2 Kings 18:9-10
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This verse highlights the interconnectedness of the divided kingdoms – it's not just Hezekiah's fourth year, but also Hoshea's seventh, a subtle reminder that their fates were tied even as Israel was nearing its end under Assyrian pressure. The phrase "came up against Samaria" isn't just a description of movement; it carries the weight of an impending, overwhelming force, setting the stage for the judgment to come.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse kicks off a dramatic account of Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. For years, Israel had been a vassal state to Assyria, paying tribute, but now King Hoshea tried to break free by forming an alliance with Egypt. Shalmaneser, the powerful Assyrian king, saw this as a direct rebellion and launched his campaign, leading to the fall of Samaria, the capital, and the exile of the Israelite people.
It's easy to read this verse as just a date and names. But behind these details is a nation on borrowed time, facing a relentless enemy.
A Nation's Final Countdown
This verse drops us right into a pivotal moment. It meticulously places events in time by referencing two kings and two kingdoms: Hezekiah in Judah and Hoshea in the northern kingdom of Israel.
The Northern Kingdom's Fate
The mention of 'the seventh year of Hoshea' is crucial. The Northern Kingdom of Israel, after years of idolatry and spiritual rebellion, was already a vassal state to Assyria. Hoshea was a puppet king, and his reign was the last gasp for a divided kingdom that had long turned its back on God.
Assyria's Imperial Ambition
Shalmaneser of Assyria was no mere regional governor; he was the leader of a superpower bent on expansion. The Assyrian Empire was known for its brutal military efficiency and its policy of deporting conquered peoples to break their national spirit. Samaria, the capital of Israel, was their target.
The verse names two kings, Hezekiah of Judah and Hoshea of Israel. Their stories, happening at the same time, show vastly different responses to overwhelming pressure.
Kings on a Collision Course
The date marker – 'In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea' – sets up a stark contrast.
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Hoshea's Desperate Gamble
King Hoshea of Israel was in his final year. He had tried to break free from Assyrian control, possibly by withholding tribute or seeking an alliance with Egypt. This verse captures the moment his gamble failed spectacularly. Assyria, the dominant power, was coming to crush this rebellion.
Hezekiah's Emerging Faith
Meanwhile, in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, King Hezekiah had just begun his reign (his fourth year). Hezekiah would later become known as one of Judah's most faithful kings, a man who 'did what was good and right and faithful in the sight of the Lord' (2 Chron 31:20). His reign is marked by a commitment to God and reforms, a stark contrast to the doomed Northern Kingdom.
This verse highlights that while the Northern Kingdom faced its prophesied judgment, the Southern Kingdom, under a godly leader, was entering a period of spiritual revival and facing its own impending crisis.
Understand the original words
tsur · Hebrew Verb
To surround a city with military force to prevent supplies from entering or people from leaving, usually as a precursor to conquest.
This verse places us right at the dramatic climax of the northern kingdom of Israel's existence, highlighting the vulnerability of nations that defy powerful empires like Assyria, and setting the stage for the future threat to Judah under King Hezekiah.
c. 734–732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Israel
Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III conquers large parts of the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many citizens and installing Assyrian governors.
c. 727 BC
Accession of Shalmaneser V
Shalmaneser V succeeds his father Tiglath-Pileser III as king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Tensions likely remain high with the reduced northern kingdom of Israel.
c. 725 BC
Hoshea's Rebellion
King Hoshea of Israel, formerly a vassal of Assyria, stops paying tribute and seeks an alliance with Egypt, defying Assyrian authority.
c. 724 BC— this verse
Shalmaneser V Besieges Samaria
In response to Hoshea's rebellion, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V launches a military campaign against the northern kingdom of Israel and begins the siege of its capital, Samaria.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and End of Northern Israel
After a prolonged siege, Samaria falls to the Assyrians. The northern kingdom of Israel ceases to exist as an independent entity, and its remaining population is deported.
c. 716 BC
Hezekiah's Reforms Begin
King Hezekiah of Judah, having witnessed the destruction of the northern kingdom, begins significant religious and administrative reforms, seeking to unify Judah and strengthen its national identity.
This passage describes the same event, the fall of Samaria and the exile of Israel, from the perspective of the Assyrian conquest, highlighting the eventual judgment for their unfaithfulness.
Jeremiah 10:11This verse directly calls out the gods of Babylon (which would later conquer Assyria's empire) as powerless, mirroring the message that the mighty Assyrian empire was ultimately subject to the God of Israel.
Isaiah 10:5-6This prophetic passage from Isaiah speaks about Assyria as an instrument of God's judgment against His people, directly paralleling the historical event described in 2 Kings 18:9.
Micah 1:6Micah, a contemporary prophet, echoes the impending doom of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom, emphasizing that their sin would lead to their destruction by foreign powers like Assyria.
This verse highlights the interconnectedness of the divided kingdoms – it's not just Hezekiah's fourth year, but also Hoshea's seventh, a subtle reminder that their fates were tied even as Israel was nearing its end under Assyrian pressure. The phrase "came up against Samaria" isn't just a description of movement; it carries the weight of an impending, overwhelming force, setting the stage for the judgment to come.
This verse kicks off a dramatic account of Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. For years, Israel had been a vassal state to Assyria, paying tribute, but now King Hoshea tried to break free by forming an alliance with Egypt. Shalmaneser, the powerful Assyrian king, saw this as a direct rebellion and launched his campaign, leading to the fall of Samaria, the capital, and the exile of the Israelite people.
This verse kicks off a dramatic account of Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. For years, Israel had been a vassal state to Assyria, paying tribute, but now King Hoshea tried to break free by forming an alliance with Egypt. Shalmaneser, the powerful Assyrian king, saw this as a direct rebellion and launched his campaign, leading to the fall of Samaria, the capital, and the exile of the Israelite people.
"In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Heze…" — This verse highlights the interconnectedness of the divided kingdoms – it's not just Hezekiah's fourth year, but also Hoshea's seventh, a subtle reminder that their fates were tied even as Israel was…
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Last reviewed October 2026
