מלכים ב, פרק ט״ו, פסוק כ״ט

The Assyrian Empire's strategy toward the Kingdom of Israel undergoes a drastic shift, moving from financial extortion to outright conquest and annexation. In earlier campaigns, the Assyrian king was content to demand a heavy monetary payment and leave the land. However, the objective now becomes absorbing the region permanently into the empire, resulting in the military takeover of the northern tribal territories [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As part of this aggressive expansion, the Assyrian king removes the local inhabitants from their homes and forces them into exile, employing a standard tactic used throughout the Assyrian Empire to control conquered populations [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The captives are relocated to Assyria, an event that parallels the historical record in the Book of Chronicles. That account provides further detail, noting that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh were deported to specific areas like Halah, Habor, and the river Gozan, all of which were individual states within the larger Assyrian territory [רלב״ג].

The military campaign sweeps through the north, leaving entire areas conquered and completely emptied of their people. Among the places stripped of their populations are the city of Abel-beth-maacah and the wider surrounding region of the Galilee [מצודת ציון].