2 Kings 17:32

So they feared the Lord, and made vnto themselues of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 2 Kings 17:32 (KJV)

This verse is part of the larger passage that records the actions of the peoples whom the Assyrians settled in Samaria after the exile of the Israelites. In the verse it is noted that these people feared the Lord yet appointed priests for themselves from among the lowest of their own number, priests who were not authorized by God. These self‑appointed priests offered sacrifices in the high places, locations that were traditionally associated with pagan worship. The practice therefore illustrates a serious problem: the blending of idolatrous elements with the worship of the true God, a blending that was strictly forbidden by the Mosaic law.

The decision to establish their own priesthood and to perform sacrifices in unauthorized high places directly contradicted God’s command for centralized worship at the Tabernacle and later at the Temple in Jerusalem. By engaging in syncretistic worship they diluted and corrupted true worship of the Lord. The Bible condemns worship at high places (see 2 Kings 17:9‑10; Jeremiah 7:31‑32) and repeatedly stresses the necessity of worship in the appointed sanctuary.

Thus this verse serves as a cautionary reminder to preserve the purity of worship and to adhere faithfully to God’s prescribed ways. It warns against compromising faith through practices that are not aligned with His commands, urging believers to keep worship centered where God has ordained and to reject any form of idolatry that seeks to infiltrate true devotion.