2 Kings 6 29

2 Kings 6:29 kjv

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

2 Kings 6:29 nkjv

So 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."

2 Kings 6:29 niv

So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him."

2 Kings 6:29 esv

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

2 Kings 6:29 nlt

So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said to her, 'Kill your son so we can eat him,' but she has hidden her son."

2 Kings 6 verses

2 Kings 6 29 Meaning

2 Kings 6:29 describes the grim reality during the severe siege of Samaria by Aram, where a mother reveals to the king that she had already boiled and eaten her own son, in accordance with an agreement she made with another woman who was to provide her son next, but then reneged on her promise by hiding him. This verse shockingly illustrates the depths of human depravity and desperation brought about by extreme famine, fulfilling dire warnings given in the Law concerning the consequences of apostasy.

2 Kings 6 29 Context

The verse is set during the horrific Aramean siege of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The city is suffering an extreme famine, with food becoming so scarce and expensive that donkey's heads and dove's dung are being sold for exorbitant prices. This particular episode highlights the moral and social breakdown that accompanies such desperate conditions. The king of Israel is walking on the wall when a woman cries out for help, recounting a horrifying pact between her and another woman to eat their children due to starvation. The verse 2 Kings 6:29 presents the chilling culmination of the first part of this pact, where the speaker admits to having boiled and eaten her own son, and now the other woman has hidden her child, refusing to fulfill her part of the agreement. This revelation leads the king to despair and tear his clothes, ultimately blaming Elisha, and setting the stage for Elisha's prophecy of abundant food for the next day. The events serve as a vivid demonstration of the curses pronounced in Deuteronomy 28 against a disobedient Israel.

2 Kings 6 29 Word analysis

• And she answered: Indicates a direct response to the king's inquiry about her plea for help.
• "This woman said to me": Identifies the second party to the dreadful pact. The formal address implies the gravity of the accusation.
• "Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.": This proposed agreement reveals a horrifyingly premeditated plan for cannibalism, splitting the burden of survival, and underscores the unimaginable depths of starvation-induced despair. The idea of sharing the burden highlights the extreme psychological toll and complete abandonment of natural affection.
• So we boiled my son and ate him.
  • boiling (Hebrew: bāšel, בָּשֵׁל): This term specifically denotes cooking by boiling, implying a deliberate preparation, not just raw consumption. This act speaks to the ritualistic desperation, attempting to make the unthinkable palatable.
  • my son (Hebrew: bēn, בֵּן): Explicitly names the victim as her own offspring, making the act even more shocking and unnatural. The breaking of the deepest maternal bond emphasizes the complete erosion of normal human affection under such duress.
  • and ate him: A stark, direct statement confirming the act of cannibalism. The phrase carries immense weight, symbolizing the complete loss of humanity and moral order.
• And I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him.': Shows the continuation of the macabre agreement into the next day. The woman is not recounting a single, isolated act of desperation, but a phased plan.
• But she has hidden her son.: The other woman's failure to uphold her part of the pact, perhaps due to a belated resurgence of maternal instinct, betrayal, or ultimate self-preservation, fuels the complainant's plea to the king. This act of concealment indicates a break in their desperate partnership and the utter lack of trust prevalent.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.": This horrifying proposition exemplifies the societal collapse during siege famine. The sequence reveals an initial act of calculated desperation, rather than impulsive madness. It also subtly hints at an equality of suffering and sharing, twisted into a barbaric practice. This reflects the breaking down of the social covenant under duress, paralleling Israel's broken covenant with God.
• "So we boiled my son and ate him.": This concise statement carries immense horror. The "we" implicates both women, despite one child being the primary victim, suggesting a shared moral complicity born of necessity. The act of boiling speaks to the depravity of turning human flesh into a "meal." This fulfilled specific curses warned in the Law, signaling a deep covenant judgment on the people.
• "And I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him.' But she has hidden her son.": This second part of the pact, where one party reneges, introduces a conflict dynamic even within such extreme conditions. It shows the fragility of agreements made in desperation and the breakdown of mutual trust. It illustrates how even the ultimate taboo—cannibalism—does not guarantee communal loyalty in extreme suffering. This desperation shows the final boundary crossed by people far from God.

2 Kings 6 29 Bonus section

The incident described in 2 Kings 6:29 serves as a potent polemic against any notion that reliance on military might or human strength could deliver Israel from its dire straits. It reveals the complete helplessness and moral bankruptcy of the nation without God's direct intervention. The situation shatters any illusion of Samaria's gods or alliances providing succor, emphasizing the exclusive power of Yahweh. The raw description of cannibalism also challenges any comfortable or superficial understanding of divine judgment, revealing its harrowing depths when a covenant nation rebels. It is one of the most extreme examples of the "face of God's wrath" recorded in scripture, leading to the utter breakdown of social norms and the very instinct of parental love.

2 Kings 6 29 Commentary

2 Kings 6:29 plunges the reader into one of the Bible's darkest narratives, illustrating the peak of human desperation and depravity during the Aramean siege of Samaria. The explicit mention of a mother boiling and eating her own son is not mere shock value, but a stark, literal fulfillment of the dreadful curses for covenant disobedience warned by Moses in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. This horrific act underscores the depth of Israel's spiritual decline and the severity of divine judgment. The account highlights that even in shared, unthinkable suffering, human depravity and self-interest (the second woman hiding her son) persist, breaking down the last vestiges of human community and trust. It stands as a chilling testament to the societal breakdown when God's protection is withdrawn due to national apostasy, revealing the ultimate consequences of straying from Him. This incident also sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention through Elisha, demonstrating His sovereignty even in humanity's lowest moments, often in direct response to cries of desperation, prompting repentance or revealing His unwavering covenant faithfulness.