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2 Kings 6:25

Samaria
Poverty and the vulnerableSuffering

23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

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

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

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, or out of the winepress?

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
So 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, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
KJV
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
WEB
There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
ASV
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass`s head was sold for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove`s dung for five [pieces] of silver.
DARBY
And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was worth eighty silver-pieces, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung five silver-pieces.
BLB
And there was a great famine in Samaria. And behold, they lay siege against it until the head of a donkey was [sold] for eighty [shekels] of silver, and a forth of a cab of dove’s dung for five [shekels] of silver.
ÅB
Og mens de holdt Samaria kringsatt, ble det så stor hungersnød i byen at til sist hodet av et esel kostet åtti sekel sølv, og fjerdedelen av en kab duemøkk fem sekel sølv.
OTB
Det var en alvorlig hungersnød i Samaria; og se, de fortsatte å beleire den til et eselhode ble solgt for åtti sekel sølv, og en fjerdedel av en kab duegjødsel for fem sekel sølv.
B1930
Og mens de holdt Samaria kringsatt, blev det så stor hungersnød i byen at til sist hodet av et asen kostet åtti sekel sølv, og fjerdedelen av en kab duemøkk fem sekel sølv.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Jeremiah 52:6

    And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

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  • Jeremiah 14:18

    If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

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  • 2 Kings 6:28–29

    And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

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  • Jeremiah 14:13–15

    Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.

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  • Jeremiah 32:24

    Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.

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  • 2 Kings 25:3

    And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

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  • Ezekiel 4:13–16

    And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

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  • 2 Kings 7:4

    If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

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