How was Yehudah worse than Shomron?
Malbim: Even though Shomron received Divine creed and Torah like Yehudah, and they deserved to be punished for idolatry, their deeds were not as bad for three reasons. (a) They sinned only with idolatry and Mitzvos Bein Adam la'Makom, but not with theft, oppression and [other] sins Bein Adam l'Chavero. The list of Yehudah's sins (Perek 22) includes both Bein Adam l'Chavero and Bein Adam la'Makom. Most of those sins, e.g. murder and disgracing parents, were not in Shomron. (b) The sins of Achaz and Menasheh were greater in quantity and quality than those of Malchei Yisrael 1 . (c) In Yehudah was the Mikdash, Shechinah, Sanhedrin and constant miracles. Shomron did not have these, nor Nevi'im rebuking them, nor Kadosh places to learn to fear Hashem.
(Surely, 'Yehudah' in Malbim is a printing mistake.) We find that Achav executed Navos based on Sheker! Menasheh did worse ? he killed Yeshayah ha'Navi, who was also his grandfather. Navos refused to sell his land to the king, which is some level of rebellion. Also, Izevel incited Achav; it is like that her conversion was invalid, and she was a Nochris. (PF)
Why does it say "me'Henah"?
Radak: More than Shomron and its villages.
How does she justify Shomron?
Rashi: Before you increased abomination over them, they were judged to be liable. After you increased evil over them, you made them like Tzadikim, and gave to them a claim ? others angered Hashem more than we did.
Radak: When one sees your abominations, he thinks that your sister (Shomron) is virtuous compared to you.
It is written Achosech, and we pronounce it Achosayich!
Radak: The Kesiv is singular, for Shomron; the pronunciation is plural, for Shomron and Sedom 1 .
Radak explained that "me'Henah" refers to Shomron and its villages. Perhaps the Keri u'Chsiv here hints to an additional plural. However, in Shmuel II, 15:21, Radak said that Chachamim 'enacted' Keri u'Chsiv when they returned from Galus and found different texts, and could not resolve which is correct! (PF)
