Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 27th, 2025
the Second Day after Christmas
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

2 Kings 17:17

They 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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Assyria;   Babylon;   Character;   Fire;   Idolatry;   Judgments;   Rulers;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bondage, Spiritual;   Fortune Telling;   Liberty-Bondage;   Magic;   Sin;   Sold under Sin;   Sorcery;   The Topic Concordance - Disobedience;   Fear;   Following;   Idolatry;   Rejection;   Unbelief;   Vanity;   Worship;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Character of the Wicked;   Divination;   Forsaking God;   Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Captivity;   Egypt;   Fire;   Shalmaneser;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Idol, idolatry;   Israel;   Magic;   Molech;   Samaria, samaritans;   Uncleanness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Chronicles, Theology of;   Ethics;   Leadership;   Magic;   Persecution;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Samaritans;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Idol;   Kings, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Dan;   High Place;   Hinnom, Valley of;   Host of Heaven;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Idolatry;   Israel;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Samaria;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Soothsaying;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Baal, Baalim ;   Israel ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Shalmanezer;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Captivity;   Hezekiah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Astrology;   Calf, Golden;   Enchantment;   Firstborn;   Sacrifice, Human;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Divination;   Witchcraft;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and angered him.
Hebrew Names Version
They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
King James Version
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord , to provoke him to anger.
English Standard Version
And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord , provoking him to anger.
New Century Version
They made their sons and daughters pass through fire and tried to find out the future by magic and witchcraft. They always chose to do what the Lord said was wrong, which made him angry.
New English Translation
They passed their sons and daughters through the fire, and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the Lord and made him angry.
Amplified Bible
They made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire [as human sacrifices], and used divination [to foretell the future] and enchantments; and they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
New American Standard Bible
Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they practiced divination and interpreting omens, and gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.
World English Bible
They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they made their sonnes and their daughters passe thorowe the fire, and vsed witchcraft and inchantments, yea, solde them selues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord, to anger him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and omens, and sold themselves to do what is evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger.
Contemporary English Version
They used magic and witchcraft and even sacrificed their own children. The Israelites were determined to do whatever the Lord hated.
Complete Jewish Bible
They had their sons and daughters pass through fire [as a sacrifice]. They used divination and magic spells. And they gave themselves over to do what was evil from Adonai 's perspective, thereby provoking him;
Darby Translation
and they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
Easy-to-Read Version
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They used magic and witchcraft to try to learn the future. They sold themselves to do what the Lord said was evil. They did this to make him angry.
George Lamsa Translation
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divinations and sorcery, and they purposed to do all manner of evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger.
Good News Translation
They sacrificed their sons and daughters as burnt offerings to pagan gods; they consulted mediums and fortunetellers, and they devoted themselves completely to doing what is wrong in the Lord 's sight, and so aroused his anger.
Lexham English Bible
They made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, they practiced divination and read omens, and they sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh to provoke him.
Literal Translation
and caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire and divined, and used incantations, and sold themselves to do the evil in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and caused their sonnes and doughters to go thorow the fyre, and medled wt soythsayers and witches, and gaue them selues ouer to do that which was euell in the sighte of the LORDE, to prouoke him vnto wrath.
American Standard Version
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
Bible in Basic English
And they made their sons and their daughters go through the fire, and they made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of the Lord, till he was moved to wrath.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters in fire, and vsed witchcraftes, & enchauntmentes, euen selling them selues to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and to anger him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and gave themselves over to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him;
King James Version (1611)
And they caused their sonnes and their daughters to passe through the fire, and vsed diuination, and inchantments, and sold themselues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord, to prouoke him to anger.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divinations and auspices, and sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him.
English Revised Version
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and her douytris thoruy fier, and thei seruyden to fals dyuynyng, and to dyuynyng bi chiterynge of briddis; and thei yauen hem silf to do yuel bifor the Lord, and thei wraththiden hym.
Young's Literal Translation
and cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him;
Update Bible Version
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and told the future and used magic, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
New King James Version
And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
New Living Translation
They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord 's anger.
New Life Bible
Then they gave their sons and daughters as burnt gifts. They told the future and used witchcraft. They sold themselves to do what is sinful in the eyes of the Lord. And they made Him angry.
New Revised Standard
They made their sons and their daughters pass through fire; they used divination and augury; and they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord , provoking him to anger.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and used divinations and enchantments, and sold themselves to do the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to wrath.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And consecrated their sons, and their daughters, through fire: and they gave themselves to divinations, and soothsayings: and they delivered themselves up to do evil before the Lord, to provoke him.
Revised Standard Version
And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings, and used divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.

Contextual Overview

7All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods 8and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. 9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 11They burned incense on all the high places like the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger. 12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, "You shall not do this thing." 13Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, "Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets." 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 themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they caused: 2 Kings 16:3, 2 Kings 21:6, Leviticus 18:21, 2 Chronicles 28:3, Psalms 106:37, Psalms 106:38, Ezekiel 20:26, Ezekiel 20:31, Ezekiel 23:37, Ezekiel 23:39

used: 2 Kings 21:6, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Isaiah 8:19, Isaiah 47:9, Isaiah 47:12, Isaiah 47:13, Jeremiah 27:9, Micah 5:12, Acts 16:16, Galatians 5:26

sold: 1 Kings 21:20, 1 Kings 21:25, Isaiah 50:1

in the sight: 2 Kings 17:11, 2 Kings 21:6

Reciprocal: Leviticus 19:26 - nor Leviticus 19:31 - General Leviticus 20:2 - giveth Deuteronomy 4:25 - do evil 2 Kings 17:31 - burnt their children 2 Kings 23:10 - might make Psalms 51:4 - evil Psalms 106:36 - And Jeremiah 7:31 - to burn Jeremiah 19:5 - to burn Jeremiah 25:7 - that ye Ezekiel 2:3 - rebelled Ezekiel 16:21 - to pass Hosea 9:15 - I will drive Romans 7:14 - sold

Cross-References

Genesis 17:3
Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
Genesis 17:19
But God replied, "Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
Genesis 17:20
As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
Genesis 18:12
So she laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
Genesis 21:6
Then Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me."
Leviticus 9:24
Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Numbers 14:5
Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the entire assembled congregation of Israel.
Numbers 16:22
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You vent Your wrath on the whole congregation?"
Numbers 16:45
"Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant." And they fell facedown.
Deuteronomy 9:18
Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the LORD's sight and provoking Him to anger.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire,.... To Baal or Moloch, which were the same, and represented the sun, which, as the above writer observes, presides in the element of fire; this was done either by way of lustration, or so as to be burnt, see 2 Kings 16:3

and used divination and enchantments: to get knowledge of what was to be done at present, or of things to come, neglecting the word of God and his prophets, and acting against the express law of God, Deuteronomy 18:10

and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger; as Ahab their king did, see 1 Kings 21:20, they were as much the servants of sin as if they had sold themselves to be slaves to it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare 2 Kings 16:3 note, and see Leviticus 20:2-5 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 17:17. Sold themselves to do evil — Abandoned themselves to the will of the devil, to work all iniquity with greediness.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile