the king of Assyria: Historical records say Shalmaneser V of Assyria, the ruler from 726 to 722 BC, conquered Samaria, but Sargon II (who ruled Assyria from 721 to 705 BC) claimed he captured the city. Sargon might have been the commander when Samaria fell and then became king after Shalmaneser's death during the siege.
invaded the whole land: The Assyrians would destroy the area around an enemy's main city before attacking it.
The ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign was 722 BC.
carried away the Israelites: The Assyrians deported people to prevent future rebellions. Sargon also brought other people to Israel to create a mixed population (see 2 Kings 17:24–25).
Halah was northeast of Nineveh in Assyria.
The Habor River is a branch of the Euphrates River in northwestern Assyria.
Gozan was on the Habor River northeast of Haran (see Genesis 12:4). Assyrian records from the area include names that are clearly Israelite, possibly showing the deportation of Samaria's people.