דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״ה, פסוק י״ג

Dismissing an allied army can sometimes create a threat greater than the original enemy. When the Ephraimite troops were sent back to their own land, their sudden dismissal sparked a cruel campaign of revenge and destruction across the cities of Judah. As a massive military force in their own right, these soldiers felt deeply hurt and humiliated by being expelled from the battlefront. In response to this perceived insult, they launched a vicious retaliation against the Kingdom of Judah [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The assault was characterized by the soldiers spreading out and scattering across the territory, a classic tactic for warriors focused on fighting and seizing spoils [מצודת ציון]. The specific geographic route of this invasion—starting in Samaria and moving toward Beth-horon—reveals important details about both the timing and the nature of the attack. The soldiers did not lash out immediately upon being dismissed. Had they attacked the cities on their way out of Judah, their path would have moved from south to north. Instead, the north-to-south trajectory indicates that they first returned all the way to their homes in Samaria. Only after regrouping there did they launch a calculated, organized offensive against Judah [רש״י].

This devastating campaign left a heavy toll. By the time the assault ended, the Ephraimite forces had struck down three thousand men of Judah and carried off a massive amount of looted property [ביאור שטיינזלץ].