Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Kings 17:2

"And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, yet not as the kings of Israel that were before him." — 2 Kings 17:2 (ASV)

Not as the kings of Israel who were before him—The repentance of a nation, like that of an individual, may be “too late.” God is long-suffering; but after national sins have reached a certain height, after admonitions and warnings have been repeatedly rejected, and after lesser punishments have failed—judgment begins to fall. Forces have been set in motion that nothing but a miracle could stop, and God does not see fit to work a miracle in such a case. (Compare to Butler's Analogy, Part 1, Chapter 2, end).