2 Kings

2 Kings 6:24–29

24Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.

25So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver,b and a quarter cab of dove’s dungc sold for five shekels of silver.d

26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

27He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” 28Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?”

And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ 29So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”

Footnotes

  • b 6:25 80 shekels is approximately 2 pounds or 907.2 grams of silver.
  • c 6:25 Or a quarter cab of seed pods; that is, approximately 0.28 dry quarts or 0.31 liters
  • d 6:25 5 shekels is approximately 2 ounces or 57 grams of silver.

Read all of 2 Kings 6

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Kings 6:24

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Some time laterאַחֲרֵי־’a·ḥă·rê-PrepositionH310 behind
Ben-hadadהֲדַ֥דhă·ḏaḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1130 Ben-Hadad
kingמֶֽלֶךְ־me·leḵ-Noun - masculine singular constructH4428 king
of Aramאֲרָ֖ם’ă·rāmNoun - proper - feminine singularH758 Aram
assembledוַיִּקְבֹּ֛ץway·yiq·bōṣConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6908 gather, collect
his entireכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
armyמַחֲנֵ֑הוּma·ḥă·nê·hūNoun - common singular construct; third person masculine singularH4264 encampment, camp
and marched upוַיַּ֕עַלway·ya·‘alConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5927 go up, ascend, climb
to besiegeוַיָּ֖צַרway·yā·ṣarConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6696 confine, bind, besiege
Samariaשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃šō·mə·rō·wnNoun - proper - feminine singularH8111 Shomeron

2 Kings 6:25

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So there wasוַיְהִ֨יway·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a greatגָּדוֹל֙gā·ḏō·wlAdjective - masculine singularH1419 great
famineרָעָ֤בrā·‘āḇNoun - masculine singularH7458 famine, hunger
in Samariaבְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹןbə·šō·mə·rō·wnPreposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singularH8111 Shomeron
Indeedוְהִנֵּ֖הwə·hin·nêhConjunctive waw; InterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
they besiegedצָרִ֣יםṣā·rîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH6696 confine, bind, besiege
so long thatעַ֣ד‘aḏPrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
a donkey’sחֲמוֹר֙ḥă·mō·wrNoun - masculine singularH2543 heap
headרֹאשׁ־rōš-Noun - masculine singular constructH7218 head
soldהֱי֤וֹתhĕ·yō·wṯVerb - Qal - Infinitive constructH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
for eightyבִּשְׁמֹנִ֣יםbiš·mō·nîmPreposition-b; Number - common pluralH8084 an eighty
of silverכֶּ֔סֶףke·sep̄Noun - masculine singularH3701 silver, money
and a quarterוְרֹ֛בַעwə·rō·ḇa‘Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH7255 fourth part
cabהַקַּ֥בhaq·qaḇArticle; Noun - masculine singularH6894 kab
of dove’s dungחֲרֵייוֹנִיםḥă·rē·yō·nīmNoun - masculine pluralH2716 dung
sold for fiveבַּחֲמִשָּׁה־ba·ḥă·miš·šāh-Preposition-b, Article; Number - masculine singularH2568 five
of silverכָֽסֶף׃ḵā·sep̄Noun - masculine singularH3701 silver, money

2 Kings 6:26

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
As the kingמֶ֣לֶךְme·leḵNoun - masculine singular constructH4428 king
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
was passing byעֹבֵ֖ר‘ō·ḇêrVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
onעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the wallהַחֹמָ֑הha·ḥō·māhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH2346 wall
a womanוְאִשָּׁ֗הwə·’iš·šāhConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female
cried outצָעֲקָ֤הṣā·‘ă·qāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH6817 cry, cry out, call
to himאֵלָיו֙’ê·lāwPreposition; third person masculine singularH413 motion to
Help meהוֹשִׁ֖יעָהhō·wō·šî·‘āhVerb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH3467 deliver
my lordאֲדֹנִ֥י’ă·ḏō·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH113 lord
the kingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king

2 Kings 6:27

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
He answeredוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙way·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
If the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
does notאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
help youיוֹשִׁעֵ֣ךְyō·wō·ši·‘êḵVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person feminine singularH3467 deliver
whereמֵאַ֖יִןmê·’a·yinPreposition-m; AdverbH370 whence?
can I find help for youאֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ךְ’ō·wō·šî·‘êḵVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; second person feminine singularH3467 deliver
Fromהֲמִן־hă·min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the threshing floorהַגֹּ֖רֶןhag·gō·renArticle; Noun - feminine singularH1637 threshing-floor
orא֥וֹ’ōwConjunctionH176 or
the winepressהַיָּֽקֶב׃hay·yā·qeḇArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3342 wine-vat

2 Kings 6:28

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
askedוַיֹּֽאמֶר־way·yō·mer-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
herלָ֥הּlāhPreposition; third person feminine singular
Whatמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
is the matterלָּ֑ךְlāḵPreposition; second person feminine singular
And she answeredוַתֹּ֗אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Thisהַזֹּ֜אתhaz·zōṯArticle; Pronoun - feminine singularH2063 this
womanהָאִשָּׁ֨הhā·’iš·šāhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female
saidאָמְרָ֣ה’ā·mə·rāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
to meאֵלַ֗י’ê·layPreposition; first person common singularH413 motion to
Give upתְּנִ֤יtə·nîVerb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularH5414 give, put, set
your sonבְּנֵךְ֙bə·nêḵNoun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singularH1121 son
that we may eat himוְנֹאכְלֶ֣נּוּwə·nō·ḵə·len·nūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural; third person masculine singularH398 eat
andוְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-Conjunctive waw; Direct object markerH853 mark of the accusative
tomorrowמָחָֽר׃mā·ḥārAdverbH4279 tomorrow, in time to come
we will eatנֹאכַ֥לnō·ḵalVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common pluralH398 eat
my sonבְּנִ֖יbə·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1121 son

2 Kings 6:29

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So we boiledוַנְּבַשֵּׁ֥לwan·nə·ḇaš·šêlConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - first person common pluralH1310 boil, seethe
my sonבְּנִ֖יbə·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1121 son
and ate himוַנֹּֽאכְלֵ֑הוּwan·nō·ḵə·lê·hūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural; third person masculine singularH398 eat
and the nextהָאַחֵ֗רhā·’a·ḥêrArticle; Adjective - masculine singularH312 another
dayבַּיּ֣וֹםbay·yō·wmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
I saidוָאֹמַ֨רwā·’ō·marConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularH559 utter, say
to herאֵלֶ֜יהָ’ê·le·hāPreposition; third person feminine singularH413 motion to
Give upתְּנִ֤יtə·nîVerb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularH5414 give, put, set
your sonבְּנֵךְ֙bə·nêḵNoun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singularH1121 son
that we may eat himוְנֹ֣אכְלֶ֔נּוּwə·nō·ḵə·len·nūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural; third person masculine singularH398 eat
But she had hiddenוַתַּחְבִּ֖אwat·taḥ·biConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH2244 withdraw, hide
her sonבְּנָֽהּ׃bə·nāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH1121 son

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Kings 6:24 1 Kings 20:1 · Deuteronomy 28:52 · 1 Kings 22:31 · Ecclesiastes 9:14 · 2 Kings 17:5

2 Kings 6:25 Jeremiah 14:13–15 · Jeremiah 52:6 · 2 Kings 6:28–29 · Jeremiah 14:18 · Jeremiah 32:24

2 Kings 6:26 2 Samuel 14:4 · Isaiah 10:3 · Luke 18:3 · Acts 21:28

2 Kings 6:27 Psalm 118:8–9 · Psalm 124:1–3

2 Kings 6:28 2 Samuel 14:5 · Judges 18:23 · Leviticus 26:29 · Lamentations 4:10 · Luke 23:29

2 Kings 6:29 Leviticus 26:29 · Deuteronomy 28:53 · Deuteronomy 28:57 · 1 Kings 3:26

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.