Hoshea, the Last King of Israel

2 Kings 17

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years. He did what was evil in YHWH’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who were before him. Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. The 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. Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, 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 to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Idolatry

It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against YHWH their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, and walked in the statutes of the nations whom YHWH cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made. The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against YHWH their God. They built high places for themselves in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. They set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. They burned incense at all the high places, just like the nations whom YHWH removed before them did. They did wicked things to provoke YHWH to anger, and they served idols, even though YHWH had said to them, “Y’all must not do this.” YHWH warned to Israel and to Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Y’all must turn from your* evil ways, and y’all must keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your* fathers, and that I sent to y’all through my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen. Instead they hardened their neck like the neck of their ancestors who didn’t believe in YHWH their God. They rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom YHWH had commanded them that they should not do like them. They abandoned all the commandments of YHWH their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal. They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in YHWH’s sight, to provoke him to anger. Therefore YHWH was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of YHWH their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. YHWH rejected all the offspring of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of raiders, until he had cast them out of his sight. For he tore Israel from David’s house; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drove Israel from following YHWH, and made them sin a great sin. The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t depart from them until YHWH removed Israel out of his sight, as he said by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.

Assyria Resettles Samaria

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. So it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they didn’t fear YHWH. Therefore YHWH sent lions among them, which killed some of them. Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, which are killing them, because they don’t know the requirements of the god of the land.”

Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Y’all are to take one of the priests whom you* deported from there. Have him go, live there, and teach them the requirements of the god of the land.”

So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear YHWH.

However every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. So they feared YHWH, and also made from among themselves priests of the high places for themselves, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. They feared YHWH, and also served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. To this day they do what they did before. They do not fear YHWH, and they do not follow the statutes, or the ordinances, or the law, or the commandment which YHWH commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. YHWH had made a covenant with them and commanded them, saying, “Y’all must not fear other gods or bow to them. Y’all must not serve them or sacrifice to them. Instead y’all are to fear YHWH, who brought you* up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, and y’all are to bow to ʜɪᴍ and sacrifice to ʜɪᴍ. The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment which he wrote for y’all, y’all must observe and do forever more. Y’all must not fear other gods. Y’all must not forget the covenant that I have made with you*. Y’all must not fear other gods. Rather, y’all are to fear YHWH y’all’s God, and ʜᴇ will deliver y’all from the hand of all your* enemies.”

However they didn’t listen, and they continued doing what they did before. These nations feared YHWH while also serving their graven images. To this day, their children and grandchildren do as their ancestors did.