2 Kings 17:29-31

17:29 But each of these nations made 1  its own gods and put them in the shrines on the high places that the people of Samaria 2  had made. Each nation did this in the cities where they lived. 17:30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, 3  the people from Cuth made Nergal, 4  the people from Hamath made Ashima, 5  17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, 6  and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, 7  the gods of Sepharvaim.

2 Kings 17:33

17:33 They were worshiping 8  the Lord and at the same time serving their own gods in accordance with the practices of the nations from which they had been deported.

1 sn The verb “make” refers to the production of idols. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 210-11.

2 tn Heb “Samaritans.” This refers to the Israelites who had been deported from the land.

3 sn No deity is known by the name Succoth Benoth in extant Mesopotamian literature. For speculation as to the identity of this deity, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211.

4 sn Nergal was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld.

5 sn This deity is unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211-12.

6 sn Nibhaz and Tartak were two Elamite deities. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

7 sn Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim are unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

8 tn Heb “fearing.”