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This chapter gives us an account of the captivity of the ten tribes, and so finishes the history of that kingdom, after it had continued about 265 years, from the setting up of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. In it we have, I. A short narrative of this destruction, 2Ki 17:1-6. II. Remarks upon it, and the causes of it, for the justifying of God in it and for warning to others, 2Ki 17:7-23. III. An account of the nations which succeeded them in the possession of their land, and the mongrel religion set up among them, 2Ki 17:24-41.
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Samaria Besieged by the Assyrians; Israel Subdued by Assyria (730 BC)
简体中文
撒玛利亚被亚述人围困；以色列被亚述制伏（主前730年）
¹ 犹大王亚哈斯第十二年，以拉的儿子何细亚在撒玛利亚登基，作以色列王九年。
² 他行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，只是不像在他以前的以色列诸王。
³ 亚述王撒缦以色上来攻击何细亚，何细亚就服事他，给他进贡。
⁴ 何细亚背叛，差人去见埃及王梭，不照往年所行的与亚述王进贡。亚述王知道了，就把他锁禁，囚在监里。
⁵ 亚述王上来攻击以色列遍地，上到撒玛利亚，围困三年。
⁶ 何细亚第九年，亚述王攻取了撒玛利亚，将以色列人掳到亚述，把他们安置在哈腊与歌散河边的哈博，并玛代人的城邑。
这里记载何细亚的统治与灭亡，他是以色列末后的王，论到他，可注意以下几点：
I. 他虽以背叛和谋杀强夺了王位（如王下15:30所记），却直到七八年之后才得着它；因为他在亚哈斯第四年杀了比加，自己却直到亚哈斯第十二年才开始作王（王下17:1）。究竟是被亚述王、还是被犹大王、还是被他自己百姓中的人所阻挡，无从查考，但似乎他所图谋的王位被搁置了这么久。他这些恶行如此受了惩治，乃是公义的；先知的话也就这样应验了（何10:3）：我们没有王，因为我们不敬畏耶和华。
II. 他虽然恶，却不像在他以前的以色列诸王那样恶（王下17:2），不像他们那样专一拜金牛犊。犹太人说，其中一只（在但的那只），在此以前已被亚述王在王下15:29所记的那次远征中掳去（先知何8:5所说撒玛利亚啊，你的牛犊已被丢弃，或许就是指此而言），这使他对那另一只少了几分倚靠。有人说这何细亚解除了从前诸王加在百姓身上的禁令——就是禁止他们上耶路撒冷敬拜的禁令，凡有心愿的人，他都准许他们上去。但我们当怎样看护理的这一安排呢？以色列国的灭亡竟临到它最好之王中一位的统治之时？*神啊，你的审判如同深渊。*神要借此表明，他在降下这灭亡时，所要惩罚的：1. 不单是那一代的罪，也是历代的罪，要追讨他们列祖的罪孽，他们早已在积满罪恶的量数，为这忿怒的日子积蓄忿怒。2. 不单是他们君王的罪，也是百姓的罪。何细亚虽不像从前诸王那样恶，百姓却像他们的前人一样恶；他们的恶因此更显加重，也使灭亡来得更快，因为他们的王不再给他们立那样坏的榜样，如从前诸王所立的，也不再拦阻他们改革；他给了他们行善的余地，他们却仍像从前一样行恶，这就把他们犯罪受罚的责任完全归在他们自己身上。
III. 灭亡是渐渐临到的。在他们沦为亚述王的俘虏以前，曾有一段时候先作了纳贡的属国（王下17:3）；倘若那较轻的审判足以使他们谦卑悔改，那更重的审判本可避免。
IV. 他们用迂回之计图谋脱离亚述王的轭，结果反把灾祸引到自己身上（王下17:4）。倘若以色列的王和民投靠神，与他和好，向他祈求，他们本可重得自由、安逸与尊荣；他们却扣住贡物，倚靠埃及王来帮助他们叛变，这事即便成功，也不过是换了压迫者罢了。但埃及对他们成了压伤的芦苇杖。这激动亚述王以更严厉的手段对待他们。人挣扎挣网，毫无所得，反倒把自己缠得更紧。
V. 临到他们的乃是彻底的灭亡。1. 以色列王被掳为囚；他被锁禁捆绑，大概是在撒玛利亚被围之前出其不意地被擒。2. 以色列地被掠为掳物。亚述王的军队上来攻击以色列遍地，制伏了它（王下17:5），待那百姓如待该受刀剑公义之刑的叛逆者，而非待公平交战的仇敌。3. 以色列的京城被围，终被攻取。在全国被征服之后，它又坚守了三年，那时所受的苦难，无疑极多，只是没有特别记载下来；但这段叙事的简略，以及对这事如此轻轻带过，依我看来，正暗示他们已被神撇弃，他此时不再眷顾以色列所受的苦难，如他从前有时所行的那样。4. 以色列的百姓被掳到亚述（王下17:6）。百姓的大多数，凡稍有名望的，都被迫离开，押到征服者的国中，在那里作奴仆、作乞丐。（1.）他借此乐意向他们施行统治，表明他们全在他的处置之下。（2.）他借着剥夺他们的产业田宅，无论是不动产或动产，使他们受尽被迁往异邦、落在专横军队权下的一切艰难凌辱，以此惩治他们的叛逆和企图脱离他轭的举动。（3.）他借此切实防止了日后一切这样的图谋，并把他们的国土稳稳归于自己。（4.）他借此在自己国中得着他们的劳役，正如法老从前役使他们列祖一样；这不配的民族就这样如同被发现时一般地失丧，如同起初一般地终结，活在奴役与压迫之下。（5.）他借此为自己本国中那些家业稀少、在家无事可作的人腾出地方，使他们在美地、流奶与蜜之地安居。借着这几样途径，他借十支派被掳一事使自己得益。这里告诉我们，他把他们分置在国中何处——在哈腊和哈博，我们可以推想，是彼此相距甚远的地方，免得他们互通声息，重新聚合，再成可惧之势。我们有理由认为，过了些时候，他们就与列邦混杂，以致失丧，以色列的名也不再被记念。那些忘记神的人，自己也被忘记；那些一心要与列邦相同的人，便葬身其中；那些在自己地上不肯事奉神的人，被迫在异邦事奉他们的仇敌。被掳去的，大概多是有尊荣有家业的人，而许多卑微的下层百姓则被留下，各支派都有些人留下，他们或归向犹大，或归服亚述的殖民，他们的后裔就成了加利利人或撒玛利亚人。但以色列作为一个国家就此终结；如今他们成了罗阿米——非我的民，罗路哈玛——不蒙怜悯。如今迦南把他们吐了出去。我们读到他们在嫩的儿子约书亚率领下进入此地时，谁能想到他们在以拉的儿子何细亚治下竟会这样退场呢？正如罗马在奥古斯都时代的荣耀，许多世代之后，竟在奥古斯都路斯手中沉沦。护理如此安排十支派荣耀的黯淡，好叫那仍存留的犹大（王室支派）和利未（圣洁支派）的荣耀，照得更加明亮。然而我们看到十二支派中各支派都有人受了印记（启7:1-8），惟独没有提到但。雅各写信给散住各处的十二支派（雅1:1），保罗也提到十二支派昼夜切切地事奉神（徒26:7）；所以，虽然我们再没有读到那些被掳之人，也没有理由相信有人的臆测（说他们至今仍在世界某个遥远角落保持独立的群体），但他们中确有余民得以逃脱，存留以色列的名，直到这名归于福音的教会、属灵的以色列所承受，在其中永远存留（加6:16）。
英文原文
Samaria Besieged by the Assyrians; Israel Subdued by Assyria (730 BC)
¹ In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
² And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
³ Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
⁴ And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
⁵ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
We have here the reign and ruin of Hoshea, the last of the kings of Israel, concerning whom observe,
I. That, though he forced his way to the crown by treason and murder (as we read 2Ki 15:30), yet he gained not the possession of it till seven or eight years after; for it was in the fourth year of Ahaz that he slew Pekah, but did not himself begin to reign till the twelfth year of Ahaz, 2Ki 17:1. Whether by the king of Assyria, or by the king of Judah, or by some of his own people, does not appear, but it seems so long he was kept out of the throne he aimed at. Justly were his bad practices thus chastised, and the word of the prophet was thus fulfilled (Ho 10:3), Now they shall say We have no king, because we feared not the Lord.
II. That, though he was bad, yet not so bad as the kings of Israel had been before him (2Ki 17:2), not so devoted to the calves as they had been. One of them (that at Dan), the Jews say, had been, before this, carried away by the king of Assyria in the expedition recorded 2Ki 15:29, (to which perhaps the prophet refers, Ho 8:5, Thy calf, O Samaria! has cast thee off), which made him put the less confidence in the other. And some say that this Hoshea took off the embargo which the former kings had put their subjects under, forbidding them to go up to Jerusalem to worship, which he permitted those to do that had a mind to it. But what shall we think of this dispensation of providence, that the destruction of the kingdom of Israel should come in the reign of one of the best of its kings? Thy judgments, O God! are a great deep. God would hereby show that in bringing this ruin upon them he designed to punish, 1. Not only the sins of that generation, but of the foregoing ages, and to reckon for the iniquities of their fathers, who had been long in filing the measure and treasuring up wrath against this day of wrath. 2. Not only the sins of their kings, but the sins of the people. If Hoshea was not so bad as the former kings, yet the people were as bad as those that went before them, and it was an aggravation of their badness, and brought ruin the sooner, that their king did not set them so bad an example as the former kings had done, nor hinder them from reforming; he gave them leave to do better, but they did as bad as ever, which laid the blame of their sin and ruin wholly upon themselves.
III. That the destruction came gradually. They were for some time made tributaries before they were made captives to the king of Assyria (2Ki 17:3), and, if that less judgment had prevailed to humble and reform them, the greater would have been prevented.
IV. That they brought it upon themselves by the indirect course they took to shake off the yoke of the king of Assyria, 2Ki 17:4. Had the king and people of Israel applied to God, made their peace with him and their prayers to him, they might have recovered their liberty, ease, and honour; but they withheld their tribute, and trusted to the king of Egypt to assist them in their revolt, which, if it had taken effect, would have been but to change their oppressors. But Egypt became to them the staff of a broken reed. This provoked the king of Assyria to proceed against them with the more severity. Men get nothing by struggling with the net, but entangle themselves the more.
V. That it was an utter destruction that came upon them. 1. The king of Israel was made a prisoner; he was shut up and bound, being, it is probable, taken by surprise, before Samaria was besieged. 2. The land of Israel was made a prey. The army of the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, made themselves master of it (2Ki 17:5), and treated the people as traitors to be punished with the sword of justice rather than as fair enemies. 3. The royal city of Israel was besieged, and at length taken. Three years it held out after the country was conquered, and no doubt a great deal of misery was endured at that time which is not particularly recorded; but the brevity of the story, and the passing of this matter over lightly, methinks, intimate that they were abandoned of God and he did not now regard the affliction of Israel, as sometimes as he had done. 4. The people of Israel were carried captives into Assyria, 2Ki 17:6. The generality of the people, those that were of any note, were forced away into the conqueror's country, to be slaves and beggars there. (1.) Thus he was pleased to exercise a dominion over them, and to show that they were entirely at his disposal. (2.) By depriving them of their possessions and estates, real and personal, and exposing them to all the hardships and reproaches of a removal to a strange country, under the power of an imperious army, he chastised them for their rebellion and their endeavour to shake off his yoke. (3.) Thus he effectually prevented all such attempts for the future and secured their country to himself. (4.) Thus he got the benefit of their service in his own country, as Pharaoh did that of their fathers; and so this unworthy people were lost as they were found, and ended as they began, in servitude and under oppression. (5.) Thus he made room for those of his own country that had little, and little to do, at home, to settle in a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey. In all these several ways he served himself by this captivity of the ten tribes. We are here told in what places of his kingdom he disposed of them—in Halah and Habor, in places, we may suppose, far distant from each other, lest they should keep up a correspondence, incorporate again, and become formidable. There, we have reason to think, after some time they were so mingled with the nations that they were lost, and the name of Israel was no more in remembrance. Those that forgot God were themselves forgotten; those that studied to be like the nations were buried among them; and those that would not serve God in their own land were made to serve their enemies in a strange land. It is probable that they were the men of honour and estates who were carried captive, and that many of the meaner sort of people were left behind, many of every tribe, who either went over to Judah or became subject to the Assyrian colonies, and their posterity were Galileans or Samaritans. But thus ended Israel as a nation; now they became Lo-ammi—not a people, and Lo-ruhamah—unpitied. Now Canaan spued them out. When we read of their entry under Hoshea the son of Nun who would have thought that such as this should be their exit under Hoshea the son of Elah? Thus Rome's glory in Augustus sunk, many ages after, in Augustulus. Providence so ordered the eclipsing of the honour of the ten tribes that the honour of Judah (the royal tribe) and Levi (the holy tribe), which yet remained, might shine the brighter. Yet we find a number sealed of every one of the twelve tribes (Re 7:1-8) except Dan. James writes to the twelve tribes scattered abroad (Jam 1:1) and Paul speaks of the twelve tribes which instantly served God day and night (Ac 26:7); so that though we never read of those that were carried captive, nor have any reason to credit the conjecture of some (that they yet remain a distinct body in some remote corner of the world), yet a remnant of them did escape, to keep up the name of Israel, till it came to be worn by the gospel church, the spiritual Israel, in which it will ever remain, Ga 6:16.
7-23
The Wickedness of Israel (730 BC)
简体中文
以色列的罪恶（主前730年）
⁷ 这是因以色列人得罪那领他们出埃及地、脱离埃及王法老之手的耶和华他们的神，去敬畏别神，
⁸ 随从耶和华在他们面前所赶出外邦人的风俗，和以色列诸王所立的条规。
⁹ 以色列人暗中行不正的事，违背耶和华他们的神，在他们所有的城邑，从瞭望楼直到坚固城，建筑邱坛；
¹⁰ 在各高冈上、各青翠树下立柱像和木偶；
¹¹ 在邱坛上烧香，效法耶和华在他们面前赶出的外邦人所行的，又行恶事惹动耶和华的怒气；
¹² 且事奉偶像，就是耶和华警戒他们不可行的。
¹³ 但耶和华藉众先知、先见劝戒以色列人和犹大人说：当离开你们的恶行，谨守我的诫命律例，遵行我吩咐你们列祖、并藉我仆人众先知所传给你们的一切律法。
¹⁴ 他们却不听从，竟硬着颈项，效法他们列祖，不信服耶和华他们的神，
¹⁵ 厌弃他的律例和他与他们列祖所立的约，并他劝戒他们的话，随从虚无的神，自己成为虚妄，效法周围的外邦人，就是耶和华嘱咐他们不可效法的；
¹⁶ 离弃耶和华他们神的一切诫命，为自己铸了两个牛犊的像，立了亚舍拉，敬拜天上的万象，事奉巴力，
¹⁷ 又使他们的儿女经火，用占卜，行法术，卖了自己，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，惹动他的怒气。
¹⁸ 所以耶和华向以色列人大大发怒，从自己面前赶出他们，只剩下犹大一个支派。
¹⁹ 犹大人也不遵守耶和华他们神的诫命，随从以色列人所立的条规。
²⁰ 耶和华就厌弃以色列全族，使他们受苦，把他们交在抢夺他们的人手中，以致赶出他们离开自己面前，
²¹ 将以色列国从大卫家夺回；他们就立尼八的儿子耶罗波安作王。耶罗波安引诱以色列人不随从耶和华，陷在大罪里。
²² 以色列人犯耶罗波安所犯的一切罪，总不离开，
²³ 以致耶和华从自己面前赶出他们，正如藉他仆人众先知所说的。这样，以色列人从本地被掳到亚述，直到今日。
十支派之国的覆亡，前文虽只简略地叙述过，但在这几节中却被我们的史家详加阐发，并陈明其覆亡的缘由；这缘由不是取自第二因——以色列的衰弱、他们政略上的失策、以及亚述君王日益增长的强盛（这些事都略而不提）——乃是单单取自那第一因。请观察：1. 是 耶和华将以色列从自己面前赶出去的； 无论谁是工具，祂才是这灾祸的发动者。这是 从全能者来的毁灭； 亚述不过是 祂怒气的杖（赛10:5）。是 耶和华厌弃了以色列的后裔， 否则他们的仇敌断不能抓住他们（王下17:20）。谁将雅各交出当作掳物，将以色列交给抢夺的呢？岂不是耶和华吗？（赛43:24）我们若不在国家性的审判中留意神的手，并留意圣经的应验，便失了从中得益的机会；因为这里也提到那应验（王下17:23）：耶和华将以色列 从祂的恩宠中、并从他们本地上赶出去，正如祂藉祂仆人众先知所说的。 天地废去，较比神的话有一点一画落空还容易。当神的话与祂的作为相对照时，便会发现二者不但相合，且彼此印证。但神为何要毁灭这样一个民族呢？这民族原是藉着神迹与默示被兴起、被建立成国的，神为何要拆毁祂自己花了如此重价所建立的呢？这纯然是一种主权的作为吗？不是的，这乃是一种必要的公义之举。因为，2. 他们以自己的恶行惹动祂行了这事。这是出于神吗？不，乃是出于他们自己；他们藉自己的 行径与作为， 把这一切 都自取临到自己身上， 是他们自己的恶行管教了自己。这一点，这位圣史在此详加申述，好叫人看出神并未亏待他们，又叫别人可以听见而惧怕。来看是什么招致了这一切的祸患，是什么折断了他们的权势、将他们的尊荣埋于尘土；那就是罪；唯有罪，而非别的，将他们与神隔绝了。这里极动人地揭示出，罪乃是以色列一切荒凉的根源。他在此显明：
I. 神为以色列所行的事，是要使他们立志事奉祂。1. 祂赐他们自由（王下17:7）：祂 领他们脱离了 那欺压他们之 法老的手， 宣告他们的自由（以色列是我的儿子），又用大能的手成就了他们的自由。这样，他们在本分与感恩上都当作祂的仆人，因为祂解开了他们的捆锁；那将他们从埃及王手中救出来的主，断不至于自相矛盾到一个地步，竟将他们交在亚述王手中——若不是他们因自己的罪孽出卖了自己、葬送了自己的自由，祂本是不会如此行的，但祂后来却如此行了。2. 祂赐他们律法，又亲自作他们的王。他们直接处于神的治理之下。他们不能以无知为推诿，说不知善恶、不分罪与本分，因为神特特将这里所控告他们的那些事警戒过他们（王下17:15），嘱咐他们不可效法外邦人。 他们也不能对自己有义务遵守这里所控告他们厌弃的诸般律法存什么疑惑，因为这些都是耶和华他们神的 诫命与律例（王下17:13），以致毫无置疑当守或不当守的余地。祂 未曾这样待别国（诗147:19、20）。3. 祂赐他们 本地， 因为祂 在他们面前赶出外邦人（王下17:8），为他们腾出地方；而那因外邦人拜偶像便将他们赶出去之举，本是对以色列再清楚不过的警戒，叫他们不可效法他们。
II. 他们却如何得罪了神，全然不顾神加在他们身上的这些恩约。1. 总而言之。他们 得罪了耶和华他们的神（王下17:7），行了不正的事（王下17:9），却是 暗中 行的。他们如此沉溺于自己的恶行，以致当他们不能公然行恶时——或因羞耻、或因惧怕——便要暗中去行；这正显明他们的无神思想，以为暗中所行的便脱离了神自己的眼目、不被追究。再者，他们行恶之直接抵触神的律法，以致仿佛是有意要 惹动耶和华发怒（王下17:11），是在藐视祂的权柄、公然向祂的公义挑战。他们 厌弃神的律例与祂的约（王下17:15），不肯受祂诫命的约束，也不肯受自己亲口应允之约的约束，反将两者的责任都抛在脑后，因此神也公义地厌弃了他们（王下17:20）。参何4:6。他们 离弃了耶和华他们神的一切诫命（王下17:16），离弃了那些诫命所给他们规定、所引导他们行走的道路与工作。不但如此，最后，他们竟 卖了自己，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事， 就是说，他们全然将自己交付与罪，如同被卖之奴交付于买主的差役一般；他们既执迷于罪，便如此硬化了自己的心，以致最终在道德上已不可能自拔，正如一个卖身的人已将自己的自由葬送到无可挽回的地步。2. 就个别而言。他们虽然（无疑）犯了许多不道德之事，干犯了第二类诫命中的一切，但这里所列举的别无其他，唯有他们的偶像崇拜。这 是最易缠累他们的罪；这罪在一切罪中是最惹神发怒的：这是那破坏婚约的属灵奸淫，又是其余一切罪恶的入口。故此这里再三提及它，以之为毁灭他们的罪。（1.）他们敬畏别神（王下17:7），就是敬拜它们、向它们献上崇敬，仿佛惧怕它们不悦似的。（2.）他们 随从外邦人的条规， 那是与神的律例相违的（王下17:8），效法外邦人所行的（王下17:11），随从周围的外邦人（王下17:15），如此糟蹋了自己作为特选之民的尊荣，又破坏了神对他们的旨意，那旨意原是要他们与外邦人有所分别。那些蒙神教导的人，岂可去就学于外邦人——那些归神为圣的人，岂可效法被神撇弃之列国的样式？（3.）他们 随从以色列 那些拜偶像之 王的条规（王下17:8），犯耶罗波安的一切罪（王下17:22）。当他们的君王擅自更改并增添神的律例时，他们便顺服了，以为有君王的条规便足以为他们违背神命的不顺服开脱。（4.）他们 在他们一切的城邑为自己建筑邱坛（王下17:9）。若有一处，哪怕只有一座瞭望楼（一座乡间的楼，并无城墙，只有一座楼供守望者在危难之时藏身），或仅有一座牧人的棚舍，也都必以一座邱坛来「尊崇」它，而坛上还设着祭坛。若有一座坚固城，则必以一座邱坛来进一步「巩固」它。他们既离弃了神唯一所定的地方，便没完没了地大设邱坛，各人在其中各随己意，将敬拜献给自己所喜悦的任何神。圣事便如此被亵渎、被混同凡俗，以致他们的祭坛 如同田间犁沟中的乱堆（何12:11）。（5.）他们 为自己立柱像和木偶——亚舍拉（即 木造的偶像， 有人认为我们译作 木偶 的这词当如此译），或 亚斯她录（有人则如此认为）——这正违背了第二条诫命（王下17:10）。他们事奉偶像（王下17:12），就是自己手所造之物、自己心思所臆造之物，虽然神曾特特警戒他们不可行这事。（6.）他们 在一切的邱坛上烧香， 向假神献上尊荣，这便是夺去真神的荣耀（王下17:11）。（7.）他们随从虚无的神。偶像被称为虚无，因为它们既不能行善也不能作恶，乃是最毫无意义之物；那些敬拜它们的人便与它们一样，因此他们便成了虚妄、毫无用处的（王下17:16），他们的敬拜既虚妄、既粗鄙可笑，他们整个的为人也就因此虚妄了。（8.）除了铸造的偶像，即那两个牛犊之外，他们还 敬拜天上的万象——日、月、星辰：因为这里所指的并非天上的天使军兵；他们的心思无法超越那些可感之物，去想到天使。并且，他们还事奉巴力，就是外邦人被神化的英雄（王下17:16）。（9.）他们使自己的儿女经火， 以此表明将他们献给自己的偶像。（10.）他们行占卜、用法术，为要从他们所献崇敬的神那里得着指引。
III. 神用了什么方法待他们，要使他们离开偶像崇拜，而结果又是何等枉然。祂藉着众先知与众 先见（先知从前被如此称呼）劝戒他们，向他们指明他们的罪，并警戒他们那些罪致命的后果，又催逼他们 离开自己的恶行（王下17:13）。我们读到，几乎每一朝代都有先知，或多或少，世世代代接连不断。他们虽离弃了神家中的祭司，神却未撇下他们没有一脉相承的先知，这些先知以教导他们认识耶和华的善道为己任，然而都是枉然（王下17:14）；他们不肯听从，竟硬着颈项，固执于他们的偶像崇拜，又像他们的列祖一样，不肯将颈项伏在神的轭下，因为他们 不信服祂， 不肯领受祂的真理，也不肯凭信投靠祂的应许：这话似乎是指他们在旷野的列祖说的；那将他们的列祖挡在迦南之外的同一种罪，也将这些人逐了出去，而那罪就是不信。
IV. 神如何因他们的罪惩罚他们。祂 向他们大大发怒（王下17:18）；因为在祂敬拜的事上，祂是忌邪的神，没有什么比将那唯独当归祂的尊荣给了受造之物更叫祂深深憎恶的了。祂使他们受苦（王下17:20），又 将他们交在抢夺他们的人手中， 在士师与扫罗的日子，其后又在他们大多数君王的日子，要看他们是否会被神的审判惊醒，从而省察并改正他们的行径；但当这一切的管教都不足以驱除那愚顽时，神便先 将以色列从大卫家夺回， 他们本可在大卫家之下得享平安。犹大固然因此被削弱，但以色列也因此被败坏了；因为他们立了一个王，那王 引诱他们不随从耶和华，使他们陷在大罪里（王下17:21）。这是国家性的审判，是对他们先前偶像崇拜的惩罚；末了，祂将他们 从自己面前全然赶出（王下17:18、23），不给他们留下任何从被掳之地归回的盼望。
最后， 这里在这一切之中夹着对犹大的一项控诉（王下17:19）：犹大也不遵守神的诫命； 他们虽尚不像以色列那样败坏，却 随从以色列的条规； 而以色列的罪也因此越发加重，就是他们竟将所染之罪的瘟疫传给了犹大；参结23:11。那将罪带入一国或一家的人，乃是将瘟疫带了进去，并要为随之而来的一切祸患负责。
英文原文
The Wickedness of Israel (730 BC)
⁷ For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
⁸ And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
⁹ 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.
¹⁰ And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
¹¹ And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
¹² For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
¹³ Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
¹⁴ Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
¹⁵ And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
¹⁶ And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
¹⁷ 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.
¹⁸ Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
¹⁹ Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
²⁰ 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.
²¹ 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.
²² For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
²³ Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
Though the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes was but briefly related, it is in these verses largely commented upon by our historian, and the reasons of it assigned, not taken from the second causes—the weakness of Israel, their impolitic management, and the strength and growing greatness of the Assyrian monarch (these things are overlooked)—but only from the First Cause. Observe, 1. It was the Lord that removed Israel out of his sight; whoever were the instruments, he was the author of this calamity. It was destruction from the Almighty; the Assyrian was but the rod of his anger, Isa 10:5. It was the Lord that rejected the seed of Israel, else their enemies could not have seized upon them, 2Ki 17:20. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord? Isa 43:24. We lose the benefit of national judgments if we do not eye the hand of God in them, and the fulfilling of the scripture, for that also is taken notice of here (2Ki 17:23): The Lord removed Israel out of his favour, and out of their own land, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. Rather shall heaven and earth pass than one tittle of God's word fall to the ground. When God's word and his works are compared, it will be found not only that they agree, but that they illustrate each other. But why would God ruin a people that were raised and incorporated, as Israel was, by miracles and oracles? Why would he undo that which he himself had done at so vast an expense? Was it purely an act of sovereignty? No, it was an act of necessary justice. For, 2. They provoked him to do this by their wickedness. Was it God's doing? Nay, it was their own; by their way and their doings they procured all this to themselves, and it was their own wickedness that did correct them. This the sacred historian shows here at large, that it might appear that God did them no wrong and that others might hear and fear. Come and see what it was that did all this mischief, that broke their power and laid their honour in the dust; it was sin; that, and nothing else, separated between them and God. This is here very movingly laid open as the cause of all the desolations of Israel. He here shows,
I. What God had done for Israel, to engage them to serve him. 1. He gave them their liberty (2Ki 17:7): He brought them from under the hand of Pharaoh who oppressed them, asserted their freedom (Israel is my son), and effected their freedom with a high hand. Thus they were bound in duty and gratitude to be his servants, for he had loosed their bonds; nor would he that rescued them out of the hand of the king of Egypt have contradicted himself so far as to deliver them into the hand of the king of Assyria, as he did, if they had not, by their iniquity, betrayed their liberty and sold themselves. 2. He gave them their law, and was himself their king. They were immediately under a divine regimen. They could not plead ignorance of good and evil, sin and duty, for God had particularly charged them against those very things which here he charges them with (2Ki 17:15), That they should not do like the heathen. Nor could they be in any doubt concerning their obligation to observe the laws which they are here charged with rejecting, for they were the commandments and statutes of the Lord their God (2Ki 17:13), so that no room was left to dispute whether they should keep them or no. He had not dealt so with other nations, Ps 147:19,20. 3. He gave them their land, for he cast out the heathen from before them (2Ki 17:8), to make room for them; and the casting out of them for their idolatries was as fair a warning as could be given to Israel not to do like them.
II. What they had done against God, notwithstanding these engagements which he had laid upon them. 1. In general. They sinned against the Lord their God (2Ki 17:7), they did those things that were not right (2Ki 17:9), but secretly. So wedded were they to their evil practices that when they could not do them publicly, could not for shame or could not for fear, they would do them secretly—an evidence of their atheism, that they thought what was done in secret was from under the eye of God himself and would not be required. Again, they wrought wicked things in such a direct contradiction to the divine law that they seemed as if they were done on purpose to provoke the Lord to anger (2Ki 17:11), in contempt of his authority and defiance of his justice. They rejected God's statutes and his covenant (2Ki 17:15), would not be bound up either by his command or the consent they themselves had given to the covenant, but threw off the obligations of both, and therefore God justly rejected them, 2Ki 17:20. See Ho 4:6. They left all the commandments of the Lord their God (2Ki 17:16), left the way, left the work, which those commandments prescribed them and directed them in. Nay, lastly, they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, that is, they wholly addicted themselves to sin, as slaves to the service of those to whom they are sold, and, by their obstinately persisting in sin, so hardened their own hearts that at length it had become morally impossible for them to recover themselves, as one that has sold himself has put his liberty past recall. 2. In particular. Though they were guilty (no doubt) of many immoralities, and violated all the commands of the second table, yet nothing is here specified, but their idolatry. This was the sin that did most easily beset them; this was, of all sins, most provoking to God: it was the spiritual adultery that broke the marriage-covenant, and was the inlet of all other wickedness. Hence it is again and again mentioned here as the sin that ruined them. (1.) They feared other gods (2Ki 17:7), that is, worshipped them and paid their homage to them, as if they feared their displeasure. (2.) They walked in the statutes of the heathen, which were contrary to God's statutes (2Ki 17:8), did as did the heathen (2Ki 17:11), went after the heathen that were round about them (2Ki 17:15), so prostituting the honour of their peculiarity, and defeating God's design concerning them, which was that they should be distinguished from the heathen. Must those that were taught of God go to school to the heathen—those that were appropriated to God take their measures from the nations that were abandoned by him? (3.) They walked in the statutes of the idolatrous kings of Israel (2Ki 17:8), in all the sins of Jeroboam, 2Ki 17:22. When their kings assumed a power to alter and add to the divine institutions they submitted to them, and thought the command of their kings would bear them out in disobedience to the command of their God. (4.) They built themselves high places in all their cities, 2Ki 17:9. If in any place there was but the tower of the watchmen (a country tower that had no walls, but only a tower to shelter the watch in time of danger), or but a lodge for shepherds, it must be honoured with a high place, and that with an altar. If there was a fenced city, it must be further fortified with a high place. Having forsaken God's only place, they knew no end of high places, in which every man followed his own fancy and directed his devotion to what god he pleased. Sacred things were hereby profaned and laid common, when their altars were as heaps in the furrows of the field, Ho 12:11. (5.) They set them up images and groves—Asherim (even wooden images, so some think the term, which we translate groves, should be rendered) or Ashtaroth (so others)—directed contrary to the second commandment, 2Ki 17:10. They served idols (2Ki 17:12), the works of their own hands and creatures of their own fancy, though God had warned them particularly not to do this thing. (6.) They burnt incense in all the high places, to the honour of strange gods, for it was to the dishonour of the true God, 2Ki 17:11. (7.) They followed vanity. Idols are called so, because they could do neither good nor evil, but were the most insignificant things that could be; those that worshipped them were like unto them, and so they became vain and good for nothing (2Ki 17:16), vain in their devotions, which were brutish and ridiculous, and so became vain in their whole conversation. (8.) Besides the molten images, even the two calves, they worshipped all the host of heaven—the sun, moon, and stars: for it is not meant of the heavenly host of angels; they could not rise so far above sensible things as to think of them. And, withal, they served Baal, the deified heroes of the Gentiles, 2Ki 17:16. (9.) They caused their children to pass through the fire, in token of their dedicating them to their idols. (10.) They used divinations and enchantments, that they might receive directions from the gods to whom they paid their devotions.
III. What means God used with them, to bring them off from their idolatries, and to how little purpose. He testified against them, showed them their sins and warned them of the fatal consequences of them by all the prophets and all the seers (for so the prophets had been formerly called), and pressed them to turn from their evil ways, 2Ki 17:13. We have read of prophets, more or less, in every reign. Though they had forsaken God's family of priests, he did not leave them without a succession of prophets, who made it their business to teach them the good knowledge of the Lord, but all in vain (2Ki 17:14); they would not hear, but hardened their necks, persisted in their idolatries, and were like their fathers, that would not bow their necks to God's yoke, because they did not believe in him, did not receive his truths, nor would venture upon his promises: it seems to refer to their fathers in the wilderness; the same sin that kept them out of Canaan turned these out, and that was unbelief.
IV. How God punished them for their sins. He was very angry with them (2Ki 17:18); for, in the matter of his worship, he is a jealous God, and resents nothing more deeply than giving that honour to any creature which is due to himself only. He afflicted them (2Ki 17:20) and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, in the days of the judges and of Saul, and afterwards in the days of most of their kings, to see if they would be awakened by the judgments of God to consider and amend their ways; but, when all these corrections did not prevail to drive out the folly, God first rent Israel from the house of David, under which they might have been happy. As Judah was hereby weakened, so Israel was hereby corrupted; for they made a man king who drove them from following the Lord and caused them to sin a great sin, 2Ki 17:21. This was a national judgment, and the punishment of their former idolatries; and, at length, he removed them quite out of his sight (2Ki 17:18,23), without giving them any hopes of a return out of their captivity.
Lastly, Here is a complaint against Judah in the midst of all (2Ki 17:19): Also Judah kept not the commandments of God; though they were not as yet quite so bad as Israel, yet they walked in the statutes of Israel; and this aggravated the sin of Israel, that they communicated the infection of it to Judah; see Eze 23:11. Those that bring sin into a country or family bring a plague into it and will have to answer for all the mischief that follows.
24-41
The Samaritans' Idolatry (720 BC)
简体中文
撒玛利亚人的偶像崇拜（主前720年）
²⁴ 亚述王从巴比伦、古他、亚瓦、哈马和西法瓦音迁移人来，安置在撒玛利亚的城邑，代替以色列人；他们就得了撒玛利亚，住在其中。
²⁵ 他们才住那里的时候，不敬畏耶和华，所以耶和华叫狮子进入他们中间，咬死了些人。
²⁶ 有人告诉亚述王说：你所迁移安置在撒玛利亚城邑的众民，不知道那地之神的规矩，所以他把狮子放在他们中间，看哪，狮子咬死他们，因为他们不知道那地之神的规矩。
²⁷ 亚述王就吩咐说：你们从那里带一个祭司回去，让他住在那里，将那地之神的规矩指教他们。
²⁸ 于是有一个从撒玛利亚掳去的祭司回来，住在伯特利，指教他们怎样敬畏耶和华。
²⁹ 然而各族之人在所住的城里，各为自己制造神像，安置在撒玛利亚人所造的邱坛的庙中。
³⁰ 巴比伦人造疏割比讷；古他人造匿甲；哈马人造亚示玛；
³¹ 亚瓦人造匿哈和他珥他；西法瓦音人用火焚烧他们的儿女，献给西法瓦音的神亚得米勒和亚拿米勒。
³² 他们惧怕耶和华，也从他们中间立邱坛的祭司，为他们在邱坛的庙中献祭。
³³ 他们惧怕耶和华，却又事奉自己的神，从何邦迁来，就照何邦的规矩而行。
³⁴ 直到今日他们仍照先前的规矩而行，不敬畏耶和华，不尽守他们的律例、典章、律法、诫命，就是耶和华所吩咐雅各子孙的——他给雅各起名叫以色列——
³⁵ 耶和华曾与他们立约，嘱咐他们说：你们不可敬畏别神，不可跪拜事奉他们，也不可向他们献祭；
³⁶ 惟独那用大能和伸出来的膀臂领你们出埃及地的耶和华，你们当敬畏他，向他下拜，向他献祭。
³⁷ 他为你们所写的律例、典章、律法、诫命，你们应当永远谨守遵行；不可敬畏别神。
³⁸ 我与你们所立的约，你们不可忘记，也不可敬畏别神；
³⁹ 但要敬畏耶和华你们的神，他必救你们脱离一切仇敌的手。
⁴⁰ 他们却不听从，仍照先前的规矩而行。
⁴¹ 如此这些民惧怕耶和华，又事奉他们的偶像；他们的子子孙孙也是如此，直到今日：他们列祖怎样行，他们也照样行。
我们常说，地土从未因无继承人而荒废。以色列人既被赶出迦南、被剥夺地业，亚述王随即把自己国中多余的、可以挪出的人迁往那里；他们要向他为奴，却要作所剩之以色列人的主人。此处便是关于这些新居民的记载。他们的故事在此被记述，使我们得以向撒玛利亚告别，也向被掳到亚述的以色列人告别。
I. 论到那些被迁入以色列地的亚述人，此处告诉我们：1. 他们得了撒玛利亚并住在其中的城邑（王下17:24）。地业更换主人本是常事，但圣地竟重新变为异教之地，实在可悲。请看罪所作的是何等的工作。2. 他们初来之时，神打发狮子进入他们中间。他们或许不足以遍满那地，致使田野的兽多起来害他们（出23:29）；但除自然原因外，其中显然有神的手，因他是万军之主、万有之主，能随己意借他所喜悦的造物——或大或小，或虱或狮——来成就自己的旨意。神用这样严厉的"迎接"来挫抑他们的骄傲狂妄，使他们知道：他们虽征服了以色列，以色列的神却有能力对付他们——他本可借狮子为以色列效力，阻止他们在此定居；他所以容许此事，并非因他们的义，乃是因自己百姓的恶；他们如今正受他的刑罚。他们在本国时无神而活，并不受狮子之害；但他们若在这地仍如此行，就必自担危险。3. 他们将这苦情上奏于他们的君王，陈明那幼小的殖民地因狮子所受的损失和常存的恐惧，并表明他们认为这是因他们不敬拜那地之神而来的刑罚；只是他们因不知当怎样行，所以不能敬拜他（王下17:26）。以色列的神本是全世界的神，他们却因无知而称他为那地之神，自认因此落在他的权下，理当与他修好。他们在此处叫以色列人蒙羞——以色列人不像他们这样乐意听从神审判的声音，又不肯事奉那地之神，虽然他是他们列祖的神，又是他们的大恩主，他们又是明明受教于敬拜之礼的。亚述人恳求受教于以色列人所厌烦学习的道理。4. 亚述王设法使他们受教于那地之神的规矩（王下17:27、28），并非出于对那位神的爱慕，乃是为救自己的百姓脱离狮子。为此他差回一个从前所掳的祭司。若有一位先知前来，对他们益处必更大；因为这位不过是牛犊的祭司之一，因旧识之故情愿住在伯特利，他或可教导他们胜过如今所行的，却难以教导他们真正行善，除非他先教导自己的百姓行得更好。然而他来了，住在他们中间，指教他们当怎样敬畏耶和华。究竟他是照着律法书指教他们，还是仅凭口传，难以确定。5. 他们既受教，便造出一种混杂的宗教——因惧怕而敬拜以色列的神，因贪爱而敬拜自己的偶像（王下17:33）：他们惧怕耶和华，却又事奉自己的神。他们一致同意要按规矩敬拜那地之神，守犹太的节期与献祭之礼；但各族仍另外造自己的神，不但为各家私下所用，还安置在他们的邱坛庙中（王下17:9）。各国的偶像在此一一列明（王下17:30、31）。学者们对其中几个名字的含义颇有争议，不能确定这些神是以何种形象受人敬拜。若按犹太拉比的传说，他们告诉我们：疏割比讷以母鸡和雏鸡受拜，匿甲以公鸡受拜，亚示玛以光滑的山羊受拜，匿哈以狗受拜，他珥他以驴受拜，亚得米勒以孔雀受拜，亚拿米勒以雉鸡受拜。我国作者的说法更可能可信：疏割比讷（意为女儿们的帐幕）即维纳斯；匿甲因古他人（即波斯人）所拜，乃是火；亚得米勒与亚拿米勒不过是摩洛的不同名号。请看偶像崇拜者在自己的想象中何等虚妄，他们的愚昧实在令人惊奇。连我们对这些偶像的无知，也正应验了神所说的话——这些假神都必归于无有（耶10:11）；它们都被埋没在遗忘之中，惟独真神的名存到永远。6. 此处说这种混杂的迷信一直延续到今日（王下17:41），直到本书写成之时，并在此后很长一段时间，前后共三百余年，直至亚历山大大帝之时；那时犹太人大祭司耶杜亚的兄弟玛拿西，因娶了撒玛利亚省长参巴拉的女儿，便归向他们，得亚历山大允准在基利心山建殿，又引诱许多犹太人归顺他，并劝服撒玛利亚人尽弃诸偶像，单拜以色列的神；然而他们的敬拜仍掺杂甚多迷信，所以救主对他们说，他们所拜的他们并不知道（约4:22）。
II. 论到那些被掳到亚述地的以色列人。这位史家曾论及他们（王下17:22），指明在地的继承者所行的与他们的祖宗一样——从何邦迁来就照何邦的规矩——他们既拜以色列的神，又拜那些别神；但那些被掳的人在受苦之地究竟行了什么？他们是否因苦难而悔改归正呢？没有，他们仍照先前所行的而行（王下17:34）。后来犹大两支派被掳到巴比伦时，借此得了医治，弃绝了偶像，所以七十年后欢喜归回；但十支派却在炉中越发刚硬，所以公义地失丧在其中，被丢弃而灭亡。他们的顽梗在此更因两件事被加重：1. 因神所赐给他们的尊荣——他们是雅各的子孙，雅各又名以色列，他们也因他而得名，却使他们所称为之名蒙羞。2. 因神与他们所立的约，以及他在约中所嘱咐他们的话；此处充分重申了这话：他们当单单敬畏事奉耶和华，因他曾领他们出埃及（王下17:36）；他们既领受了他所写下的律例、典章，就当永远谨守遵行（王下17:37），永不忘记神与他们所立的约——就是那约的应许与条件，尤其是其中一项大条目，此处三次重复，因它曾屡次谆谆告诫、极力坚持：他们不可敬畏别神。他曾告诉他们，他们若紧紧依靠他，他就必救他们脱离一切仇敌的手（王下17:39）；然而当他们落在仇敌手中、急需拯救之时，他们竟如此愚顽，对自己切身利益如此麻木，以致仍照先前所行的而行（王下17:40），既拜真神又拜假神，仿佛毫无分别。*以法莲亲近偶像，任凭他吧。*他们如此行了，后来接续他们的列国也如此行了。所以使徒实在可以问：这样说来，我们比他们强吗？绝不是的；因犹太人和希利尼人都在罪恶之下（罗3:9）。
英文原文
The Samaritans' Idolatry (720 BC)
²⁴ And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
²⁵ And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
²⁶ Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
²⁸ Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
²⁹ Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
³⁰ And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
³¹ And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
³² So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
³³ They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
³⁴ Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
³⁵ With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
³⁶ But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
³⁷ And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
³⁸ And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
³⁹ But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
⁴⁰ Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
⁴¹ So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
Never was land lost, we say, for want of an heir. When the children of Israel were dispossessed, and turned out of Canaan, the king of Assyria soon transplanted thither the supernumeraries of his own country, such as it could well spare, who should be servants to him and masters to the Israelites that remained; and here we have an account of these new inhabitants, whose story is related here that we may take our leave of Samaria, as also of the Israelites that were carried captive into Assyria.
I. Concerning the Assyrians that were brought into the land of Israel we are here told, 1. That they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof, 2Ki 17:24. It is common for lands to change their owners, but sad that the holy land should become a heathen land again. See what work sin makes. 2. That at their first coming God sent lions among them. They were probably insufficient to people the country, which occasioned the beasts of the field to multiply against them (Ex 23:29); yet, besides the natural cause, there was a manifest hand of God in it, who is Lord of hosts, of all the creatures, and can serve his own purposes by which he pleases, small or great, lice or lions. God ordered them this rough welcome to check their pride and insolence, and to let them know that though they had conquered Israel the God of Israel had power enough to deal with them—that he could have prevented their settling here, by ordering lions into the service of Israel, and that he permitted it, not for their righteousness, but the wickedness of his own people—and that they were now under his visitation. They had lived without God in their own land, and were not plagued with lions; but, if they do so in this land, it is at their peril. 3. That they sent a remonstrance of this grievance to the king their master, setting forth, it is likely, the loss their infant colony had sustained by the lions and the continual fear they were in of them, and stating that they looked upon it to be a judgment upon them for not worshipping the God of the land, which they could not, because they knew not how, 2Ki 17:26. The God of Israel was the God of the whole world, but they ignorantly call him the God of the land, apprehending themselves therefore within his reach, and concerned to be upon good terms with him. Herein they shamed the Israelites, who were not so ready to hear the voice of God's judgments as they were, and who had not served the God of that land, though he was the God of their fathers and their great benefactor, and though they were well instructed in the manner of his worship. Assyrians begged to be taught that which Israelites hated to be taught. 4. That the king of Assyria took care to have them taught the manner of the God of the land (2Ki 17:27,28), not out of any affection to that God, but to save his subjects from the lions. On this errand he sent back one of the priests whom he had carried away captive. A prophet would have done them more good, for this was but one of the priests of the calves, and therefore chose to dwell at Bethel for old acquaintance' sake, and, though he might teach them to do better than they did, he was not likely to teach them to do well, unless he had taught his own people better. However, he came and dwelt among them, to teach them how they should fear the Lord. Whether he taught them out of the book of the law, or only by word of mouth, is uncertain. 5. That, being thus taught, they made a mongrel religion of it, worshipped the God of Israel for fear and their own idols for love (2Ki 17:33): They feared the Lord, but they served their own gods. They all agreed to worship the God of the land according to the manner, to serve the Jewish festivals and rites of sacrificing, but every nation made gods of their own besides, not only for their private use in their own families, but to be put in the houses of their high places, 2Ki 17:9. The idols of each country are here named, 2Ki 17:30,31. The learned are at a loss for the signification of several of these names, and cannot agree by what representations these gods were worshipped. If we may credit the traditions of the Jewish doctors, they tell us that Succoth-Benoth was worshipped in a hen and chickens, Nergal in a cock, Ashima in a smooth goat, Nibhaz in a dog, Tartak in an ass, Adrammelech in a peacock, Anammelech in a pheasant. Our own tell us, more probably, that Succoth-Benoth (signifying the tents of the daughters) was Venus. Nergal, being worshipped by the Cuthites, or Persians, was the fire, Adrammelech and Anammelech were only distinctions of Moloch. See how vain idolaters were in their imaginations, and wonder at their sottishness. Our very ignorance concerning these idols teaches us the accomplishment of that word which God has spoken, that these false gods should all perish (Jer 10:11); they are all buried in oblivion, while the name of the true God shall continue for ever. 6. This medley superstition is here said to continue unto this day (2Ki 17:41), till the time when this book was written and long after, above 300 years in all, till the time of Alexander the Great, when Manasse, brother to Jaddus the high priest of the Jews, having married the daughter of Sanballat, governor of the Samaritans, went over to them, got leave of Alexander to build a temple in Mount Gerizim, drew over many of the Jews to him, and prevailed with the Samaritans to cast away all their idols and to worship the God of Israel only; yet their worship was mixed with so much superstition that our Saviour told them they knew not what they worshipped, Joh 4:22.
II. Concerning the Israelites that were carried into the land of Assyria. This historian has occasion to speak of them (2Ki 17:22), showing that their successors in the land did as they had done (after the manner of the nations whom they carried away), they worshipped both the God of Israel and those other gods; but what did the captives do in the land of their affliction? Were they reformed, and brought to repentance, by their troubles? No, they did after the former manner, 2Ki 17:34. When the two tribes were afterwards carried into Babylon, they were cured by it of their idolatry, and therefore, after seventy years, they were brought back with joy; but the ten tribes were hardened in the furnace, and therefore were justly lost in it and left to perish. This obstinacy of theirs is here aggravated by the consideration, 1. Of the honour God had put upon them, as the seed of Jacob, whom he named Israel, and from him they were so named, but were a reproach to that worthy name by which they were called. 2. Of the covenant he made with them, and the charge he gave them upon that covenant, which is here very fully recited, that they should fear and serve the Lord Jehovah only, who had brought them up out of Egypt (2Ki 17:36), that, having received his statutes and ordinances in writing, they should observe to do them for evermore (2Ki 17:37), and never forget that covenant which God had made with them, the promises and conditions of that covenant, especially that great article of it which is here thrice repeated, because it had been so often inculcated and so much insisted on, that they should not fear other gods. He had told them that, if they kept close to him, he would deliver them out of the hand of all their enemies (2Ki 17:39); yet when they were in the hand of their enemies, and stood in need of deliverance, they were so stupid, and had so little sense of their own interest, that they did after the former manner (2Ki 17:40), they served both the true God and false gods, as if they knew no difference. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. So they did, and so did the nations that succeeded them. Well might the apostle ask, What then, Are we better than they? No, in no wise, for both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, Ro 3:9.
本章记述十支派被掳之事，从而结束了那国的历史；自尼八的儿子耶罗波安立国以来，该国共延续了约二百六十五年。其中所载如下。一、对这场毁灭的简短叙述，2Ki 17:1-6。二、就此事所作的评论及其缘由，意在显明神在此事上的公义，并作为对他人的警戒，2Ki 17:7-23。三、记述那接续他们占据其地的列国，以及在他们中间所设立的混杂宗教，2Ki 17:24-41。