Topical Bible: Children: Wicked: Samaritans' Descendants

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The topic of "Children: Wicked: Samaritans' Descendants" delves into the historical and biblical context of the Samaritans, a group often viewed with suspicion and disdain by the Israelites. The Samaritans were descendants of the people who inhabited the Northern Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Assyrians in 722 BC. This conquest led to the intermingling of the Israelites with foreign populations, resulting in a mixed lineage that was often looked down upon by the Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

Historical Context

The animosity between the Jews and Samaritans is rooted in the historical events following the Assyrian conquest. The Assyrians deported many Israelites and brought in people from other conquered lands to settle in Samaria. This led to a blending of cultures and religions, which the Jews considered a corruption of their faith. The Samaritans established their own center of worship on Mount Gerizim, rejecting the temple in Jerusalem, which further deepened the divide.

Biblical References

In the Bible, the Samaritans are often depicted in a negative light, reflecting the tensions between them and the Jews. In the New Testament, the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is a notable exception, where Jesus uses a Samaritan to exemplify love and compassion, challenging the prejudices of His audience.

However, the Old Testament contains several references that highlight the perceived wickedness of the Samaritans' ancestors. In 2 Kings 17:24-41, the Bible describes how the new inhabitants of Samaria, brought by the Assyrians, did not fear the LORD initially. The passage states, "They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests from all sorts of people to offer sacrifices for them in the high places" (2 Kings 17:32). This syncretism was seen as a deviation from true worship.

Religious Practices and Beliefs

The Samaritans held to a version of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, but their religious practices diverged from those of the Jews. They rejected the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament, which contributed to the perception of their beliefs as heretical. The Jews viewed the Samaritans' worship on Mount Gerizim as illegitimate, further fueling the notion of their wickedness.

Cultural and Social Implications

The social implications of this animosity were significant. Jews often avoided traveling through Samaria, and interactions between the two groups were limited. In John 4:9, when Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well, she expresses surprise, saying, "How is it that You, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" . This interaction underscores the deep-seated divisions and prejudices of the time.

Legacy and Impact

The legacy of the Samaritans' perceived wickedness persisted into the New Testament era, influencing the social and religious dynamics of the region. Despite this, Jesus' ministry often challenged these barriers, emphasizing love and acceptance over historical enmity. The account of the Good Samaritan and Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman serve as reminders of the transformative power of grace and the call to transcend cultural and ethnic divisions.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 17:41
So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they to this day.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Woman of Samaria
... and some of them even burnt their children in the ... Jeroboam, and Ahab, and many a
wicked king of ... his heart yearned over these poor ignorant Samaritans, and over ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvi the woman of.htm

The Kingdom of God Conceived as the Inheritance of the Poor.
... God was made"1st, for children, and those ... for heretics and schismatics, publicans,
Samaritans, and Pagans ... the words "rich, impious, violent, wicked," and, on ...
//christianbookshelf.org/renan/the life of jesus/chapter xi the kingdom of.htm

Acts 17:26 "One Blood. "
... blood" as the one medicine needed by all Adam's children. ... trust we do not forget
that it was wicked Cain who ... Where are the Samaritans, we may well ask, in this ...
/.../the upper room being a few truths for the times/chapter vi acts 17 26 one.htm

Questions.
... 22. How did the Samaritans revenge themselves? ... What children did he leave? ... What of
the dying among the wicked and the burial?"Psalm 88:3, 4."Isaiah 53:9. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

Jesus at the Well of Sychar
... two points would mainly stand out: that the Jews in their wicked pride would ... which
would be the worship neither of Jews nor of Samaritans, but of children. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter viii jesus at the.htm

Ancestors of the Blessed virgin
... order to lead their lives undisturbed by wicked people ... he felt sorely distressed
at having no children, but did ... to me like the Temple of the Samaritans on Mount ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/i ancestors of the blessed.htm

section iii.
... but wonder with what exception the Samaritans could confine ... to confirm honest Religion,
but wicked Heresies, and ... where he delivers that the Children of Israel ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section iii.htm

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
... and as regarded fellowship, the Samaritans were placed ... would be the destruction of
the wicked husbandmen. ... little ones' ({hebrew}) were the children,' who were ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxvii second visit to.htm

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
... that passage are the sons of the wicked (compare Job ... 35 is said of David: "If his
children forsake My ... Londini 1698, p.103 sq.") The Samaritans, too, understood ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessing of jacob upon.htm

The Christ of the Gospels. By Rev. Professor Schaff.
... his parents; his liberal conduct toward the Samaritans, as contrasted ... be, all others
being sons or children of God ... them to engage in such a wicked scheme, when ...
/.../the christ of the gospels.htm