2 Rois - Caput 17

2 Rois 17.1 anno duodecimo Ahaz regis Iuda regnavit Osee filius Hela in Samaria super Israhel novem annis 2 Rois 17.2 fecitque malum coram Domino sed non sicut reges Israhel qui ante eum fuerant 2 Rois 17.3 contra hunc ascendit Salmanassar rex Assyriorum et factus est ei Osee servus reddebatque illi tributa 2 Rois 17.4 cumque deprehendisset rex Assyriorum Osee quod rebellare nitens misisset nuntios ad Sua regem Aegypti ne praestaret tributa regi Assyriorum sicut singulis annis solitus erat obsedit eum et vinctum misit in carcerem 2 Rois 17.5 pervagatusque est omnem terram et ascendens Samariam obsedit eam tribus annis 2 Rois 17.6 anno autem nono Osee cepit rex Assyriorum Samariam et transtulit Israhel in Assyrios posuitque eos in Ala et in Habor iuxta fluvium Gozan in civitatibus Medorum 2 Rois 17.7 factum est enim cum peccassent filii Israhel Domino Deo suo qui eduxerat eos de terra Aegypti de manu Pharaonis regis Aegypti coluerunt deos alienos 2 Rois 17.8 et ambulaverunt iuxta ritum gentium quas consumpserat Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israhel et regum Israhel quia similiter fecerant 2 Rois 17.9 et operuerunt filii Israhel verbis non rectis Dominum Deum suum et aedificaverunt sibi excelsa in cunctis urbibus suis a turre custodum usque ad civitatem munitam 2 Rois 17.10 feceruntque sibi statuas et lucos in omni colle sublimi et subter omne lignum nemorosum 2 Rois 17.11 et adolebant ibi incensum super aras in more gentium quas transtulerat Dominus a facie eorum feceruntque verba pessima inritantes Dominum 2 Rois 17.12 et coluerunt inmunditias de quibus praecepit Dominus eis ne facerent verbum hoc 2 Rois 17.13 et testificatus est Dominus in Israhel et in Iuda per manum omnium prophetarum et videntum dicens revertimini a viis vestris pessimis et custodite praecepta mea et caerimonias iuxta omnem legem quam praecepi patribus vestris et sicut misi ad vos in manu servorum meorum prophetarum 2 Rois 17.14 qui non audierunt sed induraverunt cervicem suam iuxta cervicem patrum suorum qui noluerunt oboedire Domino Deo suo 2 Rois 17.15 et abiecerunt legitima eius et pactum quod pepigit cum patribus eorum et testificationes quibus contestatus est eos secutique sunt vanitates et vane egerunt et secuti sunt gentes quae erant per circuitum eorum super quibus praeceperat Dominus eis ut non facerent sicut et illae faciebant 2 Rois 17.16 et dereliquerunt omnia praecepta Domini Dei sui feceruntque sibi conflatiles duos vitulos et lucos et adoraverunt universam militiam caeli servieruntque Baal 2 Rois 17.17 et consecrabant ei filios suos et filias suas per ignem et divinationibus inserviebant et auguriis et tradiderunt se ut facerent malum coram Domino et inritarent eum 2 Rois 17.18 iratusque est Dominus vehementer Israhel et abstulit eos de conspectu suo et non remansit nisi tribus Iuda tantummodo 2 Rois 17.19 sed nec ipse Iuda custodivit mandata Domini Dei sui verum ambulavit in erroribus Israhel quos operatus fuerat 2 Rois 17.20 proiecitque Dominus omne semen Israhel et adflixit eos et tradidit in manu diripientium donec proiceret eos a facie sua 2 Rois 17.21 ex eo iam tempore quo scissus est Israhel a domo David et constituerunt sibi regem Hieroboam filium Nabath separavit enim Hieroboam Israhel a Domino et peccare eos fecit peccatum magnum 2 Rois 17.22 et ambulaverunt filii Israhel in universis peccatis Hieroboam quae fecerat non recesserunt ab eis 2 Rois 17.23 usquequo auferret Dominus Israhel a facie sua sicut locutus fuerat in manu omnium servorum suorum prophetarum translatusque est Israhel de terra sua in Assyrios usque in diem hanc 2 Rois 17.24 adduxit autem rex Assyriorum de Babylone et de Chutha et de Haiath et de Emath et de Sepharvaim et conlocavit eos in civitatibus Samariae pro filiis Israhel qui possederunt Samariam et habitaverunt in urbibus eius 2 Rois 17.25 cumque ibi habitare coepissent non timebant Dominum et inmisit eis Dominus leones qui interficiebant eos 2 Rois 17.26 nuntiatumque est regi Assyriorum et dictum gentes quas transtulisti et habitare fecisti in civitatibus Samariae ignorant legitima Dei terrae et inmisit in eos Dominus leones et ecce interficiunt eos eo quod ignorent ritum Dei terrae 2 Rois 17.27 praecepit autem rex Assyriorum dicens ducite illuc unum de sacerdotibus quos inde captivos adduxistis et vadat et habitet cum eis et doceat eos legitima Dei terrae 2 Rois 17.28 igitur cum venisset unus de sacerdotibus his qui captivi ducti fuerant de Samaria habitavit in Bethel et docebat eos quomodo colerent Dominum 2 Rois 17.29 et unaquaeque gens fabricata est deum suum posueruntque eos in fanis excelsis quae fecerant Samaritae gens et gens in urbibus suis in quibus habitabant 2 Rois 17.30 viri enim babylonii fecerunt Socchothbenoth viri autem chutheni fecerunt Nergel et viri de Emath fecerunt Asima 2 Rois 17.31 porro Evei fecerunt Nebaaz et Tharthac hii autem qui erant de Sepharvaim conburebant filios suos igni Adramelech et Anamelech diis Sepharvaim 2 Rois 17.32 et nihilominus colebant Dominum fecerunt autem sibi de novissimis sacerdotes excelsorum et ponebant eos in fanis sublimibus 2 Rois 17.33 et cum Dominum colerent diis quoque suis serviebant iuxta consuetudinem gentium de quibus translati fuerant Samariam 2 Rois 17.34 usque in praesentem diem morem sequuntur antiquum non timent Dominum neque custodiunt caerimonias eius et iudicia et legem et mandatum quod praeceperat Dominus filiis Iacob quem cognominavit Israhel 2 Rois 17.35 et percusserat cum eis pactum et mandaverat eis dicens nolite timere deos alienos et non adoretis eos neque colatis et non immoletis eis 2 Rois 17.36 sed Dominum Deum vestrum qui eduxit vos de terra Aegypti in fortitudine magna et in brachio extento ipsum timete illum adorate et ipsi immolate 2 Rois 17.37 caerimonias quoque et iudicia et legem et mandatum quod scripsit vobis custodite ut faciatis cunctis diebus et non timeatis deos alienos 2 Rois 17.38 et pactum quod percussi vobiscum nolite oblivisci nec colatis deos alienos 2 Rois 17.39 sed Dominum Deum vestrum timete et ipse eruet vos de manu omnium inimicorum vestrorum 2 Rois 17.40 illi vero non audierunt sed iuxta consuetudinem suam pristinam perpetrabant 2 Rois 17.41 fuerunt igitur gentes istae timentes quidem Dominum sed nihilominus et idolis suis servientes nam et filii eorum et nepotes sicut fecerunt parentes sui ita faciunt usque in praesentem diem

2 Rois : Caput 17

The Fall of the Northern Kingdom: A Call to Reflection

Chapter 17 of the book of 2 Kings describes the tragic fall of the northern kingdom, Israel. This dark period raises a vital question: why did God allow the exile of his beloved people? This crucial passage offers us insight into the final reign of King Hosea, the Assyrian conquest, and the underlying reasons for the divine judgment that fell upon Israel.

Significant Themes of 2 Kings 17

This chapter explores highly relevant themes, including persistent idolatry, the rejection of God's prophets, and the dramatic consequences of disobedience to God's covenant. It also sheds light on the populations who settled in Samaria after the exile. Thus, we are invited to consider five biblical passages that resonate with the central themes of this transformative chapter.

Correlated Bible Passages

1. Hosea 13:16: "The people of Samaria must bear their guilt because they have rebelled against their God. They will be killed by the sword; their children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women will have their wombs ripped open." This prophecy from Hosea foreshadows the fall of Samaria, as recounted in 2 Kings 17.

2. Amos 5:27: "Therefore I will send them into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is God of hosts." Amos prophesies the exile of Israel, a tragic event that materializes in 2 Kings 17 with their deportation to Assyria.

3. Jeremiah 3:8: "I gave unfaithful Israel a bill of divorce and sent them away because of all their adulteries. Yet I saw that her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid and also played the harlot." Jeremiah uses the fall of Israel, recounted in 2 Kings 17, as a solemn warning to Judah.

4. Ezekiel 23:4-5: "The name of the firstborn was Oolah, and her sister Ooliba. They were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. Oolah played the harlot when she was mine; she was inflamed with passion for her lovers, the Assyrians, the warriors." Ezekiel uses allegory to reflect the tragic history of Israel, as recounted in 2 Kings 17, including its alliances with Assyria.

5. 2 Chronicles 30:6-7: "At the command of the king and his officials, messengers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters saying, 'People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return to you who are left and have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who acted unfaithfully against the Lord, the God of their ancestors, to the point that he gave them over to destruction, as you see.'" This passage from Chronicles echoes the fall of Israel as recounted in 2 Kings 17, in the context of Hezekiah's reign.

Conclusion

Reading 2 Kings 17 and its related passages calls us to a deep reflection on our relationship with God. It encourages us to remain vigilant against idolatry and disobedience, while reminding us that God, in His mercy, always calls His people to return to Him.