Did Israelites from the ten northern tribes migrate to Judah?
Scripture indicates a constant migration of Israelites from the ten northern tribes down into Judah. By the time of the captivity, many from the northern kingdom had already settled in Judah, so that all Israel was representatively present there. This is supported by 2 Chronicles 15:9, which describes such migration.
Les teaches that there was a constant migration of Israelites from the ten northern tribes down into Judah. He points out that by the end of the northern kingdom's history, they were depleted, as seen in 1 Kings 20:27 where they were like two little flocks of kids. He then references 2 Chronicles 15:9 to prove that many from the northern tribes moved to Judah, so that by the time of the captivity, all Israel was representatively in Judah, and thus they didn't need to return.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
More Questions
Why didn't the captured northern tribes have to come back after being taken captive?
Because of that constant migration, the northern tribes' captives did not have to come back after being taken captive, since all of Israel was already in Judah, at least representatively.