Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, came up against him in battle. Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute.
This verse describes how King Hoshea of Israel was forced to surrender to the Assyrian king and become his vassal, paying tribute to avoid total destruction.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 724 BC when the mighty Assyrian Empire was expanding westward and conquering smaller nations. Hoshea was the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel, and his submission to Assyria marked the beginning of the end for Israel as an independent nation. The 'presents' were actually tribute payments - a form of taxation that vassal nations paid to their conquerors to maintain some level of autonomy.
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