And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
2 KINGS 18:10KJVWhat does 2 Kings 18:10 mean?
2 Kings 18:10 states that after a three-year siege, the city of Samaria was captured in the sixth year of King Hezekiah of Judah, which was also the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel. This verse marks the fall of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, to the Assyrians.
The verse is part of a historical account, likely written by a Judean historian, describing the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. It gives specific dates by referencing the reigns of two kings—Hezekiah in Judah and Hoshea in Israel—to show when Samaria was conquered. This event is a turning point in Israel’s history, as it led to the exile of many Israelites.
The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 18:10
- לָקַד (laqad, "took" or "was taken"): This verb appears twice in the verse, once for the action of taking Samaria and once to emphasize its capture. The repetition underlines the finality and significance of the event.
- שָׁלוֹשׁ (shalosh, "three") and שָׁנָה (shanah, "year"): These words together specify the length of the siege, highlighting how long the city held out before falling.
- שֵׁשׁ (shesh, "sixth") and תֵּשַׁע (tesha, "ninth"): These words anchor the event in time, connecting it to the reigns of Hezekiah and Hoshea, which helps readers place the event in the broader biblical timeline.
Why 2 Kings 18:10 matters
- The verse clarifies the timeline of Samaria’s fall, which is important for understanding the sequence of events in Israel’s and Judah’s histories.
- By naming both Hezekiah and Hoshea, the verse connects the destinies of the two kingdoms, showing how the fall of Israel happened during Hezekiah’s reign in Judah.
- The capture of Samaria marks the end of the northern kingdom and sets the stage for the Assyrian exile, a major theme in the books of Kings.