Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 17:6

"In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes." — 2 Kings 17:6 (ASV)

In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria. —Compare to Hosea 10:5 and following; Micah 1:6; Isaiah 28:1–4. In the great inscription published by Botta, Sargon says: “The city of Samaria I assaulted, I took; 27,280 men dwelling in its midst I carried off; 50 chariots among them I set apart (for myself), and the rest of their wealth I let (my soldiers) take; my prefect over them I appointed, and the tribute of the former king upon them I laid.”

Placed them. —Literally, made them dwell. Septuagint,

In Halah. —This place appears to be identical with Halahhu, a name occurring in an Assyrian geographical list between Arrabha (Arrapachitis) and Ratsappa (Rezeph). It probably lay in Mesopotamia, like Rezeph and Gozan. (See Note on 1 Chronicles 5:26.)

In Habor by the river of Gozan. —Rather, on Habor the river of Gozan.

The cities of the Medes. —The Septuagint seems to have read “mountains of the Medes.” (Compare to Notes on 1 Chronicles 5:26, where “Hara and the river of Gozan” is probably the result of an inadvertent transposition of “The river of Gozan and Hara.”)