Lexical Summary Sepharvi: Sepharvite Original Word: סְפַרְוִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sepharvite Patrial from Cpharvayim; a Sepharvite or inhabitant of Sepharvain -- Sepharvite. see HEBREW Cpharvayim NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Sepharvayim Definition inhab. of Sepharvaim NASB Translation Sepharvites (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סְפַרְוִי] adjective, of a people of Sepharvaim, only plural with article = substantive, הַסְפַרְוִים 2 Kings 17:31 a. Topical Lexicon Geographical and Ethnic Identity The Sepharvites were an ethnic group transferred by the Assyrian Empire to the former territory of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after Samaria fell in 722–721 BC. Most scholars link them with the people of “Sepharvaim,” a dual-city designation in Assyrian records. Two primary options have been proposed: (1) the twin cities of Sippar-Yāma and Sippar-Amnānum on the Euphrates, c. 35 km southwest of modern Baghdad; or (2) a location in northern Syria near Hamath. Either way, they originated from the heartland of Mesopotamian culture, far removed from the covenant land to which Assyria forcibly relocated them. Old Testament Context In the Assyrian resettlement policy described in 2 Kings 17, five nations—including the Sepharvites—were implanted among the remnants of Israel: Their arrival forms part of the divine explanation for the Northern Kingdom’s exile. Because Israel had adopted idolatry, “the LORD removed them from His presence” (2 Kings 17:18); the Assyrians then imported other idolaters, compounding the spiritual crisis of the land. The single specific mention of the Sepharvites occurs at 2 Kings 17:31, yet the larger unit (17:24-41) shows how all the transplanted peoples attempted a syncretistic worship that neither feared the Lord exclusively nor obeyed His statutes. Religious Practices of the Sepharvites 2 Kings 17:31 records the gravest offense associated with the Sepharvites: “The Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.” 1. Child Sacrifice. Their ritual mirrored the abominable worship condemned elsewhere (Deuteronomy 12:31; Jeremiah 32:35). That Scripture names both gods underscores how entrenched and sanctioned the practice was. Historical Significance The presence of Sepharvite idolatry in Samaria shaped later Jewish attitudes toward the Samaritans. By New Testament times, the bitter divide between Judea and Samaria (John 4:9) could be traced back to this history of mixed worship. The Sepharvites therefore form one link in the chain that explains why the message of Jesus as Messiah confronted centuries-old prejudice and spiritual confusion. Archaeological Notes Cuneiform tablets from ancient Sippar contain hymns and rituals to the sun-god, matching the fiery symbolism implicit in child sacrifice. While no inscription explicitly names Adrammelech or Anammelech, parallels in Akkadian theophoric names suggest they were aspects of solar or astral worship. Such evidence corroborates the biblical portrayal of the Sepharvites’ devotions. Spiritual and Ministry Insights • The episode warns that importing pagan practices into covenant life leads to spiritual compromise and divine judgment. Key Reference 2 Kings 17:31 – The sole explicit occurrence of the term and the definitive biblical picture of Sepharvite religion. Forms and Transliterations וְהַסְפַרְוִ֗ים והספרוים vehasfarVim wə·has·p̄ar·wîm wəhasp̄arwîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 17:31 HEB: וְאֶת־ תַּרְתָּ֑ק וְהַסְפַרְוִ֗ים שֹׂרְפִ֤ים אֶת־ NAS: and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned KJV: and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt INT: Nibhaz and Tartak and the Sepharvites burned their children 1 Occurrence |
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