2 Kings 17:5
in 2 Kings 17Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
KJV
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
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This verse in 2 Kings 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
All the land - The second invasion of Shalmaneser (723 B.C., his fifth year), is here contrasted with the first, as extending to the whole country, whereas the first had afflicted only a part. Three years - From the fourth to the sixth of Hezekiah, and from the seventh to the ninth of Heshea; two years, therefore, according to our reckoning, but three, according to that of the Hebrews.
This site's exposition
besieged it three years
on 2 Kings 17:5-6
Assyria besieges Samaria three full years, and Kings never names which king finishes it, only the king of Assyria. Assyrian records credit the fall to Sargon II, who claims the conquest and the deportation on his own inscriptions though Shalmaneser V began the siege, a question the biblical text leaves open rather than resolves. The named places of exile, Halah, Habor by the river of Gozan, and the cities of the Medes, are real Assyrian resettlement districts, and the ten tribes scatter into them with no recorded return.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And it may be worth while to relate from what sources the Samaritans were made up; since all this country is called Samaria. Whence then did they receive their name? The mountain was called "Somor" from its owner, as also Esaias saith, "and the head of Ephraim is Somoron;" but the inhabitants were termed not "Samaritans" but "Israelites." But as time went on, they offended God, and in the reign of Pekah, Tiglath-Pileser came up, and took many cities, and set upon Elah, and having slain him, gave the kingdom to Hoshea. Against him Shalmaneser came and took other cities, and made them subject and tributary. At first he yielded, but afterwards he revolted from the Assyrian rule, and betook himself to the alliance of the Ethiopians. The Assyrian learnt this, and having made war upon them and destroyed their cities, he no longer allowed the nation to remain there, because he had such suspicions that they would revolt.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Three years it held out after the country was conquered, and no doubt a great deal of misery was endured at that time which is not particularly recorded; but the brevity of the story, and the passing of this matter over lightly, methinks, intimate that they were abandoned of God and he did not now regard the affliction of Israel, as sometimes as he had done.
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land,.... Of Israel, there being none to oppose his march; Hoshea not daring to come out, and meet him and fight him: and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years; so long the city held out against him, see 2Ki 18:9.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Besieged it three years - It must have been well fortified, well provisioned, and well defended, to have held out so long.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֥עַל | vaiyaal | and he came up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁ֖וּר | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַיַּ֙עַל֙ | vaiyaal | and he came up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| שֹׁמְר֔וֹן | shomeron | Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
| וַיָּ֥צַר | vaiyatzar | and he laid siege | H6696 → | 38 times |
| עָלֶ֖יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שָׁלֹ֥שׁ | shalosh | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| שָׁנִֽים׃ | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
וַיַּ֥עַלand he came up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁ֖וּרAssyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַיַּ֙עַל֙and he came up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
שֹׁמְר֔וֹןSamaria
shomeronH8111 →109 times
וַיָּ֥צַרand he laid siege
vaiyatzarH6696 →38 times
עָלֶ֖יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
שָׁלֹ֥שׁthree
shaloshH7969 →432 times
שָׁנִֽים׃years
shanimH8141 →877 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hosea 13:16Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 8:12
“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword,…
- 2 Kings 15:16
At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
- Psalms 137:8–9
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
- Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
- Amos 1:13
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their…
- 2 Kings 8:12
Through
2 Kings 18:9In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.
it leads to
- Hosea 10:14
the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with…
- 2 Kings 18:1
In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah.
- 2 Kings 17:3–23
Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
- Hosea 10:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
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About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
- PlaceThe northern hill countrySamariaThe hill Omri bought and built his capital on, where Ahab raised a temple to Baal, where the four lepers found the Aramean camp em…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Chrysostom, Homily 31 on John; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.