2 Kings 17:4

4 But the king of Ashur found that Hoshea was conspiring [against him] - he had sent messengers to So the king of Egypt and not paid his tribute to the king of Ashur, as he had previously done every year. For this the king of Ashur imprisoned him, putting him in chains.

2 Kings 17:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:4

And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea
That he was forming a scheme to rebel against him, and cast off his yoke; of this he had intelligence by spies he sent, and placed to observe him very probably:

for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt;
to treat with him, and enter into alliance with him, to help him against, and free him from, the king of Assyria. This king of Egypt is supposed to be Sabacon the Ethiopian, who reigned in Egypt ninety years; of whom Herodotus ^F25 and Diodorus Siculus ^F26 make mention; by Theodoret he is called Adramelech the Ethiopian, who dwelt in Egypt:

and brought no presents to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by
year;
did not pay him his yearly tribute:

therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison;
that is, after he took Samaria, the siege of which is next related; unless it can be thought that he met with him somewhere out of the capital, and seized him, and made him his prisoner, and after that besieged his city; which is not so likely.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 137.
F26 Bibliothec l. 1. p. 59.

2 Kings 17:4 In-Context

2 He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, although he wasn't as bad as the kings of Isra'el who had preceded him.

3 Shalman'eser king of Ashur advanced against Hoshea, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.

4 But the king of Ashur found that Hoshea was conspiring [against him] - he had sent messengers to So the king of Egypt and not paid his tribute to the king of Ashur, as he had previously done every year. For this the king of Ashur imprisoned him, putting him in chains.

5 Then the king of Ashur invaded all the land, advanced on Shomron and put it under siege for three years.

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Ashur captured Shomron. He carried Isra'el away captive to Ashur, resettling them in Halach, in Havor on the Gozan River and in the cities of the Medes.