2 Kings 17 · Verse 2

2 Kings 17:2

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

2 Kings 17:2, King James Version

2 Kings 17:2 in other translations

BSB	And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
WEB	He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
ASV	And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, yet not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
YLT	and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, only, not as the kings of Israel who were before him;
DARBY	And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not as the kings of Israel that had been before him.
BBE	He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, though not like the kings of Israel before him.
Webster	And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

What does 2 Kings 17:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. he did evil ... but not as the kings of Israel--Unlike his predecessors from the time of Jeroboam, he neither established the rites of Baal, nor compelled the people to adhere to the symbolic worship of the calves. [See on 2Ch 30:1.] In these respects, Hoshea acted as became a constitutional king of Israel. Yet, through the influence of the nineteen princes who had swayed the scepter before him (all of whom had been zealous patrons of idolatry, and many of whom had been also infamous for personal crimes), the whole nation had become so completely demoralized that the righteous judgment of an angry Providence impended over it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 17:1-6

When the measure of sin is filled up, the Lord will forbear no longer. The inhabitants of Samaria must have endured great affliction. Some of the poor Israelites were left in the land. Those who were carried captives to a great distance, were mostly lost among the nations.

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 17:1-6 →

2 Kings 17:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֥עַשׂvai.Ya.'asand he didH6213

הָרַ֖עha.Ra'the evilH7451

בְּעֵינֵ֣יbe.'ei.Neiin [the] eyes ofH5869

יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068

רַ֗קRakonlyH7535

לֹ֚אlo'notH3808

כְּמַלְכֵ֣יke.mal.Kheilike [the] kings ofH4428

יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834

הָי֖וּha.Yuthey wereH1961

לְפָנָֽיו\׃le.fa.Nav<to> before himH6440

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 17:2

2 Kings 13:2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
2 Kings 13:11
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.
2 Chronicles 30:5-11
So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer–sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. …
2 Kings 15:24
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
2 Kings 3:2
And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
2 Kings 15:9
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
2 Kings 15:18
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
2 Kings 10:31
But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

but not as the kings.
3:2; 10:31; 13:2,11; 15:9,18,24; 2Ch 30:5-11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Kings 17:1
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 Kings 17:2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
2 Kings 17:3
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

Read all of 2 Kings 17

2 Kings 17:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	E hizo lo malo en ojos de Jehová, aunque no como los reyes de Israel que antes de él habían sido.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il fit ce qui est mauvais aux yeux de l’ Éternel, non pas toutefois comme les rois d’Israël qui avaient été avant lui.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er tat, was böse war in den Augen Jehovas, doch nicht wie die Könige von Israel, die vor ihm gewesen waren.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Fecitque malum coram Domino, sed non sicut reges Israël qui ante eum fuerant.