II Kings 17:1-6 · Bible study
2 Kings 17:1-6 Commentary: The Fall of Samaria
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the end of Israel's kingdom: Hoshea's reign, Shalmaneser's siege, the capture of Samaria, and the exile of the ten tribes.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The account of Israel’s final king and the Assyrian conquest that ended the northern kingdom.
- Key words: rak (only, v.2), comparative restraint; kesher (conspiracy, v.4), political betrayal; galah (to exile, v.6), the ultimate consequence.
- Main debate: Reconciling Hoshea’s accession date (twelfth year of Ahaz) with 2 Kings 15:30 (twentieth year of Jotham).
- Theological theme: God’s patience with sin has limits; judgment falls even when the leader is slightly better than his predecessors.
- Best use: A warning against relying on political alliances rather than God, and an illustration that reform without repentance is insufficient.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years.
2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years.
2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.
4The king of Assyria discovered a conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria seized him, and bound him in prison.
5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
KJV King James Version 1769
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel, and reigned nine years.
2And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, yet not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.
4And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah reigned hath Hoshea son of Elah in Samaria, over Israel--nine years,
2and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, only, not as the kings of Israel who were before him;
3against him came up Shalmaneser king of Asshur, and Hoshea is to him a servant, and doth render to him a present.
4And the king of Asshur findeth in Hoshea a conspiracy, in that he hath sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and hath not caused a present to go up to the king of Asshur, as year by year, and the king of Asshur restraineth him, and bindeth him in a house of restraint.
5And the king of Asshur goeth up into all the land, and he goeth up to Samaria, and layeth siege against it three years;
6in the ninth year of Hoshea hath the king of Asshur captured Samaria, and removeth Israel to Asshur, and causeth them to dwell in Halah, and in Habor, by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, for nine years.
2And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not as the kings of Israel that had been before him.
3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant, and tendered him presents.
4But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and sent up no present to the king of Assyria as [he had done] from year to year. And the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
5And the king of Assyria overran the whole land, and went up against Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda, Osee the son of Ela reigned in Samaria, over Israel, nine years.
2And he did evil before the Lord: but not as the kings of Israel that had been before him.
3Against him came up Salmanasar, king of the Assyrians; and Osee became his servant, and paid him tribute.
4And when the king of the Assyrians found that Osee, endeavouring to rebel, had sent messengers to Sua, the king of Egypt, that he might not pay tribute to the king of the Assyrians, as he had done every year, he besieged him, bound him, and cast him into prison.
5And he went through all the land: and going up to Samaria, he besieged it three years.
6And in the ninth year of Osee, the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria: and he placed them in Hala, and Habor, by the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 17:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that 2 Kings 17:1-6 records the final collapse of the northern kingdom. The passage presents Hoshea as Israel's last king, whose reign ended with the Assyrian conquest and mass deportation. The phrase rak (only) in verse 2 signals that Hoshea was evil, but less so than his predecessors, he did not promote Baal worship or compel calf worship, as some earlier kings had (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Yet the nation's accumulated sin had passed the point of remedy (Barnes). The siege of Samaria lasted three years, and the city fell in Hoshea's ninth year, around 722, 721 BC. Most commentators note that Assyrian records attribute the capture to Sargon, not Shalmaneser (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch), while the biblical text assigns it to Shalmaneser. This may reflect the fact that Shalmaneser began the siege and Sargon completed it after his accession. The deportation to Halah, Habor, Gozan, and Media fulfilled prophetic warnings (Hosea, Amos) and marked the end of the northern tribes as a political entity.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Interregnum view: Hoshea's reign was contested for eight years after his coup, so his official rule began later (Keil, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
- Calendar/scribal error view: The numbers in 2 Kings 15:30 and 17:1 conflict, suggesting either different reckoning systems or a textual corruption (Cambridge Bible).
- Harmonized accession view: Hoshea was recognized as king by Assyria only after a period of anarchy, aligning the twentieth year of Jotham (which overlaps with Ahaz) with the twelfth year of Ahaz (some harmonizers).
What is clear: Hoshea assassinated Pekah, became Israel's last king, and his reign ended with the Assyrian capture of Samaria and the exile of the northern tribes.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of Hoshea's accession | Hoshea assassinated Pekah and eventually became king; his reign ended with the fall of Samaria in his ninth year. | Some see an interregnum of about eight years between his coup and his acknowledged rule (Keil, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown); others attribute the discrepancy to different calendar systems or scribal transmission errors (Cambridge Bible). |
| Identity of the Assyrian king who captured Samaria | Shalmaneser V began the campaign and besieged Samaria; the city fell in 722, 721 BC. | Assyrian inscriptions attribute the capture to Sargon II, not Shalmaneser. Some argue Shalmaneser died during the siege and Sargon claimed it; others suggest the biblical text assigns the event to the king who started it (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch). |
| Identity of So, king of Egypt | So was an Egyptian or Ethiopian pharaoh with whom Hoshea conspired. | Most identify So with Shebek (Sabaco) of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty; others suggest it is a place name (Sais) or a title (Gill, Ellicott). |
| Significance of 'not as the kings of Israel who were before him' | Hoshea was comparatively less evil; he avoided certain extreme idolatries. | Some Jewish traditions say he removed the calf of Dan and allowed pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Gill); others note we have no other record of his reforms but the comment still shows judgment was delayed only slightly (Henry). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of 2 Kings 17 unfold against the backdrop of Assyria's westward expansion under Tiglath-pileser II (745, 727 BC) and his successors. Hoshea came to the throne by assassinating Pekah (2 Kings 15:30), likely with Assyrian backing, as he immediately became a vassal of Shalmaneser V (Barnes, Cambridge Bible). The tribute payment (minchah, a gift or offering) signals political submission. Hoshea's decision to send envoys to So, king of Egypt (likely the Ethiopian pharaoh Shebek or Sabaco, Gill, Keil), and to withhold tribute was a dangerous gamble. Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty was resurgent, but Assyrian intelligence uncovered the conspiracy (Clarke, Cambridge). Shalmaneser imprisoned Hoshea and then invaded the entire land.
Samaria's hilltop location and fortifications allowed it to withstand a siege of three years (Clarke notes its strength). The final capture, probably by Sargon II after Shalmaneser's death, resulted in the deportation of Israel's elite and skilled workers. The places named, Halah, Habor (the Khabur River), Gozan, and the cities of the Medes, were standard Assyrian resettlement areas in the upper Euphrates and Media (Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge). This policy of mass deportation was designed to break national identity and prevent rebellion.
Literarily, the verses serve as a hinge: they end the history of the northern kingdom and lead into the theological explanation that follows (vv. 7, 23). The chronicler carefully contrasts Hoshea's relative restraint with the irreversible judgment that fell anyway, underscoring that God's patience has limits.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants affecting the meaning of this passage. The LXX reads Σηγώρ for So (v.4), indicating a possible alternate vocalization of the name. The chronological numbers have minor variations in some manuscripts (e.g., some read 'tenth year' for 'twelfth' in v.1), but these do not alter the historical narrative. The Hebrew text is stable.
Reception History
Throughout church history, 2 Kings 17:1-6 has been read as a sobering example of divine judgment upon persistent idolatry. Early church fathers like Jerome used the fall of Samaria to warn against mingling true worship with pagan practices. The deportation of the ten tribes gave rise to the 'lost tribes' speculation, with some identifying them with groups in Africa, Asia, or even Britain, a view that persisted among some Protestant and Jewish traditions but lacks historical evidence. Medieval and Reformation commentators (e.g., Calvin in his harmony of Kings) emphasized the theological explanation in verses 7-23, stressing that God's patience has a limit and that national privilege does not guarantee immunity from judgment. In modern times, the passage is often used in preaching to underscore the danger of trusting in political alliances rather than God, and to illustrate that half-hearted reform cannot avert disaster.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The King Who Almost Repented: Hoshea was evil, but not as evil as those before him (v. 2). He removed some pagan elements, yet his heart never turned fully to Yahweh. Half measures cannot save a nation or a soul.
- The Fatal Alliance: Hoshea trusted Egypt instead of God (v. 4). The very nation that had enslaved Israel became his hope, a pattern of misplaced trust that prophets like Isaiah and Hosea condemned.
- The Long Siege and Sudden End: Three years of siege, then capture and exile (vv. 5, 6). God’s judgment is often slow but always sure. What begins as a warning can become a reality if ignored.
Five-point outline
- Restrained Evil: Hoshea’s reign was comparatively better, but still evil in God’s eyes (v. 2).
- Foreign Pressure: Shalmaneser’s invasion forced submission (v. 3).
- Secret Conspiracy: Hoshea’s alliance with Egypt was discovered (v. 4).
- Total Invasion: The Assyrian king overran the whole land (v. 5).
- National Death: Samaria fell, and Israel was exiled (v. 6).
Illustration hooks
- A captain who steers the ship slightly better than the previous captain but still refuses to change course toward the harbor, the ship sinks anyway.
- A patient who stops smoking but continues a poor diet; the improvement is real, but the underlying disease progresses.
- A student who turns in better work than before but still fails the course because the overall grade remains insufficient.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did God allow the ten tribes to be lost? Doesn’t He keep His promises to Abraham?
- If Hoshea was “better” than other kings, why was he the one under whom the kingdom fell?
- What can we learn from the alliance with Egypt, how do we choose whom to trust in times of crisis?
Leading a Discussion
This passage closes the story of the northern kingdom. As you read 2 Kings 17:1-6, notice the mix of hope (a slightly better king) and tragedy (the end still comes). The group should grapple with how God’s justice and mercy interact when a nation has been persistently rebellious.
Discussion questions
- What does verse 2 tell us about Hoshea’s character? Why would the narrator mention that he was “not as the kings of Israel who were before him”?
- How did Assyrian imperial policy affect Hoshea’s decisions? What pressures did he face?
- Why do you think Hoshea turned to Egypt for help? What does that reveal about his trust in God?
- Read 2 Kings 17:7-8. How do these verses explain the reason for Israel’s downfall? Does that change how you read verses 1-6?
- The siege lasted three years. What might that period have been like for the people of Samaria? What choices were available to them?
- In what ways do we sometimes rely on “Egypt” (worldly solutions) rather than God when we feel threatened?
- If repentance can come too late for a nation, what does that say about the urgency of turning to God today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 15:30 | Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, attacked him, killed him, and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. |
| II Kings 3:2 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. |
| II Kings 10:31 | But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin. |
| II Kings 13:2 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from it. |
| II Kings 13:11 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; but he walked in them. |
| II Kings 15:9 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as his fathers had done. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. |
| II Kings 15:18 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. |
| II Kings 15:24 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the ten lost tribes of Israel are most likely the ancestors of the Afghans, based on historical accounts and linguistic similarities. He cites Persian historians, Jewish traditions among Afghans, and a resemblance between the Pushtoo language and Chaldean as evidence for this descent.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sobering contrast: a nation’s repentance, like an individual's, can come too late. After repeated warnings and lesser punishments fail, judgment becomes inevitable. God could still send a miracle to stop it, but in such cases He does not.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary focuses on the chronological contradictions in the account of Hoshea's reign, especially the conflicting dates between 2 Kings 15 and 17. It also notes that the word for "presents" given to Shalmaneser is the same Hebrew term used for the grain offering, suggesting a compulsory tribute disguised as a voluntary gift.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill addresses a chronological puzzle about when Hoshea actually began to reign, suggesting there was an interregnum or that he was not fully acknowledged until later. He also notes that Hoshea was less evil than previous kings, which underscores that Israel's captivity came from the people's own sins, not merely their ruler's.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Hoshea, though evil, was less wicked than earlier kings of Israel because he did not force Baal worship or calf worship. Yet the nation was so corrupt from previous reigns that God's judgment through the Assyrian captivity was unavoidable. The Assyrian policy of transplanting conquered peoples was meant to prevent rebellion.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the phrase about Israel's sin as meaning they actively concealed God behind their wrongdoing, making Him invisible and practically denied. This goes beyond mere disobedience; they covered over Jehovah Himself with their evil practices, so He could no longer be seen or recognized among them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Hoshea, though less evil than previous Israelite kings, gained the throne by murder and was forced to wait years to reign as just punishment. His eventual downfall, sealed by trusting Egypt instead of Assyria, fulfilled the prophet's word that a people who do not fear the Lord will find themselves without a king.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Hoshea did not worship Baal or force the people to worship the calves, yet God's judgment still fell because Israel's sins were full. He reflects that those who forgot God were themselves forgotten, buried among the nations, though a remnant escaped and will remain until all Israel is saved.