A frequent misinterpretation portrays Hoshea positively as a reforming or relatively good king because his wickedness was milder than predecessors, ignoring the unequivocal label of his actions as evil and the cumulative context of Israel's covenant violations, which rendered degrees of sin irrelevant to averting God's judgment of captivity.
II Kings 17:2
King James Version (1769)
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
This verse characterizes King Hoshea of Israel as committing evil in the sight of the Lord, yet to a lesser degree than the kings before him, underscoring a pattern of persistent national sinfulness that persisted even under slightly less corrupt leadership, ultimately contributing to Israel's downfall and exile by Assyria as divine judgment for ongoing idolatry and disobedience.