This document is about Hosea (King of Northern Israel). For other homonyms, please refer to the Hosea document.
He was the last king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. At that time, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in a period of great turmoil, where more kings came to power through rebellion than through stable succession. Hosea also became king by rebelling against King Pekah, who himself had usurped the throne through rebellion. The Bible records that King Hosea was not as wicked as the previous kings.
2 Kings 17:1In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Elah’s son Hosea became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned nine years.2 Kings 17:2He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
However, by that time, the Assyrian power was strong, and the fate of the nation was sealed. Ultimately, King Hosea engaged in tightrope diplomacy between Assyria and Egypt, but he was eventually destroyed by Assyria.
2 Kings 17:3Assyria’s King Shalmaneser attacked Hosea, who became his vassal and paid him tribute.2 Kings 17:4But the king of Assyria discovered a conspiracy by Hosea, who had sent envoys to Egypt’s King So and had stopped paying the annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.2 Kings 17:5Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land and marched up to Samaria, where he besieged it for three years.2 Kings 17:6In the ninth year of Hosea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
[See Genealogy of the Kingdom of Israel]