2 Kings 17:3

3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came to attack Hoshea. Hoshea had been Shalmaneser's servant and had made the payments to Shalmaneser that he had demanded.

2 Kings 17:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 17:3

Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria
Which some take to be the same with Tiglathpileser, see ( 1 Chronicles 5:26 ) but he rather seems to be his son; his name was to be found, as Josephus ^F23 relates, in the archives of the Tyrians, against whom he had an expedition; his name is Salmanassar in Metasthenes ^F24, who says he reigned seventeen years:

and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents,
to depart from him; he became tributary to him, and agreed to pay him a yearly tax.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 14. sect. 2.
F24 De Judicio Temp. fol. 221. 2.

2 Kings 17:3 In-Context

1 Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel during Ahaz's twelfth year as king of Judah. Hoshea ruled in Samaria nine years.

2 He did what the Lord said was wrong, but he was not as bad as the kings of Israel who had ruled before him.

3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came to attack Hoshea. Hoshea had been Shalmaneser's servant and had made the payments to Shalmaneser that he had demanded.

4 But the king of Assyria found out that Hoshea had made plans against him by sending messengers to So, the king of Egypt. Hoshea had also stopped giving Shalmaneser the payments, which he had paid every year in the past. For that, the king put Hoshea in prison.

5 Then the king of Assyria came and attacked all the land of Israel. He surrounded Samaria and attacked it for three years.