2 Kings 17:3

3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.

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 began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years.

2 He did what was evil in the LORD ’s sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.

3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.

4 But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria’s power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison.

5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria.