And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's not just that these newcomers disliked God; the text says they "did not fear the LORD," meaning they didn't acknowledge His sovereign rule or authority in their lives. This wasn't a random act of violence; God sent lions specifically because their disregard for Him demonstrated a dangerous, self-ruled path that needed divine correction.
And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage follows the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel and the deportation of its people. As the Assyrians resettled the depopulated land with people from other conquered territories, these new inhabitants, not knowing the Lord, began to experience His judgment in the form of dangerous wild animals. This sets the stage for the explanation of how their subsequent adoption of Israelite religious practices was a response to this divine punishment.
The people who moved into Samaria weren't just any old group; they were immigrants to a land with a history with God. And they didn't start off on the right foot.
This verse describes a time when the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been conquered by the Assyrians. The Assyrians then forcibly relocated many of their own people into the vacated towns and lands of Israel.
When these new settlers arrived, the text is clear: "they did not fear the LORD." This wasn't a case of God randomly unleashing trouble. Instead, it was a direct consequence of their willful ignorance and disrespect of the one true God who claimed that land and its people.
God's actions here aren't about punishing people for who they are (immigrants), but for what they do (refusing to acknowledge and fear Him). It’s a principle that echoes through Scripture: God’s judgment often follows a pattern of persistent disregard for His presence and authority.
Imagine showing up in a new place, and suddenly, lions are a problem. This wasn't just a wild animal attack; it was a divine message.
The introduction of lions is a stark and powerful image. In the ancient world, lions were symbols of danger and death, but they could also represent royalty and power. For these new settlers, they became instruments of terror and loss.
But here’s the key: these were not just random wild animals. The text explicitly states, "Therefore the LORD sent lions among them." This shows God’s direct involvement. He used what was natural and terrifying to communicate a supernatural truth.
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This wasn't about cruelty; it was about communication. God, in His fierce love, used a terrifying means to get their attention. He was saying, 'You are in a land that belongs to Me. My ways matter. You cannot live here, or anywhere, by simply ignoring Me.' This is a demonstration of divine intervention designed to shock people out of complacency and into a healthy fear of Him.
Understand the original words
yare' · Hebrew Verb
The foundational human response to God characterized by profound reverence, awe, and submission. It involves recognizing God's holiness and authority, leading to obedience and a turning away from evil.
This event highlights a recurring theme in the Old Testament: foreign invaders often resettled conquered lands with diverse populations. The biblical narrative presents the 'lions' plague not just as a random occurrence, but as God's direct judgment on these mixed peoples for their ignorance and disregard of Him in their new homeland.
732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Israel
Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria conquers large parts of the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and replacing them with foreign settlers.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Final Deportation
Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, falls to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and later Sargon II. The remaining Israelites are deported, and the kingdom ceases to exist.
c. 722-715 BC— this verse
Assyrian Resettlement of Samaria
The Assyrian king Sargon II (and possibly his predecessor Shalmaneser V) resettles the depopulated territories of the former northern kingdom of Israel with people from other conquered regions, primarily from Babylon and Hamath. These new settlers form the population of Samaria.
During the subsequent decades
Lions Plague in Samaria
According to the biblical account, the newly arrived foreign settlers in Samaria do not worship the LORD. In response, God sends lions that kill many among them, prompting the settlers to seek instruction on how to appease the deity they have angered.
c. 705-681 BC
Esarhaddon's Continued Resettlement
Assyrian king Esarhaddon continues the policy of resettlement, bringing more peoples into the region and further mixing the population of Samaria.
This passage shows God's promise to gradually drive out enemies to prevent the land from becoming desolate, implying that unchecked presence of foreign gods and practices would lead to harm.
Deuteronomy 7:15This verse directly echoes the sentiment by stating the Lord will keep sickness away from you and will not inflict on you any of the serious diseases you know, but will lay them on all your enemies, showing a pattern of divine discipline.
Jeremiah 44:2-6This chapter demonstrates a similar situation where the Israelites are warned by Jeremiah that their current troubles are due to abandoning God and worshipping other gods, leading to God's anger and judgment, just as in 2 Kings.
Judges 6:1-2Here we see Israel suffering severe oppression by the Midianites because they turned to false gods, illustrating the principle that disobedience leads to vulnerability and hardship from external forces.
It's not just that these newcomers disliked God; the text says they "did not fear the LORD," meaning they didn't acknowledge His sovereign rule or authority in their lives. This wasn't a random act of violence; God sent lions specifically because their disregard for Him demonstrated a dangerous, self-ruled path that needed divine correction.
This passage follows the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel and the deportation of its people. As the Assyrians resettled the depopulated land with people from other conquered territories, these new inhabitants, not knowing the Lord, began to experience His judgment in the form of dangerous wild animals. This sets the stage for the explanation of how their subsequent adoption of Israelite religious practices was a response to this divine punishment.
This passage follows the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel and the deportation of its people. As the Assyrians resettled the depopulated land with people from other conquered territories, these new inhabitants, not knowing the Lord, began to experience His judgment in the form of dangerous wild animals. This sets the stage for the explanation of how their subsequent adoption of Israelite religious practices was a response to this divine punishment.
"And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them." — It's not just that these newcomers disliked God; the text says they "did not fear the LORD," meaning they didn't acknowledge His sovereign rule or authority in their lives. This wasn't a random act…
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Last reviewed October 2026