The text highlights that these new inhabitants didn't just move into Samaria; they "took possession" of it and "lived in its cities." This implies a forceful displacement and a deliberate act of colonization, showing God's judgment wasn't just about people leaving, but about a whole new population actively claiming and occupying the land of His people.
And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After conquering the Northern Kingdom of Israel and exiling its people, the Assyrian king deports foreigners from across his empire to resettle the depopulated land. This verse describes the arrival of these diverse groups into the cities of Samaria, setting the stage for the syncretistic religious practices that will develop and cause friction with the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Their presence in the land of Israel is a direct consequence of God's judgment against the Israelites' idolatry.
Imagine your whole community being uprooted and scattered, replaced by strangers who don't know your ways. This wasn't just a minor relocation; it was a brutal act of imperial power.
The Assyrian Strategy
The King of Assyria wasn't just conquering; he was dismantling and rebuilding. This passage reveals a deliberate policy of depopulation and resettlement. The original inhabitants of the land (Israel) were forcibly removed, likely to break their national identity and quell any future rebellion. In their place, people from various conquered regions – Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim – were brought in. This wasn't a friendly exchange program! It was colonization meant to solidify Assyrian control and disrupt any sense of unified resistance.
Ever wondered why Jews and Samaritans had such a deep-seated animosity? This verse is ground zero for that ancient tension.
A New Blend, A Divided People
When these new populations were moved into the cities of Samaria, they weren't just physically transplanted; they brought their own gods and religious practices with them. The original Israelites had their covenant relationship with Yahweh, but these newcomers continued to worship their own deities. Over time, a syncretic religion emerged – a blend of their foreign gods and some worship of Yahweh. This mixing, from the perspective of the later Jewish community, was a profound impurity. It meant the Samaritans were seen not just as gentiles, but as 'impure' gentiles who had defiled the holy land. This historical backdrop is crucial for understanding Jesus' interactions with Samaritans later in the New Testament.
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This event wasn't just a change of rulers; it was a deliberate policy of ethnic and religious disruption, fundamentally reshaping the region and sowing seeds for centuries of conflict and misunderstanding between Jews and Samaritans.
c. 745–727 BC
Reign of Tiglath-Pileser III
This Assyrian king expanded the empire significantly, implementing policies of deportation and resettlement to control conquered populations.
722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The capital city of Samaria fell to the Assyrian army, marking the end of the independent Northern Kingdom of Israel.
After 722 BC
Assyrian Resettlement Policy
The Assyrians forcibly relocated various peoples from across their empire into the depopulated territories of the former Northern Kingdom of Israel.
c. 700 BC
Samaritans Develop Distinct Identity
Over time, the resettled peoples and remaining Israelites intermarried, developing a distinct religious and cultural identity known as the Samaritans.
This passage describes how the land becomes desolate and infertile as a result of sin, echoing the spiritual barrenness of the mixed population brought into Israel.
Ezra 4:1-4This directly shows the Samaritans, descendants of these mixed peoples, attempting to worship God while still holding onto their old ways, highlighting the religious compromise that resulted from this resettlement.
Nehemiah 13:23-24Here, the people of Jerusalem face a similar challenge with those who have intermarried with 'women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab,' showing the ongoing struggle against foreign influences and the danger of spiritual dilution.
John 4:9Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman directly addresses the deep-seated historical and religious animosity between Jews and Samaritans, a direct consequence of the foreign peoples being settled in the land.
The text highlights that these new inhabitants didn't just move into Samaria; they "took possession" of it and "lived in its cities." This implies a forceful displacement and a deliberate act of colonization, showing God's judgment wasn't just about people leaving, but about a whole new population actively claiming and occupying the land of His people.
After conquering the Northern Kingdom of Israel and exiling its people, the Assyrian king deports foreigners from across his empire to resettle the depopulated land. This verse describes the arrival of these diverse groups into the cities of Samaria, setting the stage for the syncretistic religious practices that will develop and cause friction with the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Their presence in the land of Israel is a direct consequence of God's judgment against the Israelites' idolatry.
After conquering the Northern Kingdom of Israel and exiling its people, the Assyrian king deports foreigners from across his empire to resettle the depopulated land. This verse describes the arrival of these diverse groups into the cities of Samaria, setting the stage for the syncretistic religious practices that will develop and cause friction with the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Their presence in the land of Israel is a direct consequence of God's judgment against the Israelites' idolatry.
"And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities." — The text highlights that these new inhabitants didn't just move into Samaria; they "took possession" of it and "lived in its cities." This implies a forceful displacement and a deliberate act of co…
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Last reviewed October 2026
