The Meaning of 2 Kings 17:17 Explained

2 Kings 17:17

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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;

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 17:17 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 17:13-26 - The End Of Stiff-Necked Disobedience
There are three leading counts in this terrible indictment against Judah and Israel: (1) idolatry; (2) the ignoring of the Law; and (3) disregard of the many warnings brought them by prophets and seers. And all were aggravated by the fact that they sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt. How greatly the complexion of our sins is deepened, when we remember the anguish by which we have been redeemed!
Interwoven with the black catalogue of sin are golden threads of tender love, 2 Kings 17:13. But note the remarkable expression of 2 Kings 17:15, that we resemble the objects we adore, Psalms 115:8. Israel, as we have seen, was never restored. Those that returned to Judah with Ezra were for the most part Jews. Yet many Hebrews became believers in Christ, and were added to the Church at Pentecost and afterward, 1 Peter 1:1-2. Paul gives us a far horizon in Romans 11:25-27; and who can tell, in these days when the Turkish Empire is trembling to its foundations, whether we are not very near that hour of the restoration of Israel and the restitution of all things! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 17:17 mean?

And they caused to pass through - their sons and daughters the fire and practiced witchcraft and soothsaying and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Yahweh to provoke Him to anger
וַֽ֠יַּעֲבִירוּ אֶת־ בְּנֵיהֶ֤ם וְאֶת־ בְּנֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּקְסְמ֥וּ קְסָמִ֖ים וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ

וַֽ֠יַּעֲבִירוּ  And  they  caused  to  pass  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּנֵיהֶ֤ם  their  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּנֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
בָּאֵ֔שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וַיִּקְסְמ֥וּ  and  practiced 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָסַם  
Sense: (Qal) to practice divination, divine.
קְסָמִ֖ים  witchcraft 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: קֶסֶם  
Sense: divination, witchcraft.
וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ  and  soothsaying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָחַשׁ  
Sense: to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen.
וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ  and  sold  themselves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָרַ֛ע  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
בְּעֵינֵ֥י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ  to  provoke  Him  to  anger 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּעַס  
Sense: to be angry, be vexed, be indignant, be wroth, be grieved, provoke to anger and wrath.