II Kings 17:8-12 · Bible study
2 Kings 17:8-12 Commentary: Israel's Twofold Idolatry
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the two sources of idolatry in 2 Kings 17:8-12: the Canaanite nations and Israel's own kings. A study of guilt and God's warning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel’s guilt is twofold: they adopted the idolatrous customs of the Canaanite nations and the state-sponsored practices of their own kings, leaving them without excuse for their apostasy.
- Key words: ‘statutes’ (H2708), ‘high places’ (H1116), ‘Asherah poles’ (H0842), ‘did secretly’ (H2644), ‘provoke to anger’ (H3707).
- Main debate: Whether the verb ‘did secretly’ (v.9) means they concealed their sins (Barnes, Wesley) or they ‘decked out’ their worship with a pretense of piety (LXX), but either way their corruption was universal.
- Theological theme: The danger of syncretism, blending the worship of God with the practices of the world, and the certainty of God’s judgment when His covenant is abandoned.
- Best use: Preaching on the causes of national judgment, warnings against cultural accommodation, and the need for wholehearted devotion to God alone.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
8and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.
10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
11They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.
12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
8and walked in the statutes of the nations whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.
9The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against Yahweh their God; and they built high places for themselves in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;
10and they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
11and 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;
12and they served idols, of which Yahweh had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”
KJV King James Version 1769
8And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
11And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger:
12For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
8and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.
9And the children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against Jehovah their God: and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;
10and they set them up pillars and Asherim upon every high hill, and under every green tree;
11and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom Jehovah carried away before them; and they wrought wicked things to provoke Jehovah to anger;
12and they served idols, whereof Jehovah had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
8and walk in the statutes of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel that they made;
9and the sons of Israel do covertly things that are not right against Jehovah their God, and build for them high places in all their cities, from a tower of the watchers unto the fenced city,
10and set up for them standing-pillars and shrines on every high height, and under every green tree,
11and make perfume there in all high places, like the nations that Jehovah removed from their presence, and do evil things to provoke Jehovah,
12and serve the idols, of which Jehovah said to them, `Ye do not do this thing;'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
8and they walked in the statutes of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9And the children of Israel did secretly against Jehovah their God things that were not right; and they built them high places in all their cities, from the watchmen's tower to the fortified city.
10And they set them up columns and Asherahs on every high hill and under every green tree;
11and there they burned incense on all the high places, as did the nations that Jehovah had carried away from before them, and they wrought wicked things to provoke Jehovah to anger;
12and they served idols, as to which Jehovah had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
8And they walked according to the way of the nations which the Lord had destroyed in the sight of the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel: because they had done in like manner.
9And the children of Israel offended the Lord, their God, with things that were not right: and built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10And they made them statues and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree:
11And they burnt incense there upon altars, after the manner of the nations which the Lord had removed from their face: and they did wicked things, provoking the Lord.
12And they worshipped abominations, concerning which the Lord had commanded them that they should not do this thing.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 17:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this passage identifies two distinct sources of Israel's idolatry, each compounding their guilt. Barnes notes that the writer 'subdivides the idolatries of the Israelites into two classes, pagan and native', the customs of the dispossessed Canaanites and the statutes imposed by Israel's own kings (v.8). Gill observes that the casting out of the Canaanites should have served as a warning, yet Israel walked in those very statutes. The phrase 'from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city' (v.9) is, according to Clarke and Barnes, a proverbial expression for universal corruption: idolatry spread everywhere, from the remotest hamlet to the greatest city. Henry points out that even when done 'secretly' (v.9), their sin was known to God and provoked His anger. The cumulative effect, as Wesley notes, is that they 'did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger' (v.11) by serving the very idols He had forbidden (v.12). This twofold indictment leaves no room for excuse.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cultural compromise view: The primary sin is adopting the statutes of the nations and kings, showing a gradual erosion of distinctiveness (supported by Barnes, Gill).
- Secret vs public view: Debate over the rare verb 'did secretly' (v.9); some see it as hidden idolatry, others as covering it with pretense (supported by Wesley, Clarke).
What is clear: Israel’s guilt is unquestionable: they worshipped other gods, built high places, set up pillars and Asherah poles, burned incense, provoked Yahweh, and served idols, all in direct violation of His command.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Two sources of idolatry | All traditions agree that Israel adopted both Canaanite customs and the kings' statutes, and both were sinful. | Some emphasize that the kings bore greater responsibility for leading the people into sin (Reformed tradition), while others stress that the people were fully complicit in copying the nations (Wesleyan tradition). |
| Meaning of 'did secretly' (v.9) | The rare Hebrew verb (חָפָא) implies some form of concealment. | Barnes and Wesley suggest they covered their idolatry with pretexts (e.g., claiming to worship Yahweh through the calves); others (Clarke) take it as literal secret sin committed out of shame. |
| High places (bamot) | These were condemned when used for idol worship. | Some note that early on, high places were sometimes used for Yahweh worship (1 Kings 3:2), but by this time they were wholly devoted to pagan deities, making them unequivocally evil. |
| God's anger | God's anger is a just response to covenant unfaithfulness. | Christians differ on whether 'provoke to anger' (v.11) describes an emotional change in God or a consistent divine opposition to sin, but all affirm that judgment is the consequence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop for these verses is the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, culminating in the deportation described in verse 6. The writer of 2 Kings devotes verses 7, 23 to explaining why this judgment fell. Israel's sin was not mere oversight; it was a deliberate adoption of two systems of worship that Yahweh had expressly forbidden. First, they copied the religious practices of the Canaanite nations whom Yahweh had driven out before them, nations whose idolatry included child sacrifice, cultic prostitution, and worship of Baal and Asherah (Deut 12:31, Lev 18:27). The 'high places' (bamot) were local shrines on elevated ground; 'pillars' (matzevot) were standing stones for pagan deities; 'Asherah poles' were wooden symbols of the Canaanite goddess. Second, Israel followed the statutes 'of the kings of Israel', most notably Jeroboam I, who set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan to prevent the ten tribes from worshiping at Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:28). This state-sponsored idolatry gave official sanction to what began as private compromise. The phrase 'secretly did things that were not right' (v.9) suggests an attempt at concealment, perhaps, as Wesley comments, covering worship of the calves with 'fair pretences of necessity' (the divided kingdom). Yet the next phrases make clear that idolatry was universal, 'from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city', every corner of the land. This merism (Clarke, Barnes) emphasizes that no one was exempt. The repetition of 'all' (kol) in verses 9, 10 underscores the totality of the apostasy. Israel had every warning: the Canaanites' fate, the prophets' calls (v.13), and the clear command not to serve other gods (Ex 20:3). Yet they chose the path of their neighbors and their own kings.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The unique verb in verse 9 (חָפָא) appears only here in the Piel stem; the LXX reading (ἠμφιέσαντο, 'they decked out') may reflect a different Hebrew manuscript tradition, but the standard Masoretic Text supports the sense of doing secretly or covering up (Cambridge Bible).
Reception History
This passage has been read throughout church history as a solemn explanation of why God allows His people to suffer the consequences of their sin. It has been used to warn against syncretism, mixing true worship with human inventions or pagan practices. Matthew Henry’s commentary (1710) emphasizes the ‘secret’ nature of the sin and the universality of the corruption. Jewish exegetes in the medieval tradition read these verses as a catalogue of the sins that led to the loss of the ten tribes. The passage continues to serve as a warning against adopting the practices of the surrounding culture, calling believers to exclusive loyalty to God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Double Source of Sin (v.8). Israel’s idolatry came from two directions: the surrounding nations and their own leaders. This double influence made their guilt inescapable. They had no excuse, they were not merely following bad examples; they were rejecting God’s explicit commands.
- The Secret That Wasn’t Secret (v.9). The phrase “did secretly” suggests an attempt at concealment. But the extent of their idolatry, from watchtower to fortified city, shows that nothing was hidden from God. Secret sin is still sin, and when it spreads publicly, the whole community suffers.
- The End of the Road (vv.10-12). From pillars and Asherah poles to burning incense and serving idols, each action “provoked the Lord to anger.” The list builds: they crossed every line God had drawn. The result was exile, not because God was harsh, but because He is holy and His people had abandoned Him.
Five-point outline
- Walking in Others’ Statutes (v.8a). Adopting the customs of the world.
- Walking in the Kings’ Statutes (v.8b). Following the patterns set by earthly authorities.
- Secret Corruption (v.9). Sin that begins in hidden places but spreads everywhere.
- Public Worship of False Gods (vv.10-11). The outward expression of inward rebellion.
- Defiance of God’s Clear Word (v.12). “You shall not do this thing”, yet they did.
Illustration hooks
- Peer pressure at school or work: Adopting a practice you know is wrong just because “everyone does it” or “the boss expects it.” Israel had both peer pressure (the nations) and authority pressure (the kings).
- Rationalizing small compromises: A Christian who begins by skipping Sunday gatherings, then tolerates a little dishonesty, then fully embraces a lifestyle that contradicts Scripture. The progression from “secret” to “every high hill” is real.
- Cultural accommodation: A church that adopts the world’s methods of success, marketing, entertainment, power, while losing its distinct witness. Israel wanted to be like the other nations.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I tell if I am adopting the values of the culture around me rather than following God?
- What should I do when my leaders or government require something that contradicts God’s commands?
- Is it possible to worship God in a way that actually provokes Him to anger?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the uncomfortable reality that God’s people can stray so far that they become indistinguishable from the nations around them. Israel’s fall did not happen overnight, it began with small concessions, spread to every corner of the land, and ended in exile. As you discuss, consider: What are the “statutes” of our culture that we are tempted to adopt? Where do we need to repent of secret sin?
Discussion questions
- What are the two sources of idolatry listed in verse 8? Why does the writer mention both?
- How does the phrase “from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city” (v.9) describe the extent of Israel’s sin? What does this reveal about the nature of sin in a community?
- Look at the cross-references (Lev 18:3, Deut 12:30-31). Why was God so strict about Israel not imitating the nations? How does that apply to Christians today?
- The verb “did secretly” (v.9) is rare. Why might people try to hide their idolatry? Can we hide anything from God?
- Verse 12 says, “They served idols, of which Yahweh had said to them, ‘You shall not do this thing.’” What does this direct disobedience tell us about the condition of their hearts?
- Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart (Mark 12:30). How does idolatry violate that command? How can we guard our hearts against it?
- How does the judgment on Israel serve as a warning for us today? What hope is there for a people who have strayed?
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 18:3 | You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. |
| Leviticus 18:27 | (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled), |
| Leviticus 18:30 | Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’” |
| Deuteronomy 12:30 | be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” |
| Deuteronomy 12:31 | You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, they have done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. |
| Deuteronomy 18:9 | When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. |
| I Kings 12:28 | So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” |
| I Kings 16:31 | As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that Israel's idolatry was both secret and universal. Hidden sins and private worship of false gods were matched by public, open rites in every location, from watchtowers to walled cities, with images and groves for the pagan goddess Ashtaroth.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that Israel's idolatry was worse than other nations' because it showed gross ingratitude after God rescued them from Egypt. He also points out that they disguised their pagan practices, pretending these were still worship of Yahweh, instead of openly admitting their apostasy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes three specific layers to Israel's sins: adopting Canaanite idolatry, making the molten calves, and importing Baal and Moloch worship from distant nations. It also highlights a rare Hebrew verb that may mean they secretly hid their practices or, as the Septuagint suggests, they decked out their worship with things foreign to the Mosaic ordinances.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight a double rebellion in Israel: they copied both the idolatrous customs of the pagan nations God had driven out and the wicked practices of their own kings. Worse, these sins were committed in secret, showing a deliberate, hidden departure from what God had plainly forbidden.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Israel's secret idolatries were done with a thin pretense of covering them, yet they foolishly thought God either did not see or had abandoned the earth. Their spread of high places to every watchtower and village shows how thoroughly the nation had imitated the Canaanites they were warned against.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the text does not present Hoshea as a better king than his predecessors, only as less evil than some. He argues Hoshea did not abandon the calf-worship, and his better behavior likely extended only to opposing the newer idolatries that had crept in.
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.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley focuses on how the people tried to hide their idolatry, especially calf-worship, by making excuses like necessity and good intentions. He also notes that their sin spread everywhere, even to remote watchtowers where few lived.