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.

◄ 2 Kings 17:17 ►

New International Version
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his 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.

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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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 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.

NASB 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.

NASB 1977
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.

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.

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.

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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the LORD’s sight and provoked Him.

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.

Contemporary English Version
They used magic and witchcraft and even sacrificed their own children. The Israelites were determined to do whatever the LORD hated.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They sacrificed their sons and daughters by burning them alive. They practiced black magic and cast evil spells. They sold themselves by doing what the LORD considered evil, and they made him furious.

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.

International Standard Version
They passed their sons and daughters through fire, practiced divination, cast spells, and sold themselves to practice what the LORD considered to be evil, thereby provoking him.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
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.

New Heart English Bible
They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, practiced divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, 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.

World English Bible
They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do evil in the eyes of YHWH, to provoke Him.

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;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will cause their sons and their daughters to pass through in fire, and divine divinations and enchantments, and they will be sold to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah to Irritate him.

Catholic Translations

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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they consecrated their sons and their daughters through fire. And they devoted themselves to divinations and soothsaying. And they delivered themselves into the doing of evil before the Lord, so that they provoked him.

New American Bible
They immolated their sons and daughters by fire. They practiced augury and divination. They surrendered themselves to doing what was evil in the LORD’s sight, and provoked him.

New Revised Standard Version
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.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
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.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they put their children and their daughters into fire and they divined oracles and they practiced sorcery and they conceived to do everything that is evil before LORD JEHOVAH to anger him

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 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;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Israel Exiled Because of Idolatry
…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. 18So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. / For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

Leviticus 18:21
You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Jeremiah 7:31
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

Ezekiel 20:31
When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

Isaiah 57:5
who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

Micah 5:12
I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.

Psalm 106:37-38
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. / They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

Jeremiah 19:5
They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

Ezekiel 16:20-21
You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough? / You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

Romans 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ...

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

Acts 19:19
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

Treasury of Scripture

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.

they caused

2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

2 Kings 21:6
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

used

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, …

2 Chronicles 33:6
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

sold

1 Kings 21:20,25
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD…

Isaiah 50:1
Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

in the sight

2 Kings 17:11
And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:

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Anger Arts Burned Cause Caused Daughters Divination Divine Enchantments Evil Eyes Fire Moved Offerings Practiced Provoke Provoking Sacrificed Secret Sell Sight Sold Sorcery Themselves Unnatural Use Used Wrath

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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.

Berean Study Bible

They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire
This phrase highlights a grievous sin committed by the Israelites, reflecting the influence of surrounding pagan cultures, particularly the worship of Molech, a deity associated with child sacrifice. The Hebrew word for "sacrificed" (זָבַח, zabach) implies a ritualistic offering, indicating a deliberate and conscious act of worship contrary to God's commandments. This practice was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 18:21), and its occurrence here underscores the depth of Israel's apostasy. Archaeological evidence from sites like Carthage reveals the historical reality of such practices in the ancient Near East, providing a sobering context for this verse.

and practiced divination and soothsaying
The use of "divination" (קֶסֶם, qesem) and "soothsaying" (נַחַשׁ, nachash) indicates a reliance on forbidden spiritual practices to gain insight or control over the future. These practices were common among Israel's neighbors and were explicitly condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10-12. The Israelites' engagement in these activities reflects a departure from trusting in the LORD and His prophets, choosing instead to seek guidance from sources that God had declared abominable. This highlights a broader theme of spiritual infidelity and the allure of syncretism.

They sold themselves to do evil
The phrase "sold themselves" (מָכַר, makar) conveys a sense of voluntary enslavement to sin. It suggests a conscious decision to abandon God's covenant in favor of pursuing wickedness. This imagery of selling oneself is powerful, illustrating the depth of Israel's moral and spiritual decline. It echoes the language of slavery, emphasizing the loss of freedom and dignity that comes with sin. This self-imposed bondage contrasts sharply with the freedom and life God offers through obedience to His commandments.

in the sight of the LORD
This phrase underscores the omnipresence and omniscience of God. The Hebrew word for "sight" (עֵינַיִם, enayim) literally means "eyes," reminding us that nothing is hidden from God. The Israelites' actions were not only a breach of covenant but were done openly before the LORD, who sees all. This serves as a solemn reminder of God's awareness of human actions and the seriousness of sin committed in His presence.

provoking Him to anger
The phrase "provoking Him to anger" (כָּעַס, kaas) indicates a deliberate action that incites God's righteous wrath. This is not a capricious anger but a just response to covenant unfaithfulness and moral corruption. The Israelites' actions were a direct affront to God's holiness and justice, and their repeated provocations ultimately led to their judgment and exile. This serves as a warning of the consequences of persistent disobedience and the importance of repentance and faithfulness to God.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) And they caused . . . fire.--The cultus of Moloch (2Kings 16:3).

Used divination and enchantments.--Deuteronomy 18:10; Numbers 23:23. "Divinationibus inserviebant et auguriis" (Vulg.).

Sold themselves.--Idolatry is regarded as a servitude. (Comp. 1Kings 21:20; 1Kings 21:25.) . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire. (On this phrase, see the comment upon 2 Kings 16:3.) The sin of child-murder had not Been previously laid to the charge of Israel; but, as it had infected Judah (2 Kings 16:3), there is no reason why it should not have invaded also the sister kingdom. Perhaps it is alluded to by Hosea 4:2; Hosea 5:2; and Hosea 6:8. It was an old sin of the Canaanitish nations (Leviticus 18:21, etc.), and continued to be practiced by the Moabites (2 Kings 3:27; Amos 2:1) and Ammonites, neighbors of Israel. And used divination and enchantments. The "witchcrafts" of Jezebel have been already mentioned (2 Kings 9:22). Magical practices always accompanied idolatry, and were of many kinds. Sometimes divination was by means of staves or rods (rhabdomancy), which were manipulated in various ways (Herod., 4:67; Schol. ad Nicandr., 'Theriac.,' 613; Tacit., 'German.,' § 10; Atom. Marc., 31:2; Hosea 4:12). Sometimes it was by arrows (Ezekiel 21:21). Very often, especially in Greece and Rome, it was by inspecting the entrails of victims. Where faith in God wanes, a trust in magical practices, astrology, chiromancy, "sertes Virgilianae," horoscopes, spirit-rapping, and the like, almost always supervenes. And sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. (On the expression, "sold themselves to do evil," see the comment upon 1 Kings 21:20.)

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

They sacrificed
וַֽ֠יַּעֲבִירוּ (way·ya·‘ă·ḇî·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

their sons
בְּנֵיהֶ֤ם (bə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

and daughters
בְּנֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ (bə·nō·w·ṯê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter

in the fire
בָּאֵ֔שׁ (bā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

and practiced
וַיִּקְסְמ֥וּ (way·yiq·sə·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7080: To distribute, determine by lot, magical scroll, to divine

divination
קְסָמִ֖ים (qə·sā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7081: A lot, divination, oracle

and soothsaying.
וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ (way·na·ḥê·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5172: To hiss, whisper a, spell, to prognosticate

They devoted themselves
וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ (way·yiṯ·mak·kə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4376: To sell

to doing
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

evil
הָרַ֛ע (hā·ra‘)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

in the sight
בְּעֵינֵ֥י (bə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

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

provoking Him to anger.
לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃ (lə·haḵ·‘î·sōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3707: To trouble, to grieve, rage, be indignant

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OT History: 2 Kings 17:17 They caused their sons and their daughters (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)