And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was plotting against him. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, the king of Egypt, and had stopped bringing his yearly tribute payments to the king of Assyria as he had done before. Because of this, the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
This verse describes how King Hoshea of Israel was imprisoned by Assyria after he tried to form an alliance with Egypt and stopped paying his required tribute.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was a vassal state under the powerful Assyrian Empire, which demanded annual tribute payments to maintain control. King Hoshea attempted to rebel by secretly seeking an alliance with the king of Egypt and withholding these payments, reflecting the common ancient practice of smaller nations forming coalitions against stronger oppressors. This act of conspiracy triggered a harsh Assyrian response, leading to Hoshea's capture and imprisonment as part of the broader downfall of Israel.
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