Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
However, each nation made their own gods and placed them in the worship sites on hilltops that the Samaritans had built. Every nation did this in the cities where they lived.
This verse explains how different groups of people each brought their own false gods and set them up in the same places where people used to worship.
📚 Historical Context
This refers to the aftermath of Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel around 722 BC. The Assyrians had a policy of relocating conquered peoples to prevent rebellion, so they moved various foreign nations into the former territory of Israel. These transplanted peoples brought their own religious practices and idols, mixing them with the existing worship sites that had been used for both legitimate and illegitimate worship.
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