2 Kings 17:27

Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The king of Assyria issues a direct command regarding the relocated populations in Samaria after they report that lions are killing them for lacking knowledge of the local deity (2 Kings 17:26).

The words — The text records וַיְצַו (va-yṣav, “and he commanded”) and הֹלִיכוּ (holîkû, “send back”), framing the royal decree to return a captured priest to instruct the exiles.

The thread — This decree to install a priest for religious instruction parallels Jeroboam’s appointment of non-Levite priests for state shrines (1 Kings 12:31) and contrasts with Micah’s private arrangement of a Levite priest (Judges 17:13).

Why it lands — The passage demands recognition that political expediency drives the introduction of worship practices, leaving the displaced people to navigate a syncretized faith rather than a divinely appointed one.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְצַ֨וva/y.Tzavand/ he commanded מֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-[the] king of אַשּׁ֜וּר'a.ShurAssyria לֵאמֹ֗רle./Mor<to>/ saying הֹלִ֤יכוּho.Li.khutake שָׁ֙מָּה֙Sha.ma/hthere/ towards אֶחָ֤ד'e.Chadone מֵהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙me./ha./ko.ha.Nimfrom/ the/ priests אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhom הִגְלִיתֶ֣םhig.li.Temyou took into exile מִשָּׁ֔םmi./Shamfrom/ there וְיֵלְכ֖וּve./ye.le.Khuso/ they may go וְיֵ֣שְׁבוּve./Ye.she.vuand/ they may dwell שָׁ֑םShamthere וְיֹרֵ֕םve./yo.Re/mso/ he may teach/ them אֶת־'et-<obj.>מִשְׁפַּ֖טmish.Pat[the] custom of אֱלֹהֵ֥י'e.lo.Hei[the] god of הָאָֽרֶץ׃ha./'A.retzthe/ land

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Judges 17:13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”
1 Kings 12:31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.
1 Kings 13:2 And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”
2 Chronicles 11:15 And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.