“The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth–aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.”
The statement that the inhabitants of Samaria are afraid of the calf of Beth-aven and its priests tremble for it, mourning and crying out suggests that the idol and its priestly apparatus have become the center of emotional investment for Israel. The removal of the calf and carrying it to Assyria indicates that the idol will be taken into exile, powerless to save itself or those who worship it. This verse emphasizes the futility of idol worship through the image of the deity being transported to foreign lands.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!