And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD but not as the kings of Israel that were before And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
He did ... evil ... but not as the kings of Israel - or, as Sir H. Rawlinson expresses it ('Outlines of Assyrian History,' p. 28:), 'the second accession of Hoshea dated from the period when he threw off the yoke of Assyria.' Unlike his predecessors from the time of Jeroboam, he neither established the rites of Baal nor compelled the people to adhere to the symbolic worship of the calves. But although in these respects Hoshea acted as became a constitutional king of Israel, yet, through the influence of the nineteen princes who had swayed the sceptre before him, all of whom had been zealous patrons of idolatry, and many of whom had been also infamous for personal crimes, the whole nation had become so completely demoralized that the righteous judgment of an angry Providence impended over it. This seem to be the just view of the case (Prideaux, 'Connection'). At the same time, Josephus ('Antiquities,' b. 9:, ch. 13:) describes Hoshea as a 'wicked man, and a despiser of the divine worship.' Accordingly many in the present day have taken up the opinion that he who was the last was the worst and most wicked of all the kings. Through his irreligious character and influence the national depravity was consummated; and the covenant having been completely violated, Yahweh permitted the Assyrian conqueror to overthrow the kingdom of the ten tribes.