2 Kings 17 6

2 Kings 17:6 kjv

In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 17:6 nkjv

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 17:6 niv

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

2 Kings 17:6 esv

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 17:6 nlt

Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 17 verses

2 Kings 17 6 Meaning

This verse describes the fall of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, to the Assyrian Empire. It details the deportation of the Israelites by the king of Assyria to various locations within Mesopotamia and Media, marking the end of the Northern Kingdom as an independent political entity. This event was a direct fulfillment of God's covenant warnings against disobedience, serving as divine judgment for Israel's pervasive idolatry and unfaithfulness.

2 Kings 17 6 Context

2 Kings 17 focuses on the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Verses 1-5 describe the reign of Hoshea, the last king of Israel, who initially submitted to Assyria but later conspired with Egypt, leading to Shalmaneser V's siege of Samaria. Verse 6 records the actual capture and deportation, the culmination of centuries of Israel's persistent disobedience and idolatry despite repeated warnings from God's prophets. The subsequent verses (7-18) provide the theological explanation for Israel's demise, attributing it directly to their forsaking Yahweh and adopting the practices of the surrounding nations. This event is a critical moment in biblical history, demonstrating God's justice in executing judgment upon His covenant people who repeatedly rebelled against Him. Historically, the Assyrian Empire was a dominant power of the time, known for its ruthless military campaigns and resettlement policies designed to suppress revolts and integrate conquered territories.

2 Kings 17 6 Word analysis

• "In the ninth year of Hoshea": This precise temporal marker grounds the event in a specific historical timeframe, denoting the final year of the last king of the Northern Kingdom before its complete downfall (approximately 722/721 BC).
• "the king of Assyria": Primarily refers to Shalmaneser V, who initiated the three-year siege (2 Ki 17:5), though the final capture and deportation may have been completed by his successor, Sargon II, who boasted of it in his annals. Assyria was a militarily formidable empire, serving as God's instrument of judgment (Isa 10:5-6).
• "captured Samaria" (שֹׁמְרוֹן, Shomeron): The capital city of the Northern Kingdom. Its fall symbolized the end of Israel's independent political and religious identity. This marked the successful conclusion of the extended siege.
• "and deported Israel to Assyria": The term "Israel" here refers specifically to the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom, particularly its more prominent citizens. This act of forced migration was a deliberate and widespread Assyrian policy (compare with 2 Ki 15:29) designed to break national cohesion, prevent future rebellions, and acquire new labor forces for the Assyrian heartland.
• "and settled them": Denotes a calculated and organized relocation, not just a random scattering, into specified regions within the vast Assyrian Empire. This was a core element of Assyrian subjugation strategy.
• "in Halah" (חֲלַח, Halakh): An Assyrian city or region in Mesopotamia, likely situated near the Upper Habur River or in the area of Guzana, an important province of Assyria.
• "by the Habor" (חָבוֹר, Habor), "the river of Gozan" (גּוֹזָן, Gozan): The Habor is a significant tributary of the Euphrates River, located in northern Mesopotamia (modern northeastern Syria/southeastern Turkey). Gozan refers to the fertile plain or region surrounding this river, identified with modern Tell Halaf. These areas were important agricultural and administrative centers within the Assyrian Empire, strategically chosen for resettlement.
• "and in the cities of the Medes" (מָדַי, Maday): Referring to territories inhabited by the Medes, east of Assyria (modern northwestern Iran). This shows the immense geographical reach and diversity of the deportations, moving Israelites into varied, often distant, non-Israelite populations, which accelerated their cultural and religious assimilation. This practice exemplifies Assyria's extensive administrative and military capabilities.

2 Kings 17 6 Bonus section

• The fall of Samaria, generally dated to 722/721 BC, is one of the most historically corroborated events in the Old Testament, with corroboration from Assyrian imperial records (specifically, Sargon II's annals, although he finished what Shalmaneser V began).
• This mass deportation, a strategic practice of the Assyrian Empire unique in its scale among ancient empires, aimed to destroy national identity, integrate new labor into their vast network, and prevent future rebellions. The specific named locations reflect known administrative centers of the Assyrian Empire.
• The phrase "Lost Ten Tribes" derives directly from this event, as the distinct national and ethnic identity of these Northern Kingdom tribes largely dissolved through assimilation in foreign lands. While individuals from these tribes certainly persisted, their corporate political and cultural distinctiveness diminished significantly.
• The replacement of the deported Israelites with foreign peoples into Samaria (as described in 2 Ki 17:24ff) led to the mixed populace known as the Samaritans, whose distinct religious and ethnic identity became prominent in the intertestamental and New Testament periods (e.g., John 4).

2 Kings 17 6 Commentary

2 Kings 17:6 encapsulates the tragic culmination of Israel's repeated and profound spiritual apostasy, despite divine warnings. It records the historical act of Assyria's triumph over Samaria and the subsequent systematic deportation of the Israelites. This was not merely a military conquest but God's righteous judgment against His chosen people for their persistent idolatry, breaking the Mosaic covenant, and reliance on human political maneuvering rather than on Him. The meticulous detail of their forced settlement across diverse regions—Halah, Habor, Gozan, and Media—underscores the thoroughness of the deportation and its lasting impact on the identity of the ten tribes. This event solidified their "lost" status as a distinct national entity, scattering them among Gentiles and fulfilling ancient prophecies of dispersion due to unfaithfulness (Deut 28). It stands as a solemn biblical example of divine discipline, affirming God's sovereignty over nations and His unwavering commitment to His covenant, even when it demands punitive measures for His disobedient people.