II Kings 17:17 · Bible study
2 Kings 17:17 Commentary: Child Sacrifice, Divination, and Selling to Evil
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Israel's child sacrifice and occult practices led to exile. What 'sold themselves to do evil' means in context.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel reached the lowest point of rebellion by offering children in fire, practicing occult arts, and willfully enslaving themselves to evil, which provoked God’s judgment of exile.
- Key words: “Pass through the fire” (H0784/H1323), child sacrifice; “divination” (H7081), forbidden occult practice; “sold themselves” (H4376, Hithpael), willing enslavement to sin.
- Main debate: Whether “pass through the fire” meant a ritual dedication or actual death by burning; most commentators see it as literal sacrifice.
- Theological theme: The depth of human depravity when God’s warnings are persistently refused; God’s justice in response to covenant-breaking.
- Best use: A sober warning about the progression of sin and the necessity of heeding God’s word before small compromises become total enslavement.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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 Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And consecrated their sons, and their daughters, through fire: and they gave themselves to divinations, and soothsayings: and they delivered themselves up to do evil before the Lord, to provoke him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
E hicieron pasar á sus hijos y á sus hijas por fuego; y diéronse á adivinaciones y agüeros, y entregáronse á hacer lo malo en ojos de Jehová, provocándole á ira.
E fizeram passar a seus filhos e a suas filhas por fogo; e deram-se a adivinhações e agouros, e entregaram-se a fazer o que era mau aos olhos do SENHOR, provocando-o à ira.
Ils firent passer par le feu leurs fils et leurs filles, ils se livrèrent à la divination et aux enchantements, et ils se vendirent pour faire ce qui est mal aux yeux de l’ Éternel, afin de l’ irriter.
und ließen ihre Söhne und Töchter durchs Feuer gehen und gingen mit Weissagen und Zaubern um und verkauften sich, zu tun, was dem HERRN übel gefiel, ihn zu erzürnen:
Ook deden zij hun zonen en hun dochteren door het vuur gaan, en gebruikten waarzeggerijen, en gaven op vogelgeschrei acht, en verkochten zich, om te doen dat kwaad was in de ogen des HEEREN, om Hem tot toorn te verwekken.
fecero passare per il fuoco i loro figliuoli e le loro figliuole, si applicarono alla divinazione e agli incantesimi, e si dettero a fare ciò ch’è male agli occhi dell’Eterno, provocandolo ad ira.
Przewodzili też syny i córki swe przez ogień, i bawili się wieszczbami i wróżkami, i zaprzedali się, aby czynili złe przed oczyma Pańskiemi, pobudzając go do gniewu.
и проводили сыновей своих и дочерей своих чрез огонь, и гадали, и волшебствовали, и предались тому, чтобы делать неугодное в очах Господа и прогневлять Его.
又使 他們的兒 女 經 火，用 占卜，行法術 賣了自己，行 耶和華 眼 中看為惡的事，惹動他的怒氣。
And they made their sons and their daughters go through the fire, and they made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of the Lord, till he was moved to wrath.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 17:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Everyone who reads this verse sees a people who have fully abandoned God. Matthew Henry calls it a chronicle of wickedness. Adam Clarke says they abandoned themselves to the will of the devil, working all iniquity with greediness. Gill adds that they were as much slaves to sin as if they had signed a contract to serve it. The Cambridge Bible notes the progression: first adopting the idols of Canaan, then making golden calves, then adopting Baal and Molech worship with all its occult practices. The commentators agree: Israel is not slipping. They are sprinting toward evil. Child sacrifice, divination, enchantment, each act is a deliberate violation of God’s clear commands (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 18:10). The phrase “sold themselves” echoes Ahab in 1 Kings 21:20, and it means total, willing enslavement to sin. This is the final charge in the indictment that led to the Assyrian exile.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Israel engaged in child sacrifice and occult practices, willfully enslaving themselves to evil, which provoked God’s anger and resulted in the Assyrian exile.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of child sacrifice | Israel engaged in a practice condemned in Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 18:10, offering children to Molech. | Some think they only passed children through fire as a dedication without burning them; others hold that actual burning occurred. The cross-references (2 Kings 16:3) support the latter. |
| Meaning of 'sold themselves' | It describes willful enslavement to sin, echoing Ahab in 1 Kings 21:20,25. | Whether this is a one-time decision (literal sale) or a gradual condition; commentators see it as a metaphor for total commitment to evil. |
| Role of occult practices | Divination and enchantments are forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:10, 12 and are listed as part of Israel's rebellion. | No significant debate; the practices are condemned uniformly across traditions. |
| God's anger as response | Yahweh’s anger (v.18) is a just judgment for persistent covenant-breaking. | Some emphasize God's patient warnings (v.13) before judgment; others focus on the severity of the punishment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits in a long summary of why the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed and its people deported to Assyria (722 BC). The surrounding context (2 Kings 17:7, 23) lists Israel’s sins in descending order of severity. They started by fearing other gods and walking in the statutes of the nations around them. Then they made high places, set up sacred pillars and Asherim, burned incense on the high places, and served idols. By verse 16 they had abandoned all the commandments, made two calves of gold, worshipped the sun, moon and stars, and served Baal. Verse 17 is the climax: they now offer their own children in fire.
Child sacrifice to Molech was a Canaanite and Ammonite practice. Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 18:10 explicitly forbid it. The phrase “pass through the fire” could describe a dedication ritual that did not always result in death, but in Israel’s case the prophets and the cross-references (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 21:6) suggest actual burning. Divination and enchantments were also foreign practices used to gain hidden knowledge, forbidden in Deuteronomy 18. The verb “sold themselves” (from makar in Hithpael stem) means to give oneself over willingly, to become a slave. Gill compares it to Ahab, who “sold himself to do evil” (1 Kings 21:25). By the time verse 18 comes, the verdict is clear: Yahweh was very angry and removed Israel from his sight.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries do not mention any significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable, and the verse reads consistently across ancient manuscripts. Minor differences in English translations (e.g., “sacrificed” in BSB vs. “caused to pass through” in WEB) reflect interpretive choices rather than textual uncertainty.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been cited as a dire warning against syncretism and the rejection of God’s word. Early Christian writers like Tertullian referenced child sacrifice as the ultimate evidence of pagan depravity, using passages like this to call believers away from cultural compromise. Reformation-era commentators such as Matthew Henry used the phrase “sold themselves” to illustrate the willfulness of sin and the danger of a hardened conscience. Modern interpreters often focus on the social and spiritual consequences of abandoning God, applying the passage to contemporary issues of injustice and idolatry. The verse remains a sobering reminder that sin, left unchecked, can corrupt even the most sacred relationships.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Descent into Darkness: Israel moved from ignoring prophets (v.13) to hardening necks (v.14) to rejecting statutes (v.15) to abandoning commandments (v.16) to child sacrifice and occult (v.17). Sin never stays in one place.
- Full Enslavement: “They sold themselves”, not drifted, not stumbled, but consciously handed themselves over to evil, just as Ahab did (1 Kings 21:20). This is what Paul later calls being a slave to sin (Romans 6:16).
- The God Who Judges and Saves: Yahweh’s anger (v.18) is not petulance. It is the just response of a holy God who had warned through every prophet (v.13) and who had delivered them from Egypt (v.7). Even in judgment, God is righteous.
Five-Point Outline
- Warnings ignored: God sent prophets and seers (v.13). Israel would not listen.
- Hardened hearts: They stiffened their necks like their ancestors who did not believe (v.14).
- Rejected covenant: They refused God’s statutes, covenant, and testimonies (v.15).
- Active rebellion: They abandoned God and adopted every form of idolatry (v.16).
- Ultimate corruption: Child sacrifice and occult practices, selling themselves to evil (v.17).
Illustration Hooks
- Imagine a family that starts by skipping church occasionally, then stops praying, then tolerates small lies, then defends hidden sin, and finally sees a child walk away from faith. The descent is slow, then fast.
- Think of someone who sells a treasured possession for cash and later regrets it. Israel sold themselves to evil, gave away their freedom for a promise that never delivered.
- Compare the quiet warnings in your own life. A trusted friend points out a blind spot. A sermon cuts deep. A verse stays with you. Like the prophets in v.13, these are God’s invitations to turn back.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How could a nation that saw God’s miracles fall so far?
- Does God still judge nations or churches that tolerate child sacrifice and the occult today?
- What does it mean to “sell yourself” to sin? Am I doing that in smaller ways?
Leading a Discussion
Israel’s slide into child sacrifice and occultism did not happen overnight. This verse captures the bottom of a long descent. The same pattern, ignoring warnings, hardening hearts, and finally giving ourselves fully to sin, can show up in our own lives, our churches, and our culture. Use these questions to examine where small compromises might lead.
Discussion Questions
- Read 2 Kings 17:13, 17. What was God’s first and repeated response to Israel’s sin?
- Verse 17 lists child sacrifice, divination, and enchantments. Why do you think these specific sins are named as the final straw?
- The phrase “sold themselves” (v.17) also describes King Ahab (1 Kings 21:20,25). What does it mean to sell yourself to evil? Can a person do that without realizing it?
- Compare the progression from v.13 (ignoring prophets) to v.17 (child sacrifice). What does this tell you about the nature of sin?
- In what ways do people today “cause their children to pass through the fire”, not literally, but by exposing them to spiritual harm?
- God’s anger (v.18) is the result of persistent rebellion. How do you reconcile a loving God with the judgment described here?
- What warning does this passage hold for your own life, your family, or your church community?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 18:21 | “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 19:26 | “‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery. |
| Deuteronomy 18:10 | There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, |
| Deuteronomy 18:12 | For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you. |
| I Kings 21:20 | Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight. |
| I Kings 21:25 | But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. |
| II Kings 16:3 | But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel. |
| II Kings 17:11 | and there they burned incense in all the high places, as the nations whom Yahweh carried away before them did; and they did wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reads "sold themselves to do evil" as a complete, voluntary surrender to the devil's control. For him it means abandoning personal will entirely, so that the person now works every kind of ungodliness with eagerness and greed.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Compare 2 Ki 16:3 note, and see Lev 20:2-5 note.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator identifies three distinct causes for Israel's captivity: adopting Canaanite idol worship, making the molten calves, and embracing Baal and Moloch worship with divination. He also points out that among all nineteen kings of Israel, not one had a good character.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the people did not merely commit sins but deliberately sold themselves into evil. Their child sacrifice, sorcery, and witchcraft were acts of total, willful surrender to wickedness, designed solely to provoke God’s anger.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that these people did not merely commit sins but actively sold themselves into slavery to evil, just as King Ahab did. Their idolatry, child sacrifice, and sorcery were deliberate choices to abandon God's law and become the willing servants of sin, provoking God's anger.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that Israel's sin was especially grievous because they turned against the very God who rescued them from Egypt. They deliberately walked in the ways of the pagan nations God had driven out, rejecting every prophet's warning and hardening their necks in willful rebellion.