Hoshea

(salvation ).

1. The nineteenth, last and best king of Israel. He succeeded Pekah, whom he slew in a successful conspiracy, thereby fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah. ( Isaiah 7:16 ) In the third year of his reign (B.C. 726) Shalmaneser cruelly stormed the strong caves of Beth-arbel, ( Hosea 8:14 ) and made cruel tributary, ( 2 Kings 17:3 ) for three years. At the end of this period Hoshea entered into a secret alliance with So, king, of Egypt, to throw off the Assyrian yoke. The alliance did him no good; it was revealed, to the court of Nineveh by the Assyrian party in Ephraim, and Hoshea was immediately seized as a rebellious vasal, shut up in prison, and apparently treated with the utmost indignity. ( Micah 5:1 ) Of the subsequent fortunes of Hoshea nothing is known.
2. The son of Nun, i.e. Joshua, ( 32:44 ) and also in Numb 13:8 though to there the Authorized Version has OSHEA.
3. Shon of Azaziah, ( 1 Chronicles 27:20 ) like his great namesake, a man of Ephraim, ruler of his tribe in the time of King David. (B.C. 1019.)
4. One of the heads of the people who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. ( Nehemiah 10:23 ) (B.C. 410.)