2 Kings 17:1-12
The Fall of Samaria
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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.
7All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods
8and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.
10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
11They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.
12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Hoshea becomes king over Israel in Samaria and reigns nine years. He does evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like the kings who came before him. Shalmaneser king of Assyria comes against him, and Hoshea becomes his servant and pays tribute.
Hoshea then sends messengers to So king of Egypt and stops paying tribute to Assyria. The Assyrian king discovers the conspiracy, imprisons Hoshea, and invades the land. Samaria is besieged for three years before the city falls.
The king of Assyria captures Samaria and carries Israel away to Assyria. The people are settled in Halah, along the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. The geographical details make exile concrete: people are removed from homes and placed in unfamiliar places.
The narrator explains that this happened because Israel sinned against the LORD who had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the customs of the nations. They built high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles and worshiped idols. The fall is political, but the book interprets it through the people's long refusal to listen.
Questions
1 What does Hoshea do with Assyria's tribute?
AnswerHoshea first pays tribute to Assyria, then sends messengers to Egypt and stops paying the Assyrian king.
2 How long is Samaria besieged?
AnswerSamaria is besieged for three years by Assyria's army before the king captures the city.
3 Where are the Israelites taken?
AnswerThey are taken to Halah, to Gozan by the Habor River, and to the cities of the Medes, far from their homes.
4 Why does the narrator say Israel fell?
AnswerIsrael turned to idols despite the LORD's command. They rejected the God who had already rescued them from Egypt.
What This Means for Us
The LORD had freed Israel from slavery. Their worship of other gods was a rejection of their rescuer, not simply a mistake in religious practice. Remembering his kindness should have shaped how they lived.
When our family names the ways God has helped us, we are doing more than recalling pleasant memories. We are reminding one another whom we trust and why we should listen to him. Kings gives God's explanation for this exile; it does not give us permission to declare that someone else's loss must be punishment for a particular sin.
Prayer
Lord, keep our families attentive before consequences become irreversible. Help us hear correction, examine the habits beneath our decisions, and turn from patterns that slowly move us away from faithful worship. Amen.
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