The Source of Idolatry and Confusion in Samaria
Cuthah is not a person but a geographical location—one of the cities in the Assyrian Empire from which people were forcibly resettled into the land of Samaria after the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered and exiled. The people who came from Cuthah played a foundational role in establishing the hybrid, syncretistic religion that characterized the Samaritans, a group despised by the Jews for their compromised faith.
I. The Assyrian Resettlement
The history of Cuthah is inseparable from the judgment delivered upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) by the Assyrians under their king, Shalmaneser (and later, Sargon II). The Assyrian policy was to deport the native population and replace them with foreigners to destroy national identity and prevent rebellion (2 Kings 17:6, KJV).
The inhabitants of Cuthah were among the major groups resettled into Samaria:
“And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.” (2 Kings 17:24, KJV)
Cuthah (also spelled Kutha or Kutu) was a city located in Mesopotamia, north of Babylon. The resettled people became known as the Cuthites, and later simply as Samaritans because of their new homeland.
II. The Religion of the Cuthites
The newly settled inhabitants brought their native gods with them, leading to a strange and offensive religious syncretism that mixed pagan practices with the worship of the God of Israel.
- Fear of the LORD, but Service to Idols: When the new settlers were harassed by lions (a sign of God’s displeasure—2 Kings 17:25, KJV), they petitioned the Assyrian king. They were taught a corrupted form of the Law of Moses to appease the “manner of the God of the land.” The resulting worship was an abomination to God:
“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 unto this day.” (2 Kings 17:41, KJV)
- Nergal, the God of Cuthah: The people specifically from Cuthah were known for worshipping a particular deity:
“And the men of Cuth made Nergal,” (2 Kings 17:30, KJV)
Nergal was a powerful Mesopotamian deity associated with war, pestilence, and the underworld. His worship was a clear example of the Global Religion of Self—a demonic lie masked by fear—where the true God was mixed with the worship of idols of their own choosing.
III. Theological and Prophetic Significance
The city of Cuthah, through its exported inhabitants, served as a painful lesson regarding compromise and the Erosion of Scripture (a theme relevant to your book, Defence of the Truth):
- The Danger of Syncretism: The Cuthites’ religion was a blend of fear and convenience. They “feared the LORD” (out of superstition, not devotion) while simultaneously serving their idols. This is the very definition of compromise and spiritual lukewarmness, a condition that Christ condemns (Revelation 3:16, KJV).
- The Origin of Samaritan Separation: The Cuthites/Samaritans were later rejected by the Jews returning from Babylonian exile because their faith was irredeemably corrupted. This historical rift explains the deep antipathy seen in the New Testament (John 4:9, KJV). It stands as a perpetual warning that the Defence of the Truth requires a radical separation from idolatrous practices and doctrines of men.
- The Pervasive Lie: The Cuthites’ story demonstrates how far-reaching the Deceptive Power of Signs and Lying Wonders can be. They embraced a false religion based on appeasing a perceived need (lion attacks) rather than submitting to the revealed Word of God. The true fear of God is inseparable from worshipping Him alone.
Cuthah remains in Scripture as a stark geographical and historical marker of religious compromise, reminding believers that the mingling of truth and error always produces a corrupted faith that cannot withstand the pure light of God’s Word.