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.
Ver. 4. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea,] sc., With So, king of Egypt, to whom he had sent ambassadors, and afterwards denied to pay his yearly tribute, as 2 Kings 17:3 .
For he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt.] Jerome calleth him Sua; he seemeth to be the same with Sabicon the Ethiopian, a who had taken Bocchoris in battle, and reigned in Egypt eight years in his stead. Whence Chrysostom b saith that Hoshea was confederate with the Ethiopians; and Sulpitius c saith that he sent for help to the king of the Ethiopians, who then ruled over Egypt.
a African.
b In Johan., homil, xxx.
c Hist. Sac., lib. i.