2 Kings 17:40 Meaning: When Old Habits Hold Us
However they didn’t listen, but they did what they did before.
Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
and they have not hearkened, but according to their former custom they are doing,
And they did not hearken, but did after their former customs.
Meaning in one sentence
II Kings 17:40 shows people who heard about God but continued in their former customs. A verse about the stubborn pull of old ways.
Context
The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen. Assyria carried the people away and brought foreigners in to settle the land. Those newcomers didn't know the Lord, so God sent lions among them. The king of Assyria responded by sending one of the exiled priests back to Beth-el to teach them how to fear the Lord. He taught them the law and the covenant. But verse 40 records what happened next: they heard the teaching, but they didn't listen. They added the worship of Yahweh to their old religions. They kept doing what they had always done. This mixture of faiths shaped the Samaritan people for generations.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for “listened” here is shama. It means more than hearing with the ears. It carries the force of paying attention, agreeing, and obeying. These people heard the priest's words, but shama didn't happen. Their hearts stayed closed.
The word translated as “custom” or “manner” is mishpat. It usually means justice or ordinance. Here it points to their settled pattern of life, the way they had always done things. What had become routine felt natural, even when they knew it was wrong.
And “former” comes from rishon, meaning first or earlier. They returned to what came first in their lives, not what they had just learned from God. Together these words paint a picture of the human heart: we hear truth, but the pull of old patterns is strong. We need more than information to change.
How Christians Read This Verse
Matthew Henry noted that these new colonists added the worship of Yahweh to their idolatry but never repented of their old ways. The Cambridge Bible points out that the writer expected the teaching to move them to regard God as supreme, but it did not. Gill observed that they persisted even while in captivity. Across traditions, commentators see a warning that is not limited to ancient Samaria. Knowing about God does not guarantee that we will follow Him. Our old habits can survive right alongside new knowledge, until God does a deeper work in the heart.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse is only about ancient people who worshipped carved images. In fact, the pattern it reveals belongs to every human being. We hear God's word, we know what is right, yet we keep doing what we have always done. The “former custom” can be any settled habit that crowds out trust in God, worry, self-reliance, a sharp tongue. The verse is not just a history lesson; it is a mirror.
Living This Out
Think of one area of your life where you already know what God says, but your actions haven't changed. Maybe it is a habit of anxiety, a way you talk to your family, or a pattern of avoiding forgiveness. You do not need to fix everything at once. This week, bring that one area into honest prayer. Admit to God that you are still doing what you did before. Ask Him to loosen the grip of that old custom and teach you a new way. Change comes slowly, but it starts when we stop pretending we have already changed.
Main takeaway: Hearing God's word does not automatically change us; we must choose to let it reshape our daily habits and loyalties.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we know what God wants us to do, but we still do what we are used to doing. Like when we keep yelling even though we know we should be kind. God wants to help us change.
For ages 9, 12
The people in this story knew the right thing because a priest taught them. But they kept doing what they had always done, worshipping other gods alongside God. It is easy to fall back into old habits even when we know better. God does not just want us to know what is right; He wants to help us actually live it. Ask Him to change your habits one step at a time.
Questions People Ask
What does “they did after their former manner” mean in 2 Kings 17:40?
It means they kept following the same religious customs they had before they were taught about the Lord. They added the worship of Yahweh to their old practices but did not give up their other gods. The phrase “former manner” refers to a settled pattern of life that did not change even when new truth arrived.
Why did the people not listen even after being taught?
The text does not give a single reason, but it points to a common human tendency. The people heard the teaching with their ears, but they did not let it change their hearts. Old habits and familiar gods felt safer than turning fully to the Lord. They wanted to add God to their lives rather than let God remake their lives.
How does 2 Kings 17:40 apply to Christians today?
It serves as a warning that knowing about God is not the same as following Him. Many of us hear Scripture and agree with it, yet we keep living by old patterns of worry, pride, or self-reliance. The verse invites us to examine where our actions still match our old ways, and to ask God to truly change us from the inside.
Who are “they” in 2 Kings 17:40?
“They” are the foreign peoples the Assyrian king relocated to Samaria after the Israelites were exiled. Verse 24 lists them as people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim. They had their own gods and customs, and even after being taught to fear the Lord, they continued those practices.
What is the “former custom” that the people kept?
The former custom was the worship of their national gods, Succoth-benoth, Nergal, Ashima, Nibhaz, Tartak, Adrammelech, and Anammelech (verses 30-31). They continued to serve these idols alongside the Lord. The phrase describes any religious habit that a person refuses to abandon, even after encountering the true God.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study