2 Kings 17:2

“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.] He did not worship Baal, as some of them had done; and he could not worship the calves, as all of them had, for they were carried away by the Assyrians in the former captivities, as the Jews f189 say; and who also observe f190, that he removed the garrisons set on the borders of the land to watch the Israelites, that they might not go up to Jerusalem; and this being done on the fifteenth of Ab, that day was afterwards observed as a festival on that account; and they further remark f191, that the captivity of the ten tribes was in the reign of this king, who was better than the rest,…”

“he did evil . . . but not as the kings of Israel--Unlike his predecessors from the time of Jeroboam, he neither established the rites of Baal, nor compelled the people to adhere to the symbolic worship of the calves. [See on Ch2 30:1.] In these respects, Hoshea acted as became a constitutional king of Israel. Yet, through the influence of the nineteen princes who had swayed the scepter before him (all of whom had been zealous patrons of idolatry, and many of whom had been also infamous for personal crimes), the whole nation had become so completely demoralized that the righteous judgment of an angry Providence impended over it.”

“Not as the kings of Israel that were before him - The repentance of a nation like that of an individual, may be “too late.” God is long-suffering; but after national sins have reached a certain height, after admonitions and warnings have been repeatedly rejected, after lesser punishments have failed - judgment begins to fall. Forces have been set in motion, which nothing but a miracle could stop; and God does not see fit to work a miracle in such a case. Compare Butler, ‘Analogy, ‘ Pt. 1 Chronicles 2:0 end. return to 'Top of Page'”

“But not, &c. - For he neither worshipped Baal, as many of his predecessors did; nor compelled the people to worship the calves; (one of them, that of Dan, being destroyed, or carried away before, as the Hebrew writers affirm;) nor, as some add, hindered those by force, who were minded to go to Jerusalem to worship. And yet, the measure of the Israelites sins, being now full, vengeance comes upon them without remedy. 4 Kings (2 Kings) 17:3”

“17:2 Hoshea’s evil deeds were not to the same extent as his forebears, though what this means exactly is not explained.”

“but not as the kings: Kg2 3:2, Kg2 10:31, Kg2 13:2, Kg2 13:11, Kg2 15:9, Kg2 15:18, Kg2 15:24; Ch2 30:5-11 4 Kings (2 Kings) 17:3”