מלכים ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק ל״ג

A complex reality of dual belief took root in Samaria following the arrival of new populations. These new inhabitants created a blended religion, combining a newfound fear of God with the idol worship they had brought from their native lands. They learned how to revere God from the remaining locals, yet simultaneously maintained their devotion to their own traditional idols.

There are two primary ways to understand the specific customs these people followed. One approach suggests that the new arrivals simply maintained the exact religious practices of their foreign homelands. Each distinct group continued to worship its traditional gods following the familiar rituals they practiced before being relocated [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד״ק].

An alternative perspective offers a different historical parallel, suggesting that these new residents were actually mimicking the behavior of the original Israelites who had been exiled from Samaria. Those earlier Israelites had also lived with a divided loyalty, attempting to worship God while simultaneously serving idols—a practice that had previously drawn harsh criticism from the prophet Elijah. In this view, the new inhabitants simply adopted the flawed, blended worship of the people they replaced [רלב״ג, רד״ק].