Summary
In 2 Kings 17, Hoshea’s reign in Samaria is marked by disobedience and a betrayal of the Assyrian alliance, leading to a three‑year siege and the city’s capture. The Assyrians deport the Israelites to regions such as Halah, Habor, and the cities of the Medes, fulfilling the prophetic warnings for Israel’s idolatry. The chapter recounts Israel’s persistent worship of foreign gods—building high places, sacrificing to Baal, and performing divination—despite repeated prophetic rebuke. Judah, though spared at first, also falls into idolatry and disobedience, prompting further judgment. The narrative explains how the Assyrians populate Samaria with peoples from other nations, who continue to build idols and reject Israel’s covenant, yet a priest from Samaria teaches them fear of the Lord. The passage concludes with a lament that Israel’s descendants persist in their disobedient ways, forsaking the covenant and fearing the Lord only as a formality.