2 Kings

2 Kings 17:14–17

¹⁴But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. ¹⁵They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

¹⁶They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. ¹⁷They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire^c and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Footnotes

c 17:17 Literally made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire

Read all of 2 Kings 17

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Kings 17:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But they would not	וְלֹ֖א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
listen	שָׁמֵ֑עוּ	šā·mê·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H8085 hear
and they stiffened	וַיַּקְשׁ֤וּ	way·yaq·šū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7185 be hard, severe, fierce
their necks	עָרְפָּם֙	‘ā·rə·pām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H6203 back of neck, neck
like their fathers	אֲבוֹתָ֔ם	’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1 father
who	אֲשֶׁר֙	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
did not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
believe	הֶאֱמִ֔ינוּ	he·’ĕ·mî·nū	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural	H539 confirm, support
the LORD	בַּֽיהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
their God	אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃	’ĕ·lō·hê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H430 God

2 Kings 17:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They rejected	וַיִּמְאֲס֣וּ	way·yim·’ă·sū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3988 reject
His statutes	חֻקָּ֗יו	ḥuq·qāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H2706 something prescribed, a statute or due
and the covenant	בְּרִיתוֹ֙	bə·rî·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1285 covenant
He had made	כָּרַ֣ת	kā·raṯ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3772 cut off, cut down
with	אֶת־	’eṯ-	Direct object marker	H854 with
their fathers	אֲבוֹתָ֔ם	’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1 father
as well as the decrees	עֵֽדְוֺתָ֔יו	‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H5715 testimony
He had given	הֵעִ֖יד	hê·‘îḏ	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5749 return, go about, repeat, do again
them	בָּ֑ם	bām	Preposition; third person masculine plural
They pursued	וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ	way·yê·lə·ḵū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
worthless idols	הַהֶ֙בֶל֙	ha·he·ḇel	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1892 vapour, breath
and became worthless themselves	וַיֶּהְבָּ֔לוּ	way·yeh·bā·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1891 act emptily, become vain
going after	וְאַחֲרֵ֤י	wə·’a·ḥă·rê	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H310 behind
the surrounding	סְבִֽיבֹתָ֔ם	sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯām	Adverb; third person masculine plural	H5439 circuit, round about
nations	הַגּוֹיִם֙	hag·gō·w·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
that	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had commanded them	צִוָּ֤ה	ṣiw·wāh	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
not	לְבִלְתִּ֖י	lə·ḇil·tî	Preposition-l	H1115 not, except
to imitate	עֲשׂ֥וֹת	‘ă·śō·wṯ	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6213 do, make

2 Kings 17:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They abandoned	וַיַּעַזְב֗וּ	way·ya·‘az·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the commandments	מִצְוֺת֙	miṣ·wōṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H4687 commandment
of the LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
their God	אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם	’ĕ·lō·hê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H430 God
and made	וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ	way·ya·‘ă·śū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6213 do, make
for themselves	לָהֶ֛ם	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
two	שְׁנֵים	šə·nēm	Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
cast idols	מַסֵּכָ֖ה	mas·sê·ḵāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4541 molten metal, or image
of calves	עֲגָלִ֑ים	‘ă·ḡā·lîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5695 calf
and an Asherah pole	אֲשֵׁירָ֗ה	’ă·šê·rāh	Noun - feminine singular	H842 Ashera
They bowed down to	וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֙	way·yiš·ta·ḥă·wū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7812 bow down
all	לְכָל־	lə·ḵāl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the host	צְבָ֣א	ṣə·ḇā	Noun - common singular construct	H6635 army, war, warfare
of heaven	הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם	haš·šā·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft
and served	וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ	way·ya·‘aḇ·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5647 work, serve
Baal	הַבָּֽעַל׃	hab·bā·‘al	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1168 owner, lord

2 Kings 17:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They sacrificed	וַֽ֠יַּעֲבִירוּ	way·ya·‘ă·ḇî·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
their sons	בְּנֵיהֶ֤ם	bə·nê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1121 son
and daughters	בְּנֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙	bə·nō·w·ṯê·hem	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1323 daughter
in the fire	בָּאֵ֔שׁ	bā·’êš	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H784 fire
and practiced	וַיִּקְסְמ֥וּ	way·yiq·sə·mū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7080 practise divination
divination	קְסָמִ֖ים	qə·sā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H7081 divination
and soothsaying	וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ	way·na·ḥê·šū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5172 hiss, whisper, prognosticate
They devoted themselves	וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ	way·yiṯ·mak·kə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4376 sell
to doing	לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת	la·‘ă·śō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6213 do, make
evil	הָרַ֛ע	hā·ra‘	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
in the sight	בְּעֵינֵ֥י	bə·‘ê·nê	Preposition-b; Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
of the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
provoking Him to anger	לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃	lə·haḵ·‘î·sōw	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H3707 be vexed, angry