The title God of the Land is a generic title, an admission by foreigners that they knew nothing about Him.
After defeating the northern kingdom of Israel, the king of Assyria embarked on a resettlement program. He moved the inhabitants of one conquered nation to another nation. By mixing the populations he hoped to minimize resistance. But the people that he settled in the land of Israel did not live according to the ways of Yahweh (Jehovah). That resulted in judgment in the form of lion attacks. So the people sent to the king of Assyria admitting that they had no idea about the ways of the God of Israel’s homeland.
God of the land in the Hebrew text of 2 Kings 17:26-27.
God of the Land in Hebrew:
’Elohei ha’arets
Strong’s Concordance numbers: 430, 776
Bible reference: 2 Kings 17:26-27
So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land.” (2 Kings 17:26-27)
