מלכים ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק כ״ח

The arrival of an exiled priest to guide the new inhabitants of Samaria reveals a complex theological reality. The attempt to teach foreign nations the ways of God gave birth to a religious compromise, blending the belief in a supreme deity with deeply rooted pagan practices. The priest settled in Bethel, as this city had long served as the religious center for the Kingdom of Israel [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A natural question arises regarding how this priest could teach the people to fear God while they actively continued to worship their own deities and build idols. The answer lies in the character of the priest himself. He was not a model of pure religious devotion, but rather an idolatrous priest who instructed the new settlers according to the flawed traditions already practiced in the Kingdom of Israel during that era [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The priest realized that if he demanded the foreigners completely abandon the idolatry they were raised with, they would simply not listen. The common worldview at the time required physical, tangible objects to connect with the divine. Therefore, he offered a path of compromise. They were permitted to continue worshiping their native gods, but they had to understand that the idols were merely intermediaries. Their true inner devotion had to be directed toward God, recognizing Him as the supreme ruler over good and evil [רד״ק].

This approach highlighted a fundamental difference between the Israelites and the foreign nations. The Israelites were strictly commanded to worship God alone, making any use of pagan objects a severe sin of rebellion. However, for the other nations of the world, simply acknowledging God as the supreme power alongside their local deities was sufficient for them to be considered as fearing God [מלבי״ם].

Beyond the belief in a supreme God, the fear of God that the priest taught included practical warnings regarding the specific nature of the region. The Land of Israel is a holy place that cannot tolerate abominations. The priest instructed the settlers to guard themselves against severe physical impurities, such as forbidden sexual relationships, so that the land would not expel them just as it had expelled previous nations. Ultimately, it was this unique combination—recognizing God's ultimate supremacy while avoiding grave sins out of respect for the land's holiness—that defined their fear of God [רד״ק].