Fall of Samaria and Israel’s Exile
2 Kings 17:1-6
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2 K.17.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בשנת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- שתים: NUM,f,pl,abs
- עשרה: NUM,card,m,pl
- לאחז: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- הושע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- בשמרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תשע: NUM,card
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kgs 17:6 (structural): Direct continuation of the same episode: recounts that in the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported Israel, showing the outcome of Hoshea’s reign introduced in 17:1.
- 2 Kgs 18:9-11 (quotation): Later summary recounting the fall of Samaria and the exile of Israel to Assyria, repeating the outcome that began with Hoshea’s reign (cf. 2 Kgs 17).
- 1 Chr 5:26 (thematic): Chronicles’ notice that Israel/the eastern tribes were carried away by the Assyrians parallels Kings’ account of the northern kingdom’s deportation during the Assyrian campaigns in Hoshea’s time.
- Hos 1:1 (thematic): Provides a synchronistic frame—placing prophetic activity in the reigns of Judah’s kings including Ahaz—helpful for dating Hoshea’s accession in the twelfth year of Ahaz.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king in Samaria over Israel; he reigned nine years.
- In the twelfth year of Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria; he reigned nine years.
2 K.17.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הרע: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- רק: PRT
- לא: PART_NEG
- כמלכי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Judges 2:11 (verbal): Uses the same Deuteronomistic refrain “did evil in the eyes of the LORD,” signaling covenant unfaithfulness and providing the broader theological context for royal/folk judgment.
- 1 Kings 16:30 (verbal): Ahab is described as doing more evil than all the kings before him—directly comparable comparative language assessing a king’s evil relative to predecessors.
- 2 Kings 18:3 (thematic): A contrasting use of the same evaluative formula — “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” — showing the standard by which kings are judged in the narrative.
- 2 Chronicles 33:2 (verbal): Manasseh is said to have done evil in the sight of the LORD, echoing the same terminology and theme of royal apostasy found in 2 Kings 17:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD—yet not like the kings of Israel who were before him.
- He did evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not like the kings of Israel who were before him.
2 K.17.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- עלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שלמנאסר: NOUN,prop,sg,m
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- הושע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- מנחה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kgs 17:4 (structural): Immediate continuation of the narrative: Hoshea ceases paying tribute, seeks help from Egypt, and Shalmaneser responds by besieging Israel—explains the consequences of vassalage mentioned in 17:3.
- 2 Kgs 18:9 (verbal): Repeats the account of Shalmaneser’s campaign against Samaria in the time of Hoshea (siege and capture), linking the same Assyrian king and conflict.
- 2 Kgs 17:6 (structural): Reports the outcome of Assyrian intervention—Samaria’s fall and the exile of Israel—showing the result of the vassal relationship and its breakdown introduced in 17:3.
- 2 Kgs 15:29 (thematic): Earlier depiction of Assyrian encroachment (Tiglath-pileser/Pul) taking Israelite territory and imposing subjugation/tribute, providing background to the pattern of Assyrian dominance reflected in 17:3.
- 1 Chr 5:26 (thematic): Chronicles frames Assyrian domination and deportation of Israelite groups as divine judgment, thematically paralleling the Assyrian suzerainty and exile associated with Hoshea’s tribute in 2 Kgs 17:3.
Alternative generated candidates
- Shalmaneser king of Assyria went up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
- Shalmaneser king of Assyria went up against him; Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute.
2 K.17.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וימצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בהושע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קשר: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלאכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אל: NEG
- סוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- העלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,def
- מנחה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- למלך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כשנה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בשנה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויעצרהו: VERB,piel,impf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאסרהו: VERB,piel,impf,3,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כלא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 15:19-20 (thematic): Describes another Israelite king (Menahem) paying large tribute to the king of Assyria (Pul) — parallel theme of Israelite kings submitting to or failing to meet Assyrian demands for tribute.
- 2 Kings 17:6 (structural): Immediate narrative consequence: the king of Assyria captures Samaria and deports Israel — shows the outcome of Hoshea's conspiracy and nonpayment described in 17:4.
- Hosea 7:11 (verbal): Prophetic indictment that 'Ephraim goes to Assyria, and they send to Egypt' — echoes the specific act of seeking help from Egypt (So) and alliances with foreign powers in 2 Kgs 17:4.
- Isaiah 31:1 (thematic): Condemns reliance on Egypt for military assistance ('woe to those who go down to Egypt for help') — thematically parallels Hoshea's appeal to Pharaoh So rather than trusting YHWH.
Alternative generated candidates
- But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea—for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and he did not send the king of Assyria tribute year by year—so the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.
- The king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea—for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and had not sent tribute to the king of Assyria as in former years; therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.
2 K.17.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויעל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויצר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עליה: PREP,3,f,sg
- שלש: NUM,card,f,sg
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 17:6 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation — reports that Samaria was taken and the Israelites were carried into exile by Assyria, completing the outcome of the three‑year siege.
- 2 Kings 18:11 (verbal): Reiterates the same exile language — the king of Assyria carries Israel away to Assyria and settles them in Halah and the cities of the Medes, echoing the result of the siege of Samaria.
- Isaiah 36:1 (thematic): Describes an Assyrian king (Sennacherib) coming against Judah and besieging Jerusalem — a parallel instance of Assyrian military campaigns and sieges in the Deuteronomistic history.
- Isaiah 10:5–6 (thematic): Presents Assyria as the instrument of YHWH’s judgment on Israel and Judah — theological parallel explaining the Assyrian siege and exile as divine punishment.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the king of Assyria advanced against the whole land; he came to Samaria and besieged it three years.
- The king of Assyria advanced through all the land, and he laid siege to Samaria and besieged it three years.
2 K.17.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בשנת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- התשיעית: ADJ,f,sg,def
- להושע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויגל: VERB,qal,wayyiq,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשורה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- בחלח: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובחבור: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נהר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- גוזן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וערי: NOUN,f,pl,const
- מדי: PREP
Parallels
- 2 Kings 18:11 (quotation): Repeats almost verbatim the report that the king of Assyria carried Israel from Samaria and resettled them in Halah, by the Habor (the river of Gozan) and among the Medes—direct literary repetition within Kings.
- 1 Chronicles 5:26 (verbal): Uses the same geographic names (Halah, Habor, the river of Gozan) for Assyrian deportations; parallels the account of Israel's exile and attribution of the event to Assyrian kings.
- Hosea 9:3 (allusion): Speaks of Ephraim/Israel not dwelling in the land and of links with Assyria as part of prophetic reflection on exile—thematises Israel's removal and life among foreign powers, echoing the fate described in 2 Kgs 17:6.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Presents Assyria as the instrument of divine judgment sent to invade and deport peoples; thematically connects the Assyrian conquest and exile of Israel described in 2 Kings 17:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried Israel away into Assyria and settled them in Halah, and in Habor by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
- In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; and he carried Israel away to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria; and he reigned nine years.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not like the kings of Israel who were before him.
Against him went up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and he did not bring tribute to the king of Assyria, year by year. So the king of Assyria arrested him and confined him in prison.
Then the king of Assyria went up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and laid siege against it three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; and he deported Israel to Assyria and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.