2 Kings 6:24

Besieged Samaria Resorts to Cannibalism

24 It happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Aram assembled all of his army and marched up and laid siege against Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 6:24

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria
gathered all his host
Still retaining a grudge and enmity against Israel, and not at all softened by the kind and humane treatment his forces had met with, when in the hands of Israel; and finding he could do nothing in a secret way, by ambush, mustered all his forces together, to try what he could by open war:

and went up, and besieged Samaria;
Jehoram king of Israel not being able to stop him till he came to his capital, which he laid close siege to.

2 Kings 6:24 In-Context

22 And he said, "You shall not kill. Would you kill [those] whom you took captive with the sword or with the bow? Put food and water before them that they may eat and drink and then go to their master."

23 So he made a great feast for them, and they ate and drank; then he sent them, and they went to their master. And the bands of the Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

24 It happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Aram assembled all of his army and marched up and laid siege against Samaria.

25 There was a great famine in Samaria, and behold, a siege [was] against it, until the head of a donkey [went] for eighty shekels of silver, and one fourth of the measure of the dung of doves [went] for five shekels of silver.

26 It happened that the king of Israel [was] crossing over on the wall, and a woman called out to him, saying, "Help, my lord the king!"