2 Kings 17:19 - Exposition

Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God. The sharp contrast which the writer has drawn between Israel and Judah in 2 Kings 17:18 reminds him that the difference was only for a time. Judah followed in Israel's sins, and ultimately shared in her punishment. This verso and the next are parenthetic. But walked in the statutes of Israel which they made ; i.e. followed Israel in all her evil courses, first in her Baal-worship, under Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah; then in her other malpractices under Ahaz ( 2 Kings 16:3 , 2 Kings 16:4 ), Manasseh ( 2 Kings 21:2-9 ), and Amen ( 2 Kings 21:20-22 ). Of course, the calf-worship is excepted, Judah having no temptation to follow Israel in that.