2 Kings 17:9 kjv
And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
2 Kings 17:9 nkjv
Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
2 Kings 17:9 niv
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.
2 Kings 17:9 esv
And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
2 Kings 17:9 nlt
The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the LORD their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city.
2 Kings 17 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:30 | "I will destroy your high places..." | God's threat to destroy Israel's high places for disobedience. |
| Num 33:52 | "...destroy all their high places." | Command to destroy Canaanite high places upon entry. |
| Dt 12:2 | "You must destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing serve their gods..." | Instruction to eradicate places of pagan worship. |
| Dt 31:16 | "This people will soon rise up and play the harlot after the foreign gods of the land..." | Prophecy of Israel's turning to foreign gods. |
| Judg 2:11-13 | "And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals..." | Recurrence of idolatry in the period of the Judges. |
| 1 Kgs 13:33 | "...he again made priests from all the people, from any who would, into the priests of the high places." | Jeroboam's establishment of unauthorized worship sites. |
| 1 Kgs 14:23 | "...built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree." | Judah also built high places, describing the typical locations. |
| 1 Kgs 15:14 | "But the high places were not taken away." | Even "good" kings often failed to remove all high places. |
| 2 Kgs 18:4 | "He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah." | Hezekiah's reforms, actively removing high places. |
| Isa 29:15 | "Woe to those who hide deep from the Lord their counsel, whose deeds are in the dark..." | Condemnation of secret rebellion and thinking God does not see. |
| Psa 90:8 | "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." | God sees even the most hidden sins. |
| Jer 3:6 | "Have you seen what faithless Israel did, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree...?" | Israel's persistent spiritual unfaithfulness compared to a prostitute. |
| Eze 6:3-6 | "...I am bringing a sword upon your high places... Your altars shall be laid waste..." | Prophecy of God's judgment directly targeting idolatrous sites. |
| Eze 8:12 | "...the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his chamber of imagery?" | Description of hidden idolatry within Jerusalem itself. |
| Hos 4:13 | "They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth." | The places of worship are pagan high places. |
| Am 5:26 | "You carried your king Sakkuth and Kaiwan your star-gods, your images..." | Referring to the idolatrous practices of the northern kingdom, brought into exile. |
| Rom 1:21-23 | "...though they knew God, they did not honor him as God...and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images." | General human tendency to forsake God for idolatry. |
| Eph 5:12 | "For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret." | Sinful acts done in secret, revealing their inherent evil. |
| Heb 4:13 | "No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." | Emphasizes God's full knowledge of all hidden acts. |
| 1 Jn 1:8 | "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." | The deceitfulness of trying to hide sin, including secret sin. |
| 1 Cor 10:20-21 | "...the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God..." | Association of pagan worship with demonic activity. |
2 Kings 17 verses
2 Kings 17 9 Meaning
This verse explains that the people of Israel covertly engaged in practices contrary to the Lord their God's commandments. These illicit acts culminated in widespread idolatry, specifically by constructing pagan altars known as "high places" throughout every inhabited area of their land, from the most isolated guard post to the most heavily fortified city. This pervasive rebellion against God's law served as a foundational reason for their eventual exile.
2 Kings 17 9 Context
This verse is part of a crucial passage (2 Kgs 17:7-18) that serves as the theological explanation for the downfall and exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) by Assyria. Following the description of King Hoshea's reign and the siege of Samaria in verses 1-6, the narrative pauses to articulate God's perspective on why these catastrophic events occurred. Verses 7 and 8 provide an overarching reason: Israel sinned against YHWH and walked in the statutes of the nations they dispossessed. Verse 9 then begins to enumerate specific transgressions, focusing on their pervasive idolatry, done deceptively and systematically across their entire territory. This passage acts as a theological indictment, demonstrating that the exile was not a failure on God's part, but a just consequence of Israel's repeated and deliberate rebellion against the covenant God had established with them at Sinai, highlighting their chronic spiritual apostasy from their initial settlement in Canaan until their final downfall.
2 Kings 17 9 Word analysis
- And the children of Israel (Wivnê Yiśrā’ēl): Refers specifically to the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom, distinguishing them from Judah, the Southern Kingdom, although similar sins occurred there as well. This highlights the collective responsibility and specific target of the judgment.
- did secretly (waya‘aśû dibrê lo’-kēn): The Hebrew literally means "and they did things not right" or "unfitting things." The implication of "secretly" (not explicitly in the word, but conveyed by scholarly interpretation and contextual nuance) comes from the idea of acting surreptitiously or deceitfully, in contrast to their public covenant with God. It implies hidden, underhanded acts against God's direct commands, thinking they could evade divine sight or judgment. It suggests an underlying deception or deliberate evasion of YHWH's known commands.
- things that were not right (dibrê lo’-kēn): Signifies actions that were contrary to truth, righteousness, or moral uprightness as defined by God's law. This is a subtle yet comprehensive descriptor of their sin, covering all their violations of the Mosaic covenant, particularly idolatry.
- against the Lord their God (‘al-YHWH ’ělōhêhem): Emphasizes that their transgression was a direct offense, an act of rebellion and disloyalty, against their covenant God who had redeemed them and given them His laws. It highlights the personal nature of their betrayal of a deeply established relationship.
- and they built for themselves (wayyivnû lāhem): This phrase underscores the intentionality and self-serving nature of their actions. They actively constructed these places for themselves, reflecting their desires and turning away from divine instruction, rather than passively falling into sin.
- high places (bāmōt, בָּמוֹת): These were elevated sites for worship, common in Canaanite religion for Baal, Asherah, and other deities. For Israel, even when theoretically dedicated to YHWH, they represented a forbidden syncretistic worship practice. They symbolized a deliberate defiance of God's command to worship only at His chosen central sanctuary (Dt 12).
- in all their cities (bᵉkāl-‘ārêhem): Emphasizes the widespread and pervasive nature of the idolatry. It was not isolated or confined to a few rebellious areas, but deeply entrenched across the entire land.
- from watchtower to fortified city (mimmiḡdal nôṣrîm wᵉ‘ad-‘îr mivṣār): This idiomatic phrase signifies the totality and ubiquity of their apostasy. It means "from the smallest, most remote, unprotected rural settlement (like a shepherd's watchtower) to the largest, strongest, most important urban center." It implies no place was free of this pagan practice, demonstrating a complete national deviation from YHWH's worship.
- Words-Group analysis: "did secretly things that were not right": This phrase encapsulates the spiritual corruption that extended beyond overt acts. It speaks to a conscious, hidden rejection of God's ways, an attempt to serve two masters or operate outside of God's knowledge, a deeply treacherous posture against the Lord. "built for themselves high places": This grouping highlights the proactive and deliberate nature of their rebellion. It was not accidental but a choice to construct their own worship system, separate from God's prescribed method and place, asserting human will over divine authority. * "in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city": This phrase paints a complete picture of Israel's widespread apostasy. It indicates the totality and saturation of their idolatry, showing that it was not merely an isolated problem but a deeply rooted national transgression, permeating every level and location of their society.
2 Kings 17 9 Bonus section
The building of "high places" by Israel, explicitly forbidden and to be destroyed by God (Num 33:52; Dt 12:2-3), served as a consistent measure of a king's faithfulness. Even "good" kings often failed to remove them, showing the deep-seated nature of this syncretistic practice. The phrase "from watchtower to fortified city" isn't merely an expression of universality; it signifies that idolatry had infected both the private, unprotected spaces (where a solitary watchman might reside) and the public, secure urban centers (where authority and daily life were structured). This meant no aspect of Israeli life was free from their illicit religious practices, which likely included child sacrifice (2 Kgs 17:17), divination, and other abominations described later in the chapter. The "things that were not right" imply a conscious deviation from truth (kēn - "right," "true") as revealed by God. The collective guilt established in this verse laid the theological groundwork for the subsequent Assyrian exile.
2 Kings 17 9 Commentary
This verse unveils the depth of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness. The use of "secretly" or "unfitting things" indicates a conscious disregard for YHWH, even if veiled or hidden from human eyes, for God's omnipresence sees all. Their actions were an offense against their very Redeemer, a betrayal of the unique relationship they shared. The specific mention of "high places" underscores the gravity of their idolatry; these were not simply alternative places of worship for YHWH but became hubs of syncretism and outright pagan rites, incorporating the detestable practices of the Canaanites. By building these extensively "in all their cities," Israel rejected the exclusivity of God's worship, diffused it into illicit localized forms, and mimicked the surrounding nations' pagan practices, abandoning the central sanctuary and true worship. This universal adoption of "high places" across the land, "from watchtower to fortified city," powerfully communicates that apostasy was not peripheral but core to their national life. This verse fundamentally illustrates why God's judgment was just and unavoidable, as the very fabric of their society was saturated with actions directly defiant of their covenant obligations.
- Example: Like someone secretly breaking promises to a spouse while publicly appearing faithful.
- Example: A nation adopting customs directly contrary to its founding constitution, permeating all aspects of public life.