Son of Elah and the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel during the divided kingdom.
About Hoshea
The son of Elah and the last of the 20 kings of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 17:1–6). King Hoshea ruled for nine years, from 732 to 723 BC, Then the Assyrians took him captive. In the later years of the northern kingdom. Assyria had gained control of most of the Middle East. This happened under the rule of Tiglath-pileser III. Assyria had reduced the the northern kingdom to just three tribal areas. All that remained was Ephraim, Issachar, and the half of Manasseh west of the Jordan River.
Earlier, the northern kingdom had formed an alliance with Rezin of Damascus (Syria). This happened under the rule of Pekah, who ruled from 740 to 732 BC. Ahaz was king of Judah during this time. Ahaz ruled from 735 to 715 Bc. King Pekah of Israel attempted to coerce King Ahaz of Judah to join them against Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1–6). Assyria came to the aid of Judah. During this time, Hoshea was part of a group who killed Pekah (2 Kings 15:30). Tiglath-pileser rewarded Hoshea by making him king over what remained of the northern kingdom.
Hoshea ruled only as a servant king under Assyria and paid large tribute taxes. He remained loyal to Assyria until the death of Tiglath-pileser in 727 BC. When Shalmaneser V became the new king of Assyria, he did not trust Hoshea. Shalmaneser marched against Hosea, continuing to demand yearly tribute (2 Kings 17:3).
Soon after, Hoshea attempted to assert independence. He stopped paying tribute taxes and entered into negotiations with King So of Egypt (verse 4). Egypt was willing to support Hoshea because they feared Assyria controlling Palestine. Egypt hoped that Samaria (Israel's capital) would remain a buffer zone between Egypt and Assyria.
Shalmaneser then sent his army against Samaria in 724 BC. Hoshea discovered that his alliance with Egypt was of little value. The Assyrians captured Hoshea. They surrounded Samaria for three years. The city fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Sargon II, who had replaced Shalmaneser around 726 BC, moved many Israelites to various places in Assyria. This ended the northern kingdom.
Family Relationships
- Parents
- Elah
Key References
In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years.
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
All Scripture References (8)
2 Kings (8)
Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.
In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years.
Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah.
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.
And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.