And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
They said to them, 'You must not bring these prisoners here. We have already sinned against the LORD, and you want to add even more to our sins and guilt. Our wrongdoing is already great, and God's fierce anger is already burning against Israel.'
The leaders are warning that bringing captives from their fellow Israelites would pile even more sin on top of their already great guilt before God.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, when the northern kingdom of Israel had defeated Judah in battle and taken many captives. The prophet Oded and some Israelite leaders were confronting their own army, urging them not to enslave their fellow countrymen from Judah since both kingdoms had already angered God through their disobedience.
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