“In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against Samaria. He besieged it and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of King Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. This was done because they did not obey the voice of Yahweh their God but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.”
Once again, we have the siege of Samaria, the taking of Samaria, the deportation of the Israelites to Babylon as in preceding chapter. Now it is under King Hezekiah instead of the time of his father King Ahaz. However, it is the same King Shalmaneser of Assyria and King Hoshea of Israel who are the winners and losers in this battle. As in the preceding chapter they go to the various places near Babylon and in the cities of Medes. The reason that the Israelites were punished was due to the fact that they did not follow Yahweh nor Moses, since they were disobedient. However, the people of Judah were not obedient either.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 