2 Kings 17 - Introduction
_HOSHEA REIGNS IN SAMARIA NINE YEARS; SHALMANESER TAKES SAMARIA, CARRIES ISRAEL AWAY CAPTIVE, AND SENDS OTHER INHABITANTS, WHO ARE DEVOURED BY LIONS._ _Before Christ 724._... [ Continue Reading ]
_HOSHEA REIGNS IN SAMARIA NINE YEARS; SHALMANESER TAKES SAMARIA, CARRIES ISRAEL AWAY CAPTIVE, AND SENDS OTHER INHABITANTS, WHO ARE DEVOURED BY LIONS._ _Before Christ 724._... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALMANESER KING OF ASSYRIA— Shalmaneser, who, in Hosea 10:14 is called _Shalman,_ and in Tob 1:2. _Enemessar,_ was the son and successor of Arbaces, or Tiglath-pileser, and according to Josephus, who has quoted a passage from Menander, mention was made of him, and of his conquest over the land of I... [ Continue Reading ]
SO, KING OF EGYPT— This _So_ seems to be the same as _Sabachon,_ the AEthiopian king of Egypt, of whom Herodotus relates, that being warned in a dream, he departed of his own accord from Egypt, after he had reigned there fifteen years. In the beginning of Hezekiah's reign he invaded Egypt, and havin... [ Continue Reading ]
CARRIED ISRAEL AWAY INTO ASSYRIA, &C.— The policy of any prince in transplanting a conquered people in another country, is, to prevent their combining (which they cannot so well do in a strange land, and amongst a mixed multitude of different languages), in order to shake off their uneasy yoke, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND REMOVED THEM OUT OF HIS SIGHT— A very strong expression to signify God's rejection and total removal of this apostate people from his care and Providence. REFLECTIONS.—1st, Hoshea, the last of Israel's kings, lost with shame the throne that he had ascended by perfidy and murder. We have here,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THE LORD SENT LIONS AMONG THEM— Josephus, in this part of the history, varies from the sacred text. For, instead of the increase of _lions_ which destroyed the people, he tells us that they were visited with a dreadful _plague,_ so that the place was in a manner depopulated by it. But allo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MEN OF BABYLON MADE SUCCOTH-BENOTH, &C.— We have here an account of the idols, which were consecrated by the different nations transplanted by the king of Assyria to Samaria. It is difficult, however, (and has afforded a large field for conjecture,) to give any satisfactory account concerning th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AVITES MADE NIBHAZ AND TARTAK— It is uncertain who these _Avites_ were. The most probable opinion seems to be that which Grotius has suggested, by observing that there are a people in Bactriana mentioned by Ptolemy under the name of _Avadia,_ who possibly might be those transported at this time... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY FEARED THE LORD AND SERVED THEIR OWN GODS, &C.— The imaginary vengeance which the tutelary god was supposed to take on those, who, inhabiting his land, yet slighted his worship, was really taken on the Cutheans, when they came to cultivate the land of Israel; for the Almighty having, in condesc... [ Continue Reading ]