Nibhaz was a deity worshipped by the Avvites, one of the peoples settled in Samaria by the Assyrian king after the deportation of the northern kingdom of Israel. The name possibly means "the barker" and may have been represented as a dog-headed idol. The exact nature of this deity remains uncertain.
The mention of Nibhaz in 2 Kings 17:31 occurs within the broader narrative of syncretistic worship that developed in Samaria after the Assyrian conquest. The passage catalogs the various foreign gods brought into the land, demonstrating the consequences of Israel's exile — the holy land became polluted with pagan worship. This passage serves as a powerful warning about the spiritual consequences of unfaithfulness to the covenant.