2 Kings 17:3

3 Assyria's King Shalmaneser marched against Hoshea, and Hoshea became Shalmaneser's servant, paying him tribute.

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, Elah's son, became king in Samaria in the twelfth year of Judah's king Ahaz. He ruled over Israel for nine years.

2 He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes, but he wasn't as bad as the Israelite kings who preceded him.

3 Assyria's King Shalmaneser marched against Hoshea, and Hoshea became Shalmaneser's servant, paying him tribute.

4 But the Assyrian king discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, because Hoshea sent messengers to Egypt's King So. Hoshea stopped paying tribute to the Assyrian king as he had in previous years, so the Assyrian king arrested him and put him in prison.

5 Then the Assyrian king invaded the whole country. He marched against Samaria and attacked it for three years.