5

What tribe was Hoshea Ben Eilah, the last king of Malchus Yisrael, from?

Seder Hadoros says he was from Reuven, but in the same sentence it says that in his days Zechus Avos stopped. The thing is that this Gemara in Shabbos 55a is actually about the Navi Hoshea Ben Be'iri.

That mistake appears to have come from misreading the Shalshelles Hakabballa (in newer copies of the Seder Hadoros available on Otzar Hachochma you can see that this was his source, and its clearly a misread. The Navi Hoshea was actually from Shevet Reuven also as it says in Bereishis Rabbah 84:19 and elsewhere): Hoshea Shevet mistake

Does anyone have a source as to what Shevet he actually was from?

1
  • 2
    Ibn Ezra on Hosea does quote an opinion (that he disagrees with) that the prophet and king are the same, but it does seem to be more likely he misread as you suggest
    – b a
    Jan 5, 2018 at 0:35

1 Answer 1

2

R. Yitzchak Abarbanel (Devarim 27:14ff) says (near the end) that Hoshea was from the tribe of Zevulun:

ולפי שצפה גם כן ענין הושע בן אלה שהיה משבט זבלון שהרג בסתר ונקשר את פקח בן רמליהו ומלך תחתיו. ומיד גלו השבטים ונחרב שומרון לכן אמר כנגדו ארור מכה רעהו בסתר.

[Moshe] foresaw Hoshea ben Eilah, who was from Shevet Zevulun, who killed in stealth, plotting against Pekach ben Remaliahu and replacing him on the throne, and how shortly afterwards the Ten Tribes were exiled and Shomron was destroyed. He therefore said, corresponding to him, "Cursed is he who strikes his brother in stealth."

What his source is for that identification, I don't know.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .