The Meaning of 2 Kings 17:3 Explained

2 Kings 17:3

KJV: Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

YLT: against him came up Shalmaneser king of Asshur, and Hoshea is to him a servant, and doth render to him a present.

Darby: Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant, and tendered him presents.

ASV: Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Against him came up  Shalmaneser  king  of Assyria;  and Hoshea  became his servant,  and gave  him presents. 

What does 2 Kings 17:3 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 17:1-12 - The Cause Of Israel's Weakness
This chapter reads like a page from the books of the great white throne. Hoshea, the last king of Israel, did not follow in all the evil deeds of his eighteen predecessors, but the degeneracy of the nation was too far advanced for anything to arrest its collapse. The dry-rot had eaten its way through the specious covering. Worldly policy was the immediate cause of the nation's downfall. Had they obeyed God simply and absolutely, they could have trusted Him to maintain their independence. But they chose to enter into alliances, now with Syria, and then with Egypt, and so became entangled in the wars of their allies. See Hosea 7:11; Hosea 9:3; Hosea 9:6; Hosea 12:1, etc.
Let us read carefully the bill of divorce which the Heavenly Husband gave to the recreant people whom he put away. It is a pathetic document from 2 Kings 17:7 onward; but none can say that Jehovah had not good and sufficient cause for acting as he did. The wonder is that He bore so long with the apostate race. Read Hosea 1:1-11; Hosea 2:1-23; Hosea 3:1-5 to learn how the divine heart was rent when the hour of separation came: but let us not forget the assurances of Romans 11:1-36, that the true Israel shall ultimately be saved. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 17

1  Hoshea the Last King of Israel
3  Being subdued by Shalmaneser, he conspires against him with So, king of Egypt
5  Samaria for sinning is led into captivity
24  The strange nations transplanted into Samaria make a mixture of religions

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 17:3 mean?

Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria and became his Hoshea vassal and paid him tribute money
עָלָ֣יו עָלָ֔ה שַׁלְמַנְאֶ֖סֶר מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַֽיְהִי־ ל֤וֹ הוֹשֵׁ֙עַ֙ עֶ֔בֶד וַיָּ֥שֶׁב ל֖וֹ מִנְחָֽה

עָלָ֣יו  Against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עָלָ֔ה  came  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
שַׁלְמַנְאֶ֖סֶר  Shalmaneser 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁלְמַנְאֶסֶר  
Sense: Assyrian king who probably reigned between Tiglath-pileser and Sargon; invaded the northern kingdom of Israel when the last king Hoshea was on the throne; forced Hoshea to pay tribute but had to reinvade when Hoshea reneged; it is uncertain whether Shalmaneser or Sargon concluded the siege which finally ended the northern kingdom.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֑וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
וַֽיְהִי־  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ל֤וֹ  his 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
הוֹשֵׁ֙עַ֙  Hoshea 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֹושֵׁעַ  
Sense: family name of Joshua, the son of Nun.
עֶ֔בֶד  vassal 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַיָּ֥שֶׁב  and  paid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מִנְחָֽה  tribute  money 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.