2 Kings 17:34

To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator records the persistent religious behavior of the foreign colonists installed in Samaria after the northern kingdom's fall. This statement functions as the concluding assessment of their syncretistic worship described in the surrounding passage.

The words — עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה ('ad hayyôm hazeh) literally means "until this day," marking the unbroken duration of the colonists' practices. אֵינָם ('ênām) translates as "they do not," directly negating their worship of the LORD or observance of His statutes.

The thread — The name Israel for Jacob's descendants appears in Genesis 32:28, Genesis 35:10, and 1 Kings 18:31 to establish covenant identity. This verse contrasts that identity with the colonists' refusal to follow the laws given to those same descendants.

Why it lands — The text states that the colonists maintained former customs while completely neglecting the LORD's commands. It requires the reader to acknowledge that ritual continuity without covenant obedience results in total spiritual failure.

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

עַ֣ד'aduntil הַיּ֤וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּה֙ha./Zeh<the>/ this הֵ֣םhemthey עֹשִׂ֔ים'o.Sim[are] doing כַּמִּשְׁפָּטִ֖יםka./mish.pa.Timaccording to the/ customs הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑יםha./ri.sho.Nim<the>/ former אֵינָ֤ם'ei.Na/mnot/ they יְרֵאִים֙ye.re.'Im[are] fearing אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וְאֵינָ֣םve./'ei.Na/mand/ not/ they עֹשִׂ֗ים'o.Sim[are] doing כְּחֻקֹּתָם֙ke./chu.ko.Ta/maccording to/ statutes/ their וּכְמִשְׁפָּטָ֔םu./khe./mish.pa.Ta/mand/ according to/ judgment/ their וְכַתּוֹרָ֣הve./kha./to.Rahand/ according to the/ law וְכַמִּצְוָ֗הve./kha./mitz.Vahand/ according to the/ commandment אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich צִוָּ֤הtzi.Vahhe commanded יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh אֶת־'et-<obj.>בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] descendants of יַעֲקֹ֔בya.'a.KoJacob אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-whom שָׂ֥םsamhe made שְׁמ֖וֹshe.M/oname/ his יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

Cross-references

Genesis 32:28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”
Genesis 35:10 And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.
1 Kings 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”
2 Kings 17:25 Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
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.”
2 Kings 17:33 They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away.
Isaiah 48:1 “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—
Genesis 33:20 There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
1 Kings 11:31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.
1 Kings 18:11 And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’