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 18:10KJV
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2 Kings 18:10 (KJV)

What 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.

Where else these words appear

“Hoshea” Hebrew H1954 · used in 15 verses

  • Numbers 13:8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
  • 2 Kings 17:1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
  • 2 Kings 18:9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

“ninth” Hebrew H8672 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
  • Numbers 34:13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:
  • 2 Kings 25:8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

“Hezekiah” Hebrew H2396 · used in 78 verses

  • 2 Kings 16:20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Kings 20:5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
  • Isaiah 36:16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

“end” Hebrew H7097 · used in 87 verses

  • Genesis 8:3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
  • Joshua 3:15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water,(for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
  • Psalms 46:9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.