He did evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel who preceded him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
- KJV And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
- BSB And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
- NKJV And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
- NLT He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hoshea did evil, though not as much as the kings before him. Even a relatively less wicked king could not avert the coming judgment.
Overview
Hoshea receives the standard negative verdict, yet with the qualification that he was not as evil as his predecessors. The note shows that judgment fell not because of one uniquely wicked king but because of generations of accumulated sin. It underscores that the nation's fate was sealed by long-standing covenant rebellion, not merely the failings of its last ruler.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 2 Chr 30:5–11So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written.
- 2 Kgs 15:9He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as his fathers had done. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kgs 13:11He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; but he walked in them.
- 2 Kgs 13:2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from it.
- 2 Kgs 3:2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father, and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
- 2 Kgs 15:24He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kgs 15:18He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kgs 10:31But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 17:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.