2 Kings 6:24

Famine in Besieged Samaria

24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24 in Other Translations

24 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

24 Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria.

24 Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria.

24 At a later time, this: Ben-Hadad king of Aram pulled together his troops and launched a siege on Samaria.

24 Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up to besiege 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 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.”

23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.

24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.

25 There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.

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

Cross References

• 1. S 1 Kings 15:18; 1 Kings 20:1; 2 Kings 8:7
• 2. Deuteronomy 28:52