2 Kings 18 9

2 Kings 18:9 kjv

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

2 Kings 18:9 nkjv

Now it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.

2 Kings 18:9 niv

In King Hezekiah's fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it.

2 Kings 18:9 esv

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,

2 Kings 18:9 nlt

During the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it.

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 9 Meaning

2 Kings 18:9 meticulously records a pivotal moment in ancient Near Eastern history, pinpointing the start of the final siege of Samaria by Assyria. This verse dates the event chronologically to the fourth regnal year of King Hezekiah of Judah and the seventh regnal year of King Hoshea of Israel, explicitly naming Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, as the aggressor. It marks the initiation of the Assyrian campaign that would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the deportation of its inhabitants, signifying divine judgment on Israel's prolonged idolatry and disobedience.

2 Kings 18 9 Context

2 Kings 18:9 initiates a pivotal event in biblical history: the siege and subsequent fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It immediately follows the account of Hezekiah's righteous reforms in Judah, setting up a sharp contrast between Judah's revival and Israel's final demise. This verse, placed after a detailed recounting of Israel's long history of idolatry and rebellion in 2 Kings 17, functions as the beginning of the culmination of divine judgment prophesied for generations. Historically, it reflects the aggressive expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Shalmaneser V, an empire God used as an instrument of His wrath against an unfaithful Israel, marking the end of the distinct identity of the ten northern tribes.

2 Kings 18 9 Word analysis

• In the fourth year: (בִּשְׁנַת, bishnat - "in the year of") - Establishes precise historical synchronism, a common practice in biblical historical accounts to link events to regnal years. This provides a clear chronological anchor.
• King Hezekiah: (חִזְקִיָּהוּ, Hizqiyyahu) - King of Judah, a reforming and righteous king. His good reign highlights the contrasting unrighteousness that led to Israel's downfall. His piety later ensures Judah's survival against Assyria (in contrast to Israel's fate).
• which was the seventh year: (הוּא שְׁנַת, hu shenat) - Further pinpoints the date by cross-referencing with the regnal year of Israel's last king, providing absolute certainty about the timing of the siege's commencement.
• Hoshea son of Elah: (הוֹשֵׁעַ בֶּן־אֵלָה, Hoshea ben-Elah) - The final king of Israel, under whose reign the northern kingdom ended. His unfaithfulness and foolish reliance on Egypt contributed to Israel's downfall (2 Kgs 17:3-4).
• king of Israel: (מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, Melekh Yisrael) - Specifies the sovereign over the Northern Kingdom, confirming Israel's statehood on the brink of collapse.
• Shalmaneser king of Assyria: (שַׁלְמַנְאֶסֶר מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר, Shalman'eser Melekh-Ashshur) - Identifies the specific monarch of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, an enemy empire used by God. His name (Akkadian Shulmanu-asharedu) denotes his identity as a historical figure known from extrabiblical records.
• came up against: (וַיַּעַל, vayya'al, root: עלה, 'alah, to go up/ascend) - Signifies an active, hostile military movement. "Came up against" suggests an invasion, moving from lower elevations (plains) to the hilly territory where Samaria was situated, or simply a military advance.
• Samaria: (שֹׁמְרוֹן, Shomron) - The capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, built by Omri. Its fall symbolized the end of Israel. It was a well-fortified city, necessitating a prolonged siege.
• and besieged it: (וַיָּצַר, vayyatsar, root: צור, tsur, to bind/tie/confine) - This denotes the military action of surrounding a city, cutting off supplies, and attempting to breach its defenses. It indicates the initiation of a sustained, difficult campaign, implying strategic intent and military might.

Words-group analysis:

• "In the fourth year of King Hezekiah...which was the seventh year of Hoshea...": This dual dating precisely synchronizes the history of Judah and Israel, underscoring the divine providential timing of Samaria's collapse even as revival began in Judah. It emphasizes the historical reliability of the account.
• "Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it": This phrase directly states the cause of Israel's end – an overwhelming foreign invasion. It portrays the military action with clear intent and the beginning of the final judgment that would utterly devastate Israel, stripping them of their land and independence.

2 Kings 18 9 Bonus section

Historical scholarship debates whether it was Shalmaneser V who initiated the siege in 2 Kings 18:9 and subsequently, his successor Sargon II, who completed the capture of Samaria in 2 Kings 18:10 (or 2 Kgs 17:6). Assyrian records often claim Sargon II as the conqueror, while the biblical narrative attributes the beginning of the siege to Shalmaneser V and the capture to "the king of Assyria" in general, but the detailed biblical dating allows for the transfer of power during the siege. The capture of Samaria resulted in the deportation of the Israelite elite and skilled workers, replacing them with peoples from other conquered regions. This deliberate policy aimed to dissolve the national identity of the vanquished. This event served as a significant prefigurement of the Babylonian exile, emphasizing a recurring pattern of divine judgment through foreign conquest and exile when covenant warnings are ignored.

2 Kings 18 9 Commentary

2 Kings 18:9 is far more than a simple chronological note; it marks the commencement of a cataclysmic event – the siege that sealed the fate of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This was not a mere geopolitical power struggle, but the unfolding of divine judgment. For centuries, God had warned Israel through His prophets (e.g., Amos, Hosea) of the consequences of their apostasy, idolatry, and covenant breaking, repeatedly calling them to repentance. The Assyrian invasion, led by Shalmaneser, was God's chosen instrument to execute this long-forewarned judgment (Isa 10:5-6). The verse sets the stage for a three-year siege (mentioned in the subsequent verses), highlighting the formidable defense of Samaria, yet ultimately its inevitable fall due to the weight of Israel's rebellion. It also strikingly juxtaposes Israel's destruction with the simultaneous, albeit initial, righteousness of King Hezekiah in Judah, implying that God's covenant people experienced His judgment differentially based on their obedience. This event serves as a stark historical warning against persistent unfaithfulness to the covenant, demonstrating God's sovereign control over even pagan nations to accomplish His divine purposes.