2 Kings 17:17-18
And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It's easy to just see the gross acts, but notice that Israel didn't just do evil; they sold themselves to it. This implies a conscious choice, a deliberate surrender of their freedom to embrace wickedness as a way of life, even to the point of sacrificing their own children. Their evil wasn't accidental, but a chosen, binding servitude.
This verse describes the ultimate spiritual decay of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly those living in Samaria, as they are captured and deported by the Assyrians. It’s a stark picture of the consequences of their persistent idolatry and disobedience, highlighting the horrific practices they adopted after failing to heed God's warnings. The narrative here explains why this devastating judgment fell upon them, showing how their evil actions directly led to their downfall.
The Bible doesn't shy away from the darkest aspects of human sin. This verse confronts us with a practice so brutal, it's hard to comprehend.
The Ultimate Abomination
The people of Israel, influenced by the surrounding nations, had turned to idolatry. But their worship reached a horrific new low: child sacrifice. They literally offered their own children, burning them as sacrifices to false gods.
This wasn't just a cultural fad; it was a perversion of family and faith, a direct defiance of God's command to protect the vulnerable and honor Him alone. It represents the absolute depths of turning away from the Creator and embracing utter depravity.
While child sacrifice is shocking, the verse reveals that Israel's sin was broader than just one terrible act. It was a whole way of life steeped in spiritual rebellion.
A Web of Wickedness
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about 2 Kings 17:17-18 is available in the Sola app.
Beyond the literal burning of children, the text lists other sins that characterized Israel's apostasy:
Understand the original words
qesem · Hebrew Noun
Practices intended to gain hidden knowledge or control the future through occult means, forbidden by God as they replace reliance on His revelation and sovereignty.
nachash · Hebrew Noun
A sign or token used to predict the future, often interpreted through non-divine methods, which God prohibited because it diverts trust from Him.
makar · Hebrew Verb
A figurative way of saying they fully surrendered their freedom and will to the service of sin, becoming slaves to evil instead of servants of God.
aph · Hebrew Noun
An intense divine reaction to human rebellion and covenant-breaking. It is the righteous, settled indignation of a holy God against that which violates His nature and people.
panim · Hebrew Noun
The state of being separated from the protective, favorable presence of the Lord, often occurring as a consequence of persistent, unrepentant rebellion.
This passage describes the horrific spiritual and religious practices that led to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. The Assyrian conquest and subsequent resettlement of foreign peoples created a religiously mixed population that engaged in idolatry and even child sacrifice, directly provoking God's judgment.
c. 750 BC
Assyrian Empire Rises
The Neo-Assyrian Empire began a period of aggressive expansion, becoming a dominant military and political force in the ancient Near East.
c. 740 BC
Assyria Conquers Neighboring Kingdoms
Assyria begins to absorb smaller states around it, setting a precedent for future conquests and deportations that will destabilize the region.
732 BC
Fall of Damascus
The capital of Aram-Damascus falls to Assyrian forces, a significant blow to the northern kingdoms and a warning to Israel.
724-722 BC— this verse
Siege of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel, led by King Hoshea, rebels against Assyrian rule, leading to a prolonged siege of its capital, Samaria.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Deportation
Samaria falls to the Assyrian army under Sargon II. The elite of the northern kingdom of Israel are deported to various parts of the Assyrian Empire, and foreign peoples are resettled in the land.
After 722 BC
Syncretism and Assyrian Influence
The foreign populations resettled in the land of Israel bring their own gods and religious practices, leading to a syncretistic worship that blends with Yahwism and angers the LORD.
This passage directly condemns the practice of passing children through fire, highlighting the deep sin of child sacrifice that the people of Israel had adopted.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12Here, Moses warns against the very practices mentioned – sorcery, divination, and omens – showing they are detestable to the Lord and connected to the kind of pagan worship that led Israel astray.
Jeremiah 7:31The prophet Jeremiah echoes the condemnation of burning sons and daughters in the Valley of Hinnom, revealing that this sin persisted and drew God's fierce judgment.
Romans 1:28-32Paul describes people who, having rejected God, are given over to shameful passions and are inventors of evil things, including practices that echo the impurity and disregard for life seen in 2 Kings 17.
It's easy to just see the gross acts, but notice that Israel didn't just do evil; they sold themselves to it. This implies a conscious choice, a deliberate surrender of their freedom to embrace wickedness as a way of life, even to the point of sacrificing their own children. Their evil wasn't accidental, but a chosen, binding servitude.
This verse describes the ultimate spiritual decay of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly those living in Samaria, as they are captured and deported by the Assyrians. It’s a stark picture of the consequences of their persistent idolatry and disobedience, highlighting the horrific practices they adopted after failing to heed God's warnings. The narrative here explains why this devastating judgment fell upon them, showing how their evil actions directly led to their downfall.
This verse describes the ultimate spiritual decay of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly those living in Samaria, as they are captured and deported by the Assyrians. It’s a stark picture of the consequences of their persistent idolatry and disobedience, highlighting the horrific practices they adopted after failing to heed God's warnings. The narrative here explains why this devastating judgment fell upon them, showing how their evil actions directly led to their downfall.
"And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out o…" — It's easy to just see the gross acts, but notice that Israel didn't just do evil; they sold themselves to it. This implies a conscious choice, a deliberate surrender of their freedom to embrace w…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
