2 Kings 6 25

2 Kings 6:25 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.

2 Kings 6:25 nkjv

And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver.

2 Kings 6:25 niv

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.

2 Kings 6:25 esv

And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.

2 Kings 6:25 nlt

As a result, there was a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey's head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove's dung sold for five pieces of silver.

2 Kings 6 verses

2 Kings 6 25 Meaning

2 Kings 6:25 depicts a scene of extreme and harrowing famine within the city of Samaria, caused by the siege laid against it by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. The verse details the catastrophic economic impact, showing that items ordinarily worthless or unclean became exorbitant commodities, such as a donkey's head selling for a vast sum and even a small amount of "dove's dung" (a vile or extremely undesirable substance) being traded for significant silver. This highlights the unparalleled desperation, degradation, and human suffering endured by the besieged inhabitants.

2 Kings 6 25 Context

The verse occurs during a siege of Samaria by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. This siege followed a previous incident (2 Ki 6:8-23) where Elisha miraculously spared a blinded Aramean army at the advice of the Israelite king Jehoram, sending them back peacefully. However, this act of clemency did not prevent Ben-Hadad from later laying a direct, brutal siege against Samaria. The immediate context of 2 Kings 6:24 details Ben-Hadad's assembly of his forces and the commencement of the siege. Verse 25 then vividly portrays the horrific consequences of this prolonged siege, with famine reaching catastrophic levels within the capital city, illustrating the desperate plight of the Israelite population and hinting at the severe social and moral breakdown it induces, leading directly into the desperate plea for help by a woman in the following verses (2 Ki 6:26-29). Historically, this reflects a period of recurring conflict between Aram (Syria) and Israel, often fueled by geopolitical interests and seen, from a biblical perspective, as God's judgment upon Israel for its continued idolatry and turning away from Him.

2 Kings 6 25 Word analysis

• And there was a great famine: This phrase sets the stage for the grim situation.
  • famine (רָעָב, ra'av): Denotes severe, prolonged scarcity of food leading to starvation. The use of "great" (גָדוֹל, gadol) emphasizes its unprecedented intensity. It's often portrayed as a consequence of divine judgment or the extreme result of war and siege in the Bible.
• in Samaria: Specifies the location, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, highlighting the plight of the nation's core and its king. Samaria was fortified but not impenetrable.
• when Ben-Hadad king of Aram besieged it: Identifies the cause and the aggressor.
  • Ben-Hadad: A common dynastic name for Aramean kings. This refers to the specific Aramean king of Damascus.
  • besieged (צָרַר, tsarar): Implies a prolonged, suffocating encirclement to cut off supplies, leading inevitably to starvation if not broken. The Hebrew root suggests being narrow, compressed, or distressed, encapsulating the effect of a siege.
• and a donkey's head:
  • donkey's head (רֹאשׁ חֲמוֹר, rosh chamor): Donkeys were ritually unclean animals according to Mosaic Law (Lev 11:4-8). Their flesh was forbidden. Eating the head, a part with little edible meat, symbolizes extreme destitution. This highlights the absolute degradation of values and a willingness to break even fundamental religious laws for survival, showcasing profound despair.
• was sold for eighty shekels of silver:
  • shekel (שֶׁקֶל, shekel): A unit of weight and currency, approximately 11-14 grams of silver. Eighty shekels was an extraordinarily high price, especially for a prohibited and almost worthless item like a donkey's head. It indicates hyperinflation and a collapsing economy due to the siege, illustrating the premium placed on any form of sustenance.
• and a fourth part of a kab of dove's dung:
  • kab (קַב, qab): A small ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure, equivalent to about 1.25 liters (or roughly 2 pints). A fourth of a kab is a very tiny amount, highlighting the minute quantity of what was available.
  • dove's dung (פֶּרֶשׁ יוֹנִים, peresh yonim): The most horrifying detail. While some scholars debate if this refers to a particular edible plant resembling dung or specific chickpeas, the literal translation "excrement of doves" strongly emphasizes ultimate degradation. People were resorting to consuming or paying for the foulest, most unpalatable, and unsanitary substances, indicating the utter collapse of food sources and societal norms. It underlines desperation so severe that people would even consider waste for sustenance.
• for five shekels of silver: Even for such a small, repugnant amount of "dove's dung," five shekels was a substantial price, further stressing the horrific famine conditions and economic desperation. This would be a very high price for anything of negligible nutritional value.

2 Kings 6 25 Bonus section

The depiction of extreme hunger in this verse serves not only as historical narrative but also as a powerful literary element highlighting the testing of faith and humanity under duress. Such conditions often led to practices like cannibalism (which is implied in the immediate verses following), a recurrent motif in prophetic warnings about siege and famine (e.g., Deut 28, Jer 19, Ez 5, Lam 4), demonstrating the dire consequences of disobedience. The suffering experienced in Samaria contrasts sharply with God's provision in other biblical accounts, reinforcing the message that while His judgments can be severe, His compassion and ability to restore are even greater, often turning a situation of absolute hopelessness into one of abundance (2 Ki 7:16). This verse challenges us to consider human depravity and vulnerability apart from God's sustaining hand.

2 Kings 6 25 Commentary

2 Kings 6:25 presents one of the most stark and disturbing portrayals of famine in the Bible. It meticulously details the suffering during the siege of Samaria, driven to such extremes that common moral and dietary laws (such as eating clean animals) were utterly abandoned. The specific examples – a donkey's head and dove's dung, both expensive commodities – are not merely details; they are graphic literary devices designed to evoke revulsion and shock, conveying the total breakdown of human dignity and survival under pressure. This verse serves as a preamble to the desperate appeal for justice to the king by a starving woman (2 Ki 6:26-29) and underlines the depth of despair from which God dramatically delivers Israel in the subsequent chapter, showcasing His sovereign power to intervene in the most dire of circumstances (2 Ki 7:1-16). The famine can also be seen as a form of divine judgment for Israel's persistent idolatry and rejection of God's ways, yet it also sets the stage for a demonstration of His miraculous provision.