מלכים ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק כ״ז

Faced with complaints from the new populations he resettled in Samaria, the king of Assyria realizes he must take action to ensure the survival of the colony. He decides to provide the new inhabitants with religious instruction, returning Israelite exiles to teach the new nations the proper way to live in their new environment [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Specifically, the king orders the return of an Israelite priest from the Assyrian exile. A priest is chosen for this mission because priests traditionally serve as the teachers of the Torah [רד״ק].

The royal directive dictates that certain individuals must go and settle in the region, though there are different views on who this involves. One perspective suggests the order is directed at the pagan nations brought from Babylon and Cuthah. The intention is that these new settlers will remain securely in Samaria, while the priest's role is simply to teach them the laws of God [מצודת דוד]. Another view maintains that the command refers to the priest himself, along with other Israelite exiles who will accompany him. In this scenario, they return to Samaria to live among the new residents and serve as official religious guides appointed by the king [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The primary goal of this mission is to instruct and guide the newcomers [מצודת ציון]. The priest is sent to teach them the laws of the God of the land, showing them how to conduct themselves according to the Torah while living in the Land of Israel [רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, this instruction ultimately creates a complicated religious reality. Even though the new inhabitants learn to fear God, they blend His worship with their own pagan traditions. They continue to create idols in the cities of Samaria and place them in the Samaritan high places. Furthermore, they appoint their own priests from within their community to serve at these high places, completely casting aside the true priests, much like Jeroboam had done in the past [רלב״ג].