The inhabitants transplanted to Samaria after Israel’s exile faced divine judgment by lions because they failed to acknowledge and honor the LORD of that land.
“So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, ‘The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so He has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.’” (2 Kings 17:26)
Following the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, when the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Assyrian king resettled the land with people from other parts of his empire. These new residents did not understand how to worship the LORD of Israel. The verse above describes their desperate plea to the king of Assyria, explaining that lions were attacking them because they had no knowledge of the God who watched over the region. Their fear highlights how these foreigners recognized that the land did not belong to them, and that they were under divine scrutiny. Israel’s exile in 722 BC came as a result of “walking in the customs of the nations” and disobeying God’s commands (2 Kings 17:7-11). Now, even as strangers moved in, the consequence of not acknowledging the LORD persisted.
The king of Assyria, learning that the inhabitants of Samaria were experiencing calamities, tried to remedy the situation by sending priests from among the exiled Israelites back to teach these newcomers how to honor the LORD properly. This indicates that the pagan king recognized that Israel’s God was indeed powerful and required obedience, aligning with the broader biblical truth that God is the rightful King over all nations. Despite Israel’s disobedience and judgment, the LORD remained present in the land He had chosen for His people, reminding all who dwelt there that worshiping Him was the intended design (Deuteronomy 12:1-3; 2 Kings 17:7-11).
In a grander biblical perspective, this episode foreshadows that God’s desire for right worship is not limited to a single group or nationality. Like these new settlers, all people everywhere need to learn who God is and how to honor Him, culminating in the New Testament’s revelation that Jesus Christ draws all nations to Himself (John 12:32). The incident with the lions in Samaria reveals God’s heart for true devotion and is a reminder of His sovereignty over the earth.
God used lions to get the attention of those who did not know Him, showing that even after His judgment on Israel, He still cared about right worship in the very land where He had once placed His name.
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2 Kings 17:26 meaning
“So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, ‘The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so He has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.’” (2 Kings 17:26)
Following the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, when the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Assyrian king resettled the land with people from other parts of his empire. These new residents did not understand how to worship the LORD of Israel. The verse above describes their desperate plea to the king of Assyria, explaining that lions were attacking them because they had no knowledge of the God who watched over the region. Their fear highlights how these foreigners recognized that the land did not belong to them, and that they were under divine scrutiny. Israel’s exile in 722 BC came as a result of “walking in the customs of the nations” and disobeying God’s commands (2 Kings 17:7-11). Now, even as strangers moved in, the consequence of not acknowledging the LORD persisted.
The king of Assyria, learning that the inhabitants of Samaria were experiencing calamities, tried to remedy the situation by sending priests from among the exiled Israelites back to teach these newcomers how to honor the LORD properly. This indicates that the pagan king recognized that Israel’s God was indeed powerful and required obedience, aligning with the broader biblical truth that God is the rightful King over all nations. Despite Israel’s disobedience and judgment, the LORD remained present in the land He had chosen for His people, reminding all who dwelt there that worshiping Him was the intended design (Deuteronomy 12:1-3; 2 Kings 17:7-11).
In a grander biblical perspective, this episode foreshadows that God’s desire for right worship is not limited to a single group or nationality. Like these new settlers, all people everywhere need to learn who God is and how to honor Him, culminating in the New Testament’s revelation that Jesus Christ draws all nations to Himself (John 12:32). The incident with the lions in Samaria reveals God’s heart for true devotion and is a reminder of His sovereignty over the earth.
God used lions to get the attention of those who did not know Him, showing that even after His judgment on Israel, He still cared about right worship in the very land where He had once placed His name.