Hosea (III)

III. HOSEA, the last King of Israel. He was the son of Elah, and having conspired 2 Kings xv. 30. In the year of the World 3265, before J. C. 735, before the Vulgar Æra 739. 2 Kings xvii. 1, 2, &c.against Pekah, the son of Remaliah, King of Israel, he killed him, and made himself master of his dominions. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like the Kings of Israel, who preceded him; that is to say, according to the Jewish Doctors, he did not restrain his subjects from going, if they would, to Jerusalem, and worshipping the Lord there; whereas the Kings of Israel his predecessors had forbid it under severe penalties, and had even placed guards upon the road to prevent it.

Salmanesar, King of Assyria, having intelligence that Hosea, whose kingdom till then had been tributary to the Assyrians, was thinking of a revolt, and to this end had taken measures with So King of Egypt, in order to shake off the Assyrian yoke, he marched against him, made inroads upon all the country, and after he had caused great desolation in it, laid siege to Samaria¹. The city was taken after a siege of three years, in the ninth year of Hosea’s reign. Salmanesar In the year of the World 3282, before J. C. 718, before the Vulgar Æra 722. Hos. i. 10, 11. See 2 Kings xvii. 3, 6. Hos. xiii. 16. Micah i. 6.used the Israelites with the utmost cruelty. He opened the women big with child, and dashed their tender infants in pieces against the ground. Samaria was reduced to an heap of ruins. The King of Assyria removed all the Israelites of the ten Tribes remaining in the country, beyond the Euphrates, and sent Cuthæans in their room, who are still at this day known there by the name of Samaritans. In this manner were the threatnings of God, so often pronounced against this sinful city, verified.

The Chronology of Hosea’s reign is extremely perplexed, by reason of the inconsistency of some dates which are set down in Scripture. It is said, 2 Kings xv. 30. that Hosea began to reign in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. (This was the fourth of Ahaz, for Jotham his father died four years before, having reigned only sixteen years, 2 Kings xv. 32, 33.) And in chap. xvii. 1. of this same book, it is said, that Hosea began to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz. Lastly, the Scripture, 2 Kings xv. 27. allows Pekah to have reigned but twenty years. Notwithstanding, if the last year of Pekah and the first of Hosea concur with the twentieth of Jotham, 2 Kings xv. 30. it is clear, that Pekah must have reigned two and twenty years, since Jotham began to reign in the second year of Pekah, 2 Kings xv. 32. To reconcile all these differences, it may be said, that Hosea conspired against Pekah in the twentieth year of this Prince, which was the eighteenth after the beginning of Jotham’s reign. It was two years longer before Hosea made himself master of Pekah’s dominions; so that he was not acknowledged King of Israel till two years after, that is to say, in the fourth year of Ahaz, and the twentieth of Jotham. Lastly, in the twelfth year of Ahaz, he reigned quietly over all Israel, according to chap. xvii. 1. See Usher and the Commentators, in order to reconcile these different dates.

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