The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 284

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER xvn. of e.ny speolal wiokedneas-he set up no new idolatry ; he eeeme to have allowed his Ven. 1--41.-TBB REIGN OP HOSIDIA subjects, if they pleased, to attend the OVER lsRAEL. DESTBUOTION OF THE lsBAELlTIII festival worship at Jerusalem (2 Ohron. KrnGnm1, A.ND THE GROUNDS OF IT, RE- xxx. 11, 18). The rabbis ad<l that when PEOPLING OF THE KlNGDOlll BY AsSYRIAN the golden ce.lf of Bethel had been carried 0oLONISTS. off by the Assyriane in one of their in- Vers. 1-6.-REIGN OP HosHEA. Hosbea, cursions, he did not replace it (' Seder Olam,' oh. ][Xll.); bnt it ie not e.t e.ll olear that the lW!t King of Israel, he.d e. short reign of the image was carried a.way until Hoshea's nine yea.re only, during two of which he was reign was over (see Dr. Pusey's comment besieged in his capital by the Assyrian&. on Hos. x. 6 in hie' Minor Prophets,' p. 64). The writer notes that he WW! e. bad king, Ver. S.-Against him oame up Shal- but not so bad as most of his predecessors maneser King of Assyria. Shalmcmcser's succession to Tiglath-pileser on the throne (ver. 2); the.t he submitted to Shalme.neser, of Assyria., once -doubted, is now rendered e.nd then rebelled age.inst him (vers. S, 4); certain by the Eponym Canon, which tho.t he called in the aid of So, King of makes him ascend the throne in B.O. 727, Egypt (ver. 4); that he was besieged l>y and cease to reign in B.o. 722. It is un- Sho.lmnneser in Se.maria (ver. 5) ; and that certain whether he was Tiglo.th-pileser's son or a usurper. The name, Shnlmaneser arter three years, or in the third year of the (Sali-manu.-u.zur) WRB cm old royal no.me in siege, he was taken, and with his people Assyria., and signified " She.Iman protects" r.arried off into aaptiTity (ver. 6). (compare the no.mes Nabu-kudur-uzur, Nergal-asar-uzur, Ne.bu-pal-uzur,eto.). And Ver. 1.-In the twel!t.h year of Ahaz King Hoshea bees.me his servant. Hoshee. he.d of .Judah began B:oshea the son of Elah to been placed on thA throne by Tiglath-pileser reign in Sa.maria.. In eh. xv. 30 Hoshea (' Eponym Ca.non,' pp. 123, 124, lines 17, 18), wo.s said to have smitten Peke.Ii and slain e.nd ha.d paid him tribute (ibid., lines 18, 19). him, and become king in his stead, "in the We must snppose that on Tiglath-pileser's twentieth year of ,lotham." This has been death, in B.O. • 727, he ha.d revolted, and supposed to mean •· in the twentieth year resumed his independence. She.lmaneser, frum the accession of Jotham," or, in other having become king, probably ea.me up words, in the fonrih year of Ahaz, since against Hoshea in the same year, and forced Jotho.m reigned only sixteen yearB (eh. him to resume his position of Assyrian xv. 33). But now the beginning of his tributary. This may have been the time reign is placed eight yeo.rs later. An when " She.lme.n spoiled Beth-Arbel in tlie interregnum of this duration has been day of battle" (Hos. x. 14), defeating placed by some between Pekah and Hoshea; Hoshea near that place (Arbele., now Irbid, l,ut tLis is contra.dieted by eh. xv. 30, e.nd in Galilee), and ta.king it. And gave him ulso Ly an inscription of Tiglath-pileser presents; or, rendered him tri'bute, as in the (' Epouym Canon,' pp. 123, 12!, lines 17, 18). margin of the Authorized Version. If Ahaz reigned sixteen years, the present Ver. 4.-And the King of Assyria found statement wuuld stem to be correct, o.nd the conspiracy in B:oehea : for he had sent former one wrong. Hoel.tea's accession me.y messengers to So, King of Egypt. We learn be confide!itly dated as in B,O. 730. Nine from the Prophet Hosea. that the ex- years (comp. eh. xviii. 10). It is certain pediency of calling in Egypt as a counter- that Hoshea's reign ea.me to an end in the poise to Assyria had long been in the first ~-ear of Sargon, B.C. 72-J., from which to thoughts of those who directed the policy B.C. WO would be eight complete, or nine of the Israelite state (see Hos. vii. 11; xii. I, iucomplete, years. etc.). Now at last the plunge was taken. Ver. 2.-And he did that which we.e evil An Ethiopian dynasty of some strength and in the light of the Lord, bnt not as the vigour had possession of Egypt, and held kingll of Iarael that were before him. its court during some pen of the :vear at Hoshea's general attitude towards Jehovah Memphis (Hos. ix. 6). The king who was much the same us that of former kings occupied the throne was ce.lled Bho.bak or of Israel. He maintained the calf-worship, Slwbek-a uarne which the Greeks repre- leant upon "arms of flesli," and turned a sented by Sabakos or Beveohus, and the deo.f ee.r to the tee.ching of the prophets, e.g. Hebrews by N10. (The original vocalization Hoshea and Micah, who addressed their of this word was probably tt1~, Beveh; but warnings to him. But he was not guilty in la.tar times this voco.li:1ation was loet, o.nd OH, XVII, 1--41.] '.rHE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 331