2 Kings 17:16
New International Version
They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal.

New Living Translation
They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven.

English Standard Version
And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

Berean Standard Bible
They 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.

King James Bible
And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

New King James Version
So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

New American Standard Bible
And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves cast metal images: two calves. And they made an Asherah, and worshiped all the heavenly lights, and served Baal.

NASB 1995
They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

NASB 1977
And they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

Amplified Bible
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves; and they made an Asherah [idol] and worshiped all the [starry] host of heaven and served Baal.

Christian Standard Bible
They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served Baal.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They worshiped the whole heavenly host and served Baal.

American Standard Version
And they forsook all the commandments of Jehovah their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they abandoned all the commandments of LORD JEHOVAH their God, and they made for themselves molten images, two calves, and they made sacrifices to feared things, and they bowed to all the host of Heaven and they worked for Baal

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They forsook the commandments of the Lord their God, and made themselves graven images, even two heifers, and they made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

Contemporary English Version
The people of Israel disobeyed all the commands of the LORD their God. They made two gold statues of calves and set up a sacred pole for Asherah; they also worshiped the stars and the god Baal.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they forsook all the precepts of the Lord their God: and made to themselves two molten calves, and groves, and adored all the host of heaven: and they served Baal.

English Revised Version
And they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God: They made two calves out of cast metal. They made a pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah. They prayed to the entire army of heaven. They worshiped Baal.

Good News Translation
They broke all the laws of the LORD their God and made two metal bull-calves to worship; they also made an image of the goddess Asherah, worshiped the stars, and served the god Baal.

International Standard Version
They abandoned all of the commands given by the LORD their God, crafted for themselves cast images of two calves, constructed an Asherah, worshipped all of the stars in heaven, and served Baal.

JPS Tanakh 1917
and they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal;

Literal Standard Version
And they forsake all the commands of their God YHWH, and make a molten image for themselves—two calves, and make an Asherah, and bow themselves to all the host of the heavens, and serve Ba‘al,

Majority Standard Bible
They 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.

New American Bible
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD, their God: they made for themselves two molten calves; they made an asherah; they bowed down to all the host of heaven; they served Baal.

NET Bible
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, and worshiped Baal.

New Revised Standard Version
They rejected all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves; they made a sacred pole, worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

New Heart English Bible
They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

World English Bible
They abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal.

Young's Literal Translation
And they forsake all the commands of Jehovah their God, and make to them a molten image -- two calves, and make a shrine, and bow themselves to all the host of the heavens, and serve Baal,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel Exiled Because of Idolatry
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 themselves became worthless, 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 and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars--all the host of heaven--do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

Deuteronomy 16:21
Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,

1 Kings 12:28
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, "Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

1 Kings 14:15
For the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that He gave their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger.

1 Kings 14:23
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

1 Kings 16:31
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.

2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.


Treasury of Scripture

And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

molten images

Exodus 32:4,8
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt…

1 Kings 12:28
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Psalm 106:18-20
And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked…

a grove

2 Kings 17:20
And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

1 Kings 14:15,23
For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger…

1 Kings 15:13
And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

worshipped

Deuteronomy 4:19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

Jeremiah 8:2
And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

Baal

2 Kings 10:18-28
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much…

2 Kings 11:18
And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 16:31
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

Jump to Previous
Army Asherah Ashe'rah Baal Ba'al Bowed Calves Cast Commandments Commands Forsook Grove Heaven Host Hosts Idols Images Molten Pole Served Shape Sky Starry Themselves Worshiped Worshipped
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Army Asherah Ashe'rah Baal Ba'al Bowed Calves Cast Commandments Commands Forsook Grove Heaven Host Hosts Idols Images Molten Pole Served Shape Sky Starry Themselves Worshiped Worshipped
2 Kings 17
1. Hoshea the Last King of Israel
3. Being subdued by Shalmaneser, he conspires against him with So, king of Egypt
5. Samaria for sinning is led into captivity
24. The strange nations transplanted into Samaria make a mixture of religions.














(16) Molten images.--1Kings 12:28. Literally, a casting.

A grove.--An Asherah (1Kings 14:23; 1Kings 16:33). Schlottmann writes: "That Ashera was only another name for the same supreme goddess (i.e., Ashtoreth) is at once shown by the parallelism of 'Baal and Ashtaroth' (Judges 2:13) with 'Baal and Asherim' (the plural of Ashera) in Judges 3:7. In quite the same way Baal and Ashera stand side by side in Judges 6:28, 2Kings 23:4; and in 1Kings 18:19 the 450 prophets of the Baal and the 400 of the Ashera. further, in 2Chronicles 15:16; 2Chronicles 24:18, the LXX. render Ashera by Astarte; and in other passages Aquila, Symmachus, and the Peshito do the same thing." He then refers to 1Kings 14:23 and Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 27:9, and continues: "according to these and many other passages, Ashera was used as the designation of the commonest material representation of the goddess. It consisted of a block of wood, of considerable size (Judges 6:26), and resembling a tree, as is shown by the expressions used in connection with it, such as 'setting up,' 'planting,' and 'cutting down' (2Kings 17:10; Deuteronomy 16:21; Judges 6:28; 2Kings 18:4, &c). In Isaiah 27:9 the LXX. actually renders tree; 'and so the Peshito in Deut. vi 21, Micah 5:13. Hence, we must not think of pillars like the Greek Hermae, but of a real trunk planted in the ground, rootless, but not branchless; for which purpose pines and evergreens were preferred. The tree signifies, according to an ancient and widespread conception, nature, or the world, which in this case stands as goddess at the side of the Baal----the lord of the world. (Comp. the Norse tree, Yggdrasil, and the Assyrian sacred tree.) Hence, the Ashera was set up by the altar of Baal (Judges 6:28). (Comp. Deuteronomy 16:21.)" Schlottmann adds that Movers is wrong in making Astarte and Ashera two different goddesses, the former being "the stern, cruel virgin," the latter, "the goddess who excites to pleasure;" and he justly observes that, as in the case of Baal, the same deity may be conceived under contrary aspects (Riehm's Handworterbuch Bibl. Alterthums, pp. Ill--114). For the Hebrew conception of Astarte see Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17 seq. Kuenen, Rel. of Isr. i. 88 seq., agrees with Movers, but hardly proves his case. . . .

Verses 16, 17. - The main sins of Israel are now specified, that they themselves may stand self-convicted, and that others may be warned against doing the like. First, generally. Verse 16. - They left all the commandments of the Lord their God; i.e. neglected them, rendered them no obedience, offered none of the stated sacrifices, attended none of the appointed feasts, broke the moral law (Hosea 4:1, 2, 11; Hosea 7:1, etc.) by swearing, and lying, and stealing, and committing adultery, by drunkenness, and lewdness, and bloodshed. And made them molten images, even two calves. These at least were undeniable - there they were at Dan and Bethel, until the Captivity came (Hosea 8:5; Hosea 10:5, 6; Hosea 13:2; Amos 8:14), worshipped, sworn by (Amos 8:14), viewed as living gods (Amos 8:14), offered to, trusted in. Every king had upheld them, so that Bethel was regarded as "the king's court," and "the king's chapel" (Amos 7:13); all the people were devoted to them, and "brought their sacrifices to Bethel every morning" (Amos 4:4), "and their tithes after three years." And made a grove. The "grove "(asherah) which Ahab set up at Samaria (1 Kings 16:38), and which remained there certainly to the time of Jehoahaz (see the comment on 2 Kings 13:6). And worshipped all the host of heaven. This worship had not been mentioned before; and it is nowhere else ascribed to the Israelites of the northern kingdom. Manasseh seems to have introduced it into Judah (2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 23:5, 11). Such knowledge as we have of the Western Asiatic religions seems to indicate that astral worship, strictly so called, was a peculiarity of the Assyro-Babylonian and Arabian systems only, and did not belong to the Syrian, or the Phoenician, or the Canaanite. It may be suspected that the present passage is somewhat rhetorical, and assigns to the Israelites the "worship of the host of heaven," simply because an astral character attached to Baal and Ashtoreth, who were associated in the religion of the Phoenicians with the sun and moon. On the ether hand, it is just possible that the Assyro-Babylonian star-worship had been introduced into Israel under Menahem, Pekah, or Hoshea. And served Baal. The Baal-worship, introduced by Ahab (1 Kings 16:31), was not finally abolished by Jehu (2 Kings 10:28). Like other popular religions, it had a revival Hosea, writing under the later kings from Jeroboam II. to Hoshea, alludes to the Baal-worship (Hosea 2:8, 17) as continuing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They abandoned
וַיַּעַזְב֗וּ (way·ya·‘az·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the commandments
מִצְוֺת֙ (miṣ·wōṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4687: Commandment

of the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

their God
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

and made
וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ (way·ya·‘ă·śū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for themselves
לָהֶ֛ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

two
שְׁנֵ֣י (šə·nê)
Number - mdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

cast idols
מַסֵּכָ֖ה (mas·sê·ḵāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4541: A pouring over, fusion of metal, a libation, league, a coverlet

of calves
עֲגָלִ֑ים (‘ă·ḡā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5695: A, calf, one nearly grown

and an Asherah pole.
אֲשֵׁירָ֗ה (’ă·šê·rāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 842: A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same

They bowed down to
וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֙ (way·yiš·ta·ḥă·wū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

all
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the host
צְבָ֣א (ṣə·ḇā)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

of heaven
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and served
וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ (way·ya·‘aḇ·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

Baal.
הַבָּֽעַל׃ (hab·bā·‘al)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1168: Baal -- a heathen god


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OT History: 2 Kings 17:16 They forsook all the commandments of Yahweh (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 17:15
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