2 Kings 17:9

Contextual Overview

⁷This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods. ⁷ It was so, because the children of Yisra'el had sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Mitzrayim from under the hand of Par`oh king of Mitzrayim, and had feared other gods, ⁷ For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, ⁷ And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods ⁷ All these things happened because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God. He had brought them out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of the king of Egypt, but the Israelites had honored other gods. ⁷ This happened because the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods; ⁷Now this came about because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared [and worshiped] other gods ⁷ Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods. ⁷ It was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, ⁷ For when the children of Israel sinned against the Lorde their God, which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, fro vnder ye hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, & feared other gods,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

secretly: Deuteronomy 13:6, Deuteronomy 27:15, Job 31:27, Ezekiel 8:12

from the tower: 2 Kings 18:8, Hosea 12:11

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 14:23 - groves 2 Kings 23:19 - the houses Jeremiah 32:30 - children Ezekiel 33:29 - because Habakkuk 2:1 - tower

Cross-References

Genesis 17:4
"As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:4
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Genesis 17:4
"As for me, behold, my covenant shall be with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:4
"I am making my agreement with you: I will make you the father of many nations.

Genesis 17:4
"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:4
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And [as a result] you shall be the father of many nations.

Genesis 17:4
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:4
Beholde, I make my couenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations,

Genesis 17:4
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:4
I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God,.... As being partly conscious to themselves that they were not right, and ashamed to commit them openly; and partly as foolishly imagining, that, being done privately, they were not seen and observed of God, having imbibed some atheistical notions of him, that he was not omniscient, or saw not, and had forsaken the earth; or they "covered" g these actions of theirs under reigned and plausible pretences, that what they did they were obliged to by their kings, and with political views, and that they worshipped the true God in the calves; but these were coverings too thin not to be seen through:

and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city; not content with those built in former times, they built new ones; and these not in their metropolis only, but in all the cities of the kingdom; and not in large cities only, but in every town and village between one fortified city and another; even wherever there was a watch tower erected, either for shepherds to watch their flocks, or for keepers of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, to watch the fruits of them, that they were not taken away.

g יחפאו "occultaverunt", Montanus, Vatablus, Grotius; "palliaverunt", Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Literally, the words run thus - “And the children of Israel concealed (or ‘dissembled’) words which were not so concerning the Lord their God;” the true meaning of which probably is, the Israelites cloaked or covered their idolatry with the pretence that it was a worship of Yahweh: they glossed it over and dissembled toward God, instead of openly acknowledging their apostasy.

From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city - This phrase was probably a proverbial expression for universality, meaning strictly; “alike in the most populous and in the most desolate regions.” “Towers of watchmen” were built for the protection of the flocks and herds which were pastured in waste and desert places 2Ch 26:10; 2 Chronicles 27:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 17:9. Did secretly those things — There was much hidden iniquity and private idolatry among them, as well as public and notorious crimes.

From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. — That is, the idolatry was universal; every place was made a place for some idolatrous rite or act of worship; from the largest city to the smallest village, and from the public watchtower to the shepherd's cot.