And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
They completely abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God and made metal idols for themselves, two golden calves. They set up sacred poles for worshiping false gods, bowed down to the stars and planets, and served the god Baal.
The writer is describing how God's people completely turned away from Him and worshiped every kind of false god and idol they could find.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 2 Kings, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had split from Judah and was ruled by kings who often led the people into idolatry and away from God's laws. This verse describes how the Israelites abandoned the commandments of the Lord by creating golden calves, similar to those made by King Jeroboam centuries earlier, and by worshiping the stars and the Canaanite god Baal, which were common practices in surrounding pagan cultures. As a result, their persistent unfaithfulness culminated in divine judgment through the Assyrian conquest and exile.
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