2 Kings 17:30-33 Meaning: Fearing the Lord and Serving Others
30The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32So they feared Yahweh, and also made from among themselves priests of the high places for themselves, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33They feared Yahweh, and also served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
30And the men of Babylon made Succoth–benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
30And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32So they feared Jehovah, and made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33They feared Jehovah, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
30And the men of Babylon have made Succoth-Benoth, and the men of Cuth have made Nergal, and the men of Hamath have made Ashima,
31and the Avites have made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites are burning their sons with fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, gods of Sepharvim.
32And they are fearing Jehovah, and make to themselves from their extremities priests of high places, and they are acting for them in the house of the high places.
33Jehovah they are fearing, and their gods they are serving, according to the custom of the nations whence they removed them.
30And the people of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the people of Cuth made Nergal, and the people of Hamath made Ashima,
31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech thegods of Sepharvaim.
32So they feared Jehovah, and made to themselves from all classes of them priests of the high places, who offered [sacrifices] for them in the houses of the high places.
33They feared Jehovah, and served their owngods after the manner of the nations, whence they had been carried away.
Meaning in one sentence
What do the gods Succoth-benoth, Nergal, and Ashima reveal about Samaritan worship? They added Yahweh to their old gods, a picture of syncretistic religion.
Context
This passage takes place after the Assyrian empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and carried the people into exile. The king of Assyria then brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to settle the land of Samaria. At first they did not worship Yahweh, and the Lord sent lions among them. So the king sent back one of the exiled priests from Bethel to teach them how to fear the Lord. But when the chapter reports what they did, it becomes clear they only added Yahweh to the gods they already brought with them. The writer of Kings lists these foreign deities by name to show how far this so-called worship was from the covenant God had made with Israel. This is not the exclusive loyalty God commanded. It is a mix, and the narrator treats it as a failure.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words are repeated in these verses, and their repetition tells the story. The first is yare (fear). This is the same word used throughout Scripture for the reverence God deserves. But here these people are said to be "fearing" Yahweh while also serving other gods. The word itself is not the problem, the problem is that they split their fear between God and idols. The second word is avad (serve). It appears in verse 33: they "served" their own gods. This is the same verb used in the Ten Commandments for serving God alone. To apply it to false gods is a direct violation of the first commandment. One more word is worth noticing: mishpat (custom) in verse 33. It means the pattern or way of doing things. They served their gods according to their old ways. They never learned a new way; they simply tacked Yahweh onto their existing practices. These words together show a heart not converted, just expanded to include one more deity.
How Christians Read This Verse
Matthew Henry calls this a "motley religion", a patchwork of true and false. The people feared God externally, he says, but they kept their idols as a matter of custom. Wesley notes that while they let a priest teach them to worship Yahweh, they needed no instruction for their own gods; those they served by instinct. The Cambridge Bible suggests the repetition of the phrase "they feared the Lord" carries an edge of mockery in the narrative, as if the writer is pointing out how hollow their reverence really was. Across these traditions, the assessment is consistent: this is not acceptable worship. It is a mixture God never asked for and will not accept.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You don't have to build an idol out of wood to share the problem these settlers had. You just need to give God a place in your life while keeping your real sense of safety elsewhere. Maybe it is money, reputation, a relationship, or your own ability to control outcomes. You treat God like an addition, someone you turn to when trouble comes, but not the one you order your life around. This week, ask yourself what you are actually serving with your time, worry, and trust. If it is not the Lord alone, something has taken the place only He should fill.
Main takeaway: God will not share His throne; fearing Him means serving Him alone, not just adding Him to a list.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people wanted to love God but also loved other things more. God wants us to love Him best of all, with our whole heart.
For ages 9, 12
These people learned to say they feared God, but they secretly kept worshipping the same idols they always had. They thought they could have both. But God says He alone deserves our worship. It is easy to say we follow Jesus while really trusting in other things, popularity, success, or comfort. God asks us to give Him first place, not a spot on the list.
Questions People Ask
What does "feared the Lord" mean in this passage?
In this context, it does not mean they loved or trusted Yahweh. It means they were afraid of His power after seeing the lions. They offered Him a kind of worship out of fear, not devotion. The narrator uses the phrase to show how shallow their reverence really was.
Why does the Bible list all these pagan gods by name?
The names show that each group of settlers brought their own gods from their homeland, Succoth-benoth from Babylon, Nergal from Cuth, Ashima from Hamath, and so on. Listing them emphasizes how many different idols were worshipped alongside Yahweh. It also may reflect the writers' disdain; some commentators think the names were deliberately altered as a form of mockery.
Is this passage about the Samaritans who appear in the New Testament?
Yes, this describes the origin of the Samaritan people. The Jewish people later viewed Samaritans with suspicion because of this mixed ancestry and syncretistic worship. The New Testament shows Jesus interacting with Samaritans in a more gracious light (John 4), but the historical background of divided loyalty helps explain the tension.
What syncretism means in the Bible?
Syncretism is mixing the worship of the true God with other beliefs or practices. In this passage, the settlers feared Yahweh but also served their own gods according to their old customs. The Bible consistently rejects this, God demands exclusive allegiance, not a blended religion.
How did the worship of God continue in Samaria after this?
This mixed worship became the pattern for the Samaritan religion. They continued to acknowledge Yahweh and follow some parts of the law, but they also held onto older traditions from their various homelands. This eventually developed into the distinct Samaritan faith that the New Testament mentions.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study