This verse continues the theme of the last chapter. The kingdom of Israel had been suffering from spiritual darkness in their practice of seeking for those with familiar spirits. This darkness would be overshadowed by the afflictions that were to come upon them at the hand of the Assyrians, 'In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedessh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria' (2 Kings 15:29, italics added). The affliction got worse with a second sacking which occurred 10 years later, 'In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria (Shalmaneser) took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria' (2 Kings 17:6).