2 Kings 18:9

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

The siege of Samaria by Shalmaneser king of Assyria began in the fourth year of King Hezekiah of Judah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel. It thus fell in the earlier part of Hezekiah's reign, only a few years after he began to reign. At that time he was engaged in strengthening the defenses of Jerusalem.

The siege ended three years later with the capture of Samaria and the exile of Israel. The shattered, broken remnant of the ten tribes was scattered among the nations and throughout the provinces of the Assyrian realm. In that judgment the Assyrians were the instruments used to carry out God's purpose. Israel was destroyed because the people disobeyed God and broke His covenant.

That Assyrian success led many among the surrounding nations to question the power of the God of Israel, the God of the Hebrews. It also emboldened Nineveh, which had long since set aside the message of Jonah and had become defiant in opposition to the purposes of Heaven. Yet Hezekiah's reign was marked by remarkable providences showing that the God of Israel was with His people.

The fall left nearby Judah and Jerusalem exposed and close to the threat of an Assyrian return, with the rich spoils of the temple near at hand. A few years after the fall of Samaria the victorious Assyrian armies reappeared in Palestine against the fortified, fenced cities of Judah with some measure of success. They then withdrew for a season because of difficulties in other parts of their realm. The final demonstration before the nations whether the gods of the heathen would prevail did not come until some years later, toward the close of Hezekiah's reign.

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