Hoshea (2 Kings 15:30; 2 Kings 17:1–2; 2 Kings 17:3; 2 Kings 17:4; 2 Kings 17:5–6; 2 Kings 17:7–23; 2 Kings 18:1; 2 Kings 18:9–12)

Son of Elah, the king of Israel when Samaria was taken

Hoshea the son of Elah conspired against Pekah and slew him, reigned nine years in Samaria over Israel, became a servant of Shalmaneser king of Assyria, was bound in prison after sending messengers to So king of Egypt and withholding tribute, and was king in the year Samaria was taken.

Hoshea appears only in 2 Kings, and the narrator never records a word he speaks. He enters the account with an act of violence: “Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead” (2 Kings 15:30). He began to reign in Samaria over Israel and reigned nine years (2 Kings 17:1). Of his reign the text says, “he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, yet not as the kings of Israel that were before him” (2 Kings 17:2). That is a comparison; the text does not describe what he did.

Assyria then moves against him: “Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute” (2 Kings 17:3). Later “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” (2 Kings 17:4). The text does not say what became of him after this, and it records no death or burial for him.

The Assyrian king “went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria” (2 Kings 17:5-6). The long passage that follows gives the narrator's reason for the fall, and it is about Israel as a people: “the children of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God” (2 Kings 17:7). Hoshea is not named in it. Second Kings dates his reign by Judah's kings, noting that Hezekiah began to reign “in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel” (2 Kings 18:1) and that Samaria was taken “in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel” (2 Kings 18:10).

Weaknesses

• Conspiracy and bloodshed to take the throne
• Evil in the sight of the LORD

Themes

• Conspiracy and the throne
• Tribute to Assyria
• Looking to Egypt
• The fall of Samaria
• Israel carried away

Conspires against Pekah and takes the throne (2 Kings 15:30)

Hoshea the son of Elah makes a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, smites and slays him, and reigns in his stead.

Conspires against Pekah and takes the throne

Pekah's reign over Israel is told in a few verses. Of him the text says, “he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 15:28).

Then comes Hoshea: “And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah” (2 Kings 15:30).

The text gives no reason for the conspiracy and names no one who joined him in it.

Reigns nine years in Samaria (2 Kings 17:1–2)

Hoshea begins to reign in Samaria over Israel in the twelfth year of Ahaz and does evil in the LORD's sight, yet not as the kings before him.

Becomes the servant of Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:3)

Shalmaneser king of Assyria comes up against Hoshea, who becomes his servant and brings him tribute.

Sends to Egypt and is shut up in prison (2 Kings 17:4)

The king of Assyria finds conspiracy in Hoshea, who has sent messengers to So king of Egypt and withheld tribute, and binds him in prison.

Sends to Egypt and is shut up in prison

“Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute” (2 Kings 17:3).

Then the text turns: “And 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” (2 Kings 17:4).

Samaria besieged and taken (2 Kings 17:5–6; 2 Kings 18:9–11)

The king of Assyria besieges Samaria three years, takes it in Hoshea's ninth year, and carries Israel away unto Assyria.

Samaria besieged and taken

“Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years” (2 Kings 17:5). The siege began, the text says, “in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea” (2 Kings 18:9).

“In 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” (2 Kings 17:6).

The text's reason for the fall (2 Kings 17:7–23)

The narrator says Israel was removed from the LORD's sight because the children of Israel sinned, ignored the prophets, and walked in the sins of Jeroboam.

The text's reason for the fall

After the fall of Samaria the narrator explains it, and the explanation is about the whole people: “And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt” (2 Kings 17:7). Hoshea is not named in these verses.

“Yet Jehovah testified unto Israel, and unto Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways” (2 Kings 17:13). “Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their neck” (2 Kings 17:14).

“Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight” (2 Kings 17:18). “And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; until Jehovah removed Israel out of his sight, as he spake by all his servants the prophets” (2 Kings 17:22-23).

His years counted by Hezekiah's reign (2 Kings 18:1; 2 Kings 18:9–10)

Second Kings dates Hezekiah's beginning in Hoshea's third year and the taking of Samaria in Hezekiah's sixth, Hoshea's ninth.

Pekah (2 Kings 15:30)

Hoshea made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, smote him, slew him, and reigned in his stead.

Shalmaneser king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:3–5; 2 Kings 18:9)

Hoshea became his servant and brought him tribute; the king of Assyria later bound him in prison and came up against Samaria.

So king of Egypt (2 Kings 17:4)

Hoshea had sent messengers to him; the text records no answer.

Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:1; 2 Kings 18:9–10)

King of Judah, who began to reign in Hoshea's third year; Samaria was taken in Hezekiah's sixth year, Hoshea's ninth.

The LORD (2 Kings 17:2; 2 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 17:23)

Hoshea did evil in his sight, yet not as the kings before him; the LORD removed Israel out of his sight.

Major sections

• 2 Kings 15:30
• 2 Kings 17:1–23
• 2 Kings 18:1
• 2 Kings 18:9–12

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