2 Kings 6:24-33

2Ki 6:24-33

24. ¶ And it came to pass after [afterwards] this, that Benhadad [Ben-hahad 11, who had besieged Samaria in the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 20:1 .)], king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

25. And there was [there arose: in consequence of the siege] a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they beseiged [were besieging] it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces [eighty shekels = about £10. Ass's flesh would not be ordinarily eaten, and the head would be the cheapest part. When Hannibal besieged Casalinum, Pliny states that a mouse was sold for 200 denarii (£6 5s.)], of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung [probably denotes some kind of common vegetable produce] for five pieces of silver [five shekels in silver = about 12s. 6 d .].

26. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

27. And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor [Jehovah alone is the giver of corn and wine (comp. Hosea 9:2 ; Hos 2:8-9 )] or out of the winepress?

28. And the king said [compare these facts with Deuteronomy 28:56 , seq.; 1 Samuel 4:10 ; Eze 5:10 ] unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.

29. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son [perhaps to save him (comp. 1Ki 3:26 )].

30. ¶ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes: and he passed [now he was passing] by upon the wall, and the people looked [saw], and, behold, he had sackcloth [the sackcloth was. "The sackcloth," i.e., the garb of penitence and woe ( 1Ki 21:27 )], within upon his flesh [comp. Isa 20:2-3 ].

31. Then he [the king] said, God do so and more also to me [literally, so may God do to me, and so may he add (comp. Ruth 1:17 ; 1 Samuel 3:17 ; 1Ki 2:23 )], if the head of Elisha [the king's horror is succeeded by indignation (comp. with the oath, 1Ki 19:2 )] the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

32. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man [to behead the prophet] from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders [Elisha foreknew what was about to happen (comp. chap. 2Ki 5:26 )], See ye how this son of a murderer [referring to Ahab's murder of Naboth ( 1Ki 21:19 )] hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door [literally, press him back with the door]; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?

33. And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came [was coming] down unto him: and he [the king] said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?