2 Kings 17:27 Meaning: Teaching the Custom of the God of the Land
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.”
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.
And the king of Asshur commandeth, saying, `Cause to go thither one of the priests whom ye removed thence, and they go and dwell there, and he doth teach them the custom of the God of the land.'
And the king of Assyria commanded saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye have brought away from thence; and let them go and abide there, and let him teach them the manner of thegod of the land.
Meaning in one sentence
II Kings 17:27 meaning: The Assyrian king sends a priest to teach new settlers about Yahweh, leading to a syncretistic faith that marked the Samaritans.
Context
The chapter records the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. After the Assyrians deported the Israelites, they brought in foreigners from Babylon, Cuthah, and other places to occupy Samaria. These new residents did not honor Yahweh, and God sent lions among them. The Assyrian king, interpreting this as the anger of a local deity, decided to send back one of the exiled Israelite priests to teach the people the proper customs for worshiping the God of the land. This is the context for the king's command.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for teach here is yarah, the same root used for shooting an arrow. Teaching, in this sense, is about directing someone toward a target. But what were they taught? The king called it mishpat, the custom, the proper way to do things. Not a relationship with God, but the right ceremonies. And God is called the God of the land, as if He were a local deity like the others. The priest went to Bethel and taught them how they should fear Yahweh (v28). But the next verses show that they added this to their own gods. The teaching was partial, and the worship became mixed.
How Christians Read This Verse
Matthew Henry, the Reformed commentator, saw this as the origin of Samaritan idolatry mixed with fear of God. Adam Clarke, the Methodist, noted that this teaching eventually overthrew their idolatry, and the Samaritans became monotheistic. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, Anglican, emphasized the ceremonial aspect: the king cared about the manner of worship. So across traditions, Christians recognize both the failure and the seed of truth in this strange beginning.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think the king's command shows he believed in Yahweh as the true God. In fact, he treated Yahweh as a local territorial deity whose customs needed to be performed to avoid calamity. The priest's teaching was about external rites, not exclusive devotion. That is why the settlers later feared the Lord and served their own gods (v33).
Living This Out
This week, you might ask: do I treat God as one part of my life along with other loyalties? Do I reduce worship to a set of actions I perform to keep things safe? The Assyrian settlers learned the motions but kept their old gods. Examine what gods compete for your devotion, comfort, approval, control. True worship means letting God be God alone, not adding Him to a list of priorities.
Main takeaway: Worship that adds cultural habits or other loyalties to God's commands results in a divided heart, not the devotion He desires.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The king sent a priest to teach the new people how to worship God. They learned some things about God, but they kept doing their own thing too. God wants us to love Him with all our heart, not just add Him to our other stuff.
For ages 9, 12
When the people moved into Samaria, they didn't know how to worship God, so the king sent a priest to teach them. But instead of following God completely, they mixed His worship with their own idols. This reminds us that learning about God isn't enough, we have to actually obey Him and make Him first in our lives.
Questions People Ask
What does 'the manner of the God of the land' mean?
It refers to the proper customs and ordinances for worshiping Yahweh. The Assyrian king believed that each territory had its own god with specific rituals that had to be performed correctly to avoid punishment, like the lion attacks.
Why did lions attack the new settlers in 2 Kings 17?
The text says it was because they did not fear Yahweh. The lions were a divine judgment to show that God was the true owner of the land, and to compel the people to acknowledge Him.
Did the Assyrian king believe in Yahweh?
Not as the only God. He saw Yahweh as one of many territorial deities whose customs needed to be followed to keep peace. His command was pragmatic, not a confession of faith.
Who were the Samaritans according to the Bible?
They were the mixed population of foreign settlers and remaining Israelites in Samaria after the Assyrian exile. They eventually developed a syncretistic religion that combined worship of Yahweh with their own gods, as described in verse 33.
What is the significance of Bethel in this verse?
Bethel was a historic site of worship in Israel, but also associated with the golden calves set up by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12). The priest went there, probably because it was the traditional religious center for the northern kingdom.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study