The events recorded in this verse happened in 732–731 B.C.
Instead of the title the king of Assyria, it may be wise in certain languages to use the proper name “Tiglath Pileser” as Good News Translation has done. The second occurrence of this title may then be replaced by a pronoun in most languages.
Hearkened to him: The rather archaic English verb here means “listened” (New Revised Standard Version), but the meaning of the whole phrase is perhaps conveyed better by expressions like “granted his request” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “complied” (New International Version).
Marched up is literally “went up.” The Assyrian king did not do this alone, but he went with his army, so Good News Translation has “marched out with his army.”
Damascus was the capital city of Syria.
Carrying its people captive is literally “caused it to remove.” The text does not actually mention the people. But the pronoun “it” obviously refers to the inhabitants of Damascus who were deported. See the comments on 2 Kgs 15.29.
Kir: This proper name is the same as the Hebrew word for “wall.” The exact location of this place is unknown. The prophet Amos predicts the destruction of Damascus and the subsequent exile of the people of Syria to Kir (Amos 1.5). This location, however, should not be confused with the Moabite capital mentioned in Isa 15.1.
Some interpreters consider the Hebrew word for Kir to be a common noun meaning “the city” and not the name of a city named Kir. If this interpretation is correct, then the reference may be to the Assyrian capital Nineveh. Assyrians did in fact refer to their capital city as “the City.” Compare Gray, who has “Nineveh (lit. the city).” The note in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente also suggests that the reference may be to Nineveh, referred to as “the city.” The ancient Greek translation of this verse omits the words to Kir and this leads some interpreters to think this Hebrew word has been added under the influence of the prophecy in Amos, but the words to Kir should be included in translation.
And he killed Rezin: The structure of this verse is altered by Good News Translation to show that King Rezin was in all likelihood killed in battle prior to the deportation of the people of Damascus to the city of Kir. New Revised Standard Version makes it sound as if King Rezin was first transported to Kir and was then put to death. Although both interpretations of the Hebrew are possible, the rendering in Good News Translation more likely expresses the intended sense of the Hebrew text.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .