2 Kings 6:19-29

19 Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow * me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he brought them to Samaria.

20 When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "O ¹LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21 Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "²My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"

22 He answered, "You shall not kill them. Would you ³kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? ⁴Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master."

23 So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And ⁵the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again * into the land of Israel.

The Siege of Samaria--Cannibalism

24 Now it came about after this, that ⁶Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged * Samaria.

25 There was a great ⁷famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged * it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.

26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"

27 He said, "If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?"

28 And the king said to her, "⁸What is the matter with you?" And she answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

29 "⁹So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son."

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2 Kings 6:19-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 6

In this chapter are recorded other wonders of Elisha, as causing iron to swim, 2Ki 6:1-7 having knowledge of the secret counsels of the king of Syria, which he disclosed to the king of Israel, 2Ki 6:8-12 smiting the Syrian army with blindness sent to take him, and which he led into the midst of Samaria, 2Ki 6:13-23, and the chapter is closed with an account of the siege of Samaria, and a sore famine in it, 2Ki 6:24-33.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 9

1. 2 Kings 6:17
2. 2 Kings 2:12; 2 Kings 5:13; 2 Kings 8:9
3. Deuteronomy 20:11-16; 2 Chronicles 28:8-15
4. Romans 12:20
5. 2 Kings 5:2; 2 Kings 24:2
6. 1 Kings 20:1
7. Leviticus 26:26
8. Judges 18:23
9. Leviticus 26:27-29; Deut 28:52, 53, 57; Lamentations 4:10

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "smite"
[b]. Lit "smite"
[c]. Lit "said"
[d]. Lit "smite"
[e]. Lit "smite"
[f]. I.e. One kab equals approx 2 qts
[g]. Lit "No, let the LORD help you"
[h]. Lit "to you"
[i]. Lit "said"