2 Kings 17:6

17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel 1  to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 17:23-24

17:23 Finally 2  the Lord rejected Israel 3  just as he had warned he would do 4  through all his servants the prophets. Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very day.

The King of Assyria Populates Israel with Foreigners

17:24 The king of Assyria brought foreigners 5  from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria 6  in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

2 Kings 17:30-31

17:30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, 7  the people from Cuth made Nergal, 8  the people from Hamath made Ashima, 9  17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, 10  and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, 11  the gods of Sepharvaim.

2 Kings 19:12-13

19:12 Were the nations whom my ancestors destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods? 12  19:13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of Lair, 13  Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

1 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” as the object of the verb.

2 tn Heb “until.”

3 tn Heb “the Lord turned Israel away from his face.”

4 tn Heb “just as he said.”

5 tn The object is supplied in the translation.

6 sn In vv. 24-29 Samaria stands for the entire northern kingdom of Israel.

7 sn No deity is known by the name Succoth Benoth in extant Mesopotamian literature. For speculation as to the identity of this deity, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211.

8 sn Nergal was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld.

9 sn This deity is unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211-12.

10 sn Nibhaz and Tartak were two Elamite deities. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

11 sn Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim are unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

12 tn Heb “Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed rescue them – Gozan and Haran, and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who are in Telassar?”

13 sn Lair is a city located in northeastern Babylon. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 235.