מלכים ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק י״ח

Following a long record of the Israelites' sins and betrayals, the inevitable consequence arrives. God's intense anger is awakened by their actions [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. As a punishment, God removes the people from His presence. Commentators understand this removal on two distinct levels. On a physical level, it refers to the harsh reality of exile. The Israelites are banished from the chosen land and taken captive by the king of Assyria during the reign of Hoshea son of Elah [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. On a spiritual level, being removed from God's presence means losing His divine protection. He hides His face from the people, withdrawing His direct care and ceasing to manage their affairs [מלבי״ם].

The devastating outcome of this punishment is that only the tribe of Judah is left behind, remaining in the land and continuing to benefit from God's watchful care [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Although Judah is the only group explicitly named as surviving this exile, this actually refers to the entire Kingdom of Judah. This kingdom included the tribe of Benjamin, which was considered secondary and naturally grouped with Judah [רד״ק, אברבנאל], as well as members of the tribe of Simeon, whose geographical territory was situated entirely within Judah's borders [אברבנאל].