamath made Ashima: This further completes the list, demonstrating the variety of foreign gods and cults introduced into Israel. The repeated structure emphasizes a common behavior: each group continued their traditional worship, fashioning their own gods, contributing to the religious fragmentation and impurity in the land.

2 Kings 17 30 Bonus section

This verse is crucial in understanding the religious composition of the future "Samaritans." Their practices, originating from these diverse Assyrian-imposed populations, directly contributed to the theological schism with Judah (later the Jews) due to their deep-rooted syncretism described throughout 2 Kings 17. The precise identification of each foreign deity served a polemic purpose within the biblical narrative: to expose the impotence and alien nature of these man-made gods in contrast to the singular power and demands of the LORD, who had dominion over the land and its people, as evidenced by the lion attacks. The description of these gods highlights the perversion of worship and stands as a foundational explanation for the religious contamination that Israel had continually warned against.

2 Kings 17 30 Commentary

2 Kings 17:30 concisely illustrates the spiritual landscape of Samaria after the Assyrian resettlement. Far from adopting exclusive worship of the LORD, these diverse ethnic groups maintained and recreated the deities and cultic practices of their homelands. Each name — Succoth-Benoth, Nergal, and Ashima — represents a specific pagan god or form of worship, demonstrating the full extent of the syncretism that characterized this new population. This verse, along with others in the chapter, serves as a theological condemnation of idolatry and mixed worship. It directly challenges the notion of worshipping anything alongside the one true God of Israel, Yahweh, who demands exclusive devotion (Deut 6:4-5). The practice described foreshadows the eventual religious distinctiveness of the Samaritans, whose lineage of mixed worship and incomplete adherence to Yahweh set them apart from pure Judaism, culminating in later biblical narratives and Jesus' interactions (e.g., John 4). The message is clear: true worship involves unwavering loyalty to the Creator, not a blend of human inventions and divine truth.