And said unto them, ye shall not bring in the captives hither,.... That is, into Samaria, near which it seems they now were: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already; by exceeding in their cruelty against their brethren of Judah, as well as by worshipping the calves: ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: by making slaves of those they had taken captives, which was against the express law of God: for your trespass is great; which they had committed already, by their idolatrous practices: and there is fierce wrath against Israel; which they perceived by what the prophet had said.