2 kings 17:5 - Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
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What does "2 kings 17:5" mean?
This verse from 2 Kings 17:5 describes the beginning of the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (whose capital was Samaria). Let's break it down:
"Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land...": This indicates that the Assyrian king (Shalmaneser V at this time, though he may have died during the siege and been succeeded by Sargon II) launched a military campaign that spread across the entire territory of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He wasn't just targeting Samaria, but was asserting control over the entire land.
"...went up to Samaria...": The Assyrian army advanced to Samaria, the capital city. This was the strategically and symbolically important city.
"...and besieged it three years.": The Assyrians surrounded Samaria and laid siege to it. A siege meant cutting off the city's supplies and preventing anyone from entering or leaving, in an attempt to starve and weaken the inhabitants into surrender. The siege lasted for a prolonged period of three years, indicating a determined effort by the Assyrians and a stubborn resistance by the city's defenders.
In short, this verse marks the beginning of the end for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It describes the Assyrian invasion and the start of the long siege of its capital, Samaria, ultimately leading to its fall. This event is significant because it led to the exile of many Israelites and the repopulation of the region with people from other parts of the Assyrian empire, which drastically changed the region's ethnic and religious makeup.
2 kings 17:5 - Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
What does "2 kings 17:5" mean?
This verse from 2 Kings 17:5 describes the beginning of the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (whose capital was Samaria). Let's break it down:
"Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land...": This indicates that the Assyrian king (Shalmaneser V at this time, though he may have died during the siege and been succeeded by Sargon II) launched a military campaign that spread across the entire territory of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He wasn't just targeting Samaria, but was asserting control over the entire land.
"...went up to Samaria...": The Assyrian army advanced to Samaria, the capital city. This was the strategically and symbolically important city.
"...and besieged it three years.": The Assyrians surrounded Samaria and laid siege to it. A siege meant cutting off the city's supplies and preventing anyone from entering or leaving, in an attempt to starve and weaken the inhabitants into surrender. The siege lasted for a prolonged period of three years, indicating a determined effort by the Assyrians and a stubborn resistance by the city's defenders.
In short, this verse marks the beginning of the end for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It describes the Assyrian invasion and the start of the long siege of its capital, Samaria, ultimately leading to its fall. This event is significant because it led to the exile of many Israelites and the repopulation of the region with people from other parts of the Assyrian empire, which drastically changed the region's ethnic and religious makeup.