In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
During the time when Pekah was king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria, came and conquered many cities including Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee—all the territory that belonged to the tribe of Naphtali. He took the people from these places as captives back to Assyria.
This verse records how the powerful Assyrian king invaded northern Israel during Pekah's reign and carried away entire populations as prisoners of war.
📚 Historical Context
This event occurred around 733-732 BC during the reign of King Pekah of Israel (752-732 BC). Tiglath-Pileser III was expanding the Assyrian Empire westward, and Israel's northern territories were among his first conquests. This partial deportation of Israelites was a precursor to the complete fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, when the Assyrians would carry away the remaining population.
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