2 Kings 6:30 kjv
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
2 Kings 6:30 nkjv
Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body.
2 Kings 6:30 niv
When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body.
2 Kings 6:30 esv
When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes ? now he was passing by on the wall ? and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body ?
2 Kings 6:30 nlt
When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin.
2 Kings 6 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 37:29 | When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. | Tearing clothes as sign of distress. |
| Judg 11:35 | When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me low!" | Tearing clothes due to extreme grief/regret. |
| 1 Sam 4:12 | A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn... | Sign of great disaster/bad news. |
| 1 Sam 15:27 | As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. | Prophetic tearing, divine judgment. |
| 1 Kgs 21:27 | When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted... | Royal repentance and humiliation. |
| 2 Kgs 5:7 | When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God...? | Accusation, despair, sense of helplessness. |
| Ezra 9:3 | When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard... | Grief and indignation over sin. |
| Job 1:20 | Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. | Mourning combined with worship. |
| Joel 2:13 | Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate... | Emphasizes internal repentance over external. |
| Acts 14:14 | But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes... | Indignation against blasphemy/false worship. |
| Gen 37:34 | Then Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. | Early example of sackcloth for mourning. |
| Isa 20:2 | At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins... | Sackcloth as prophetic symbol of distress. |
| Jer 4:8 | For this, put on sackcloth; lament and wail... | Call to repentance in judgment. |
| Jon 3:5-6 | The people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. | Widespread national repentance, including king. |
| Rev 6:12 | When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth... | Eschatological imagery, cosmic mourning. |
| Neh 9:1 | Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth... | Corporate repentance and humility. |
| Psa 35:13 | But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting... | Individual mourning, intercession. |
| Lev 26:29 | You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. | Prophetic warning of famine leading to cannibalism. |
| Deut 28:53 | Because of the siege and the distress, you will eat the fruit of your womb... | Curse for disobedience, mirroring 2 Kgs 6. |
| Lam 4:10 | The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food... | Famine horror, lamentation. |
| 2 Kgs 6:25-29 | Previous verses describing the severe famine and instances of cannibalism. | Immediate context of extreme distress. |
2 Kings 6 verses
2 Kings 6 30 Meaning
2 Kings 6:30 vividly describes King Jehoram's profound reaction upon hearing the horrifying account of cannibalism during the severe Aramean siege of Samaria. His public act of tearing his royal garments outwardly signified extreme distress, grief, and desperation, a traditional sign of deep lament in ancient Israel. However, the subsequent revelation that he was secretly wearing sackcloth beneath his royal robes revealed an ongoing, private state of humility, repentance, or deep mourning before God, acknowledging the dire circumstances as divine judgment.
2 Kings 6 30 Context
Chapter 6 of 2 Kings opens with Elisha's miraculous deeds, but then swiftly transitions to the severe Aramean siege of Samaria by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. The siege leads to an unbearable famine within the city, driving the inhabitants to extreme desperation, culminating in instances of cannibalism—a fulfillment of ancient covenant curses (Lev 26:29; Deut 28:53). The immediate verses (2 Kgs 6:26-29) describe the horrifying plea of a woman to the king regarding a gruesome agreement to eat their children. The king's initial response, just prior to verse 30, shows him in a state of immense frustration, blaming Elisha for the situation (and threatening his life in the subsequent verse, 2 Kgs 6:31), indicating a deep internal conflict. Verse 30 reveals the king's true, deeper state: publicly distressed, but privately acknowledging the gravity of the situation with humility before God through wearing sackcloth.
Historically, ancient Near Eastern kings were expected to display strength and competence. A king wearing sackcloth, especially in private, suggested vulnerability and perhaps a desperate appeal to a higher power, contrasting sharply with his public persona and authority.
2 Kings 6 30 Word analysis
- And it came to pass: (וַיְהִי, vayhi) A common biblical Hebrew transitional phrase, signifying a chronological sequence of events, linking the woman's report directly to the king's reaction. It often indicates something significant is about to happen.
- when the king: (הַמֶּלֶךְ, ha-melekh) Refers to Jehoram, king of Israel, son of Ahab. This specific king's identity is crucial for understanding his conflicted religious posture given his familial background (Ahab and Jezebel) but also his limited attempts at reform.
- heard the words: (שָׁמַע אֶת־דִּבְרֵי, shama' et-divrei) Implies not just auditory reception, but deep comprehension and full grasping of the horrific content reported by the woman. The impact of the "words" is paramount.
- of the woman: (הָאִשָּׁה, ha-ishah) This points back to the specific woman who approached the king in the preceding verses, highlighting the direct and personal nature of the shocking news.
- that he rent his clothes: (וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו, vayyiqra' et-begadāv)
- rent: (קָרַע, qara') To tear or rip apart. A very strong verb indicating a violent, visceral act.
- his clothes: (בְּגָדָיו, begadāv) Royal garments, often fine and representative of his status. Tearing them was a public and extreme gesture of overwhelming grief, horror, distress, and sometimes repentance, indignation, or self-abasement. This act publicly declared his anguish to his people.
- and he passed by: (וְהוּא עָבַר, ve-hu 'āvar) Indicates a continuous or repeated movement, suggesting that the king was often traversing the city wall, possibly to observe the siege, inspect defenses, or maintain morale, hence his visibility to the people.
- upon the wall: (עַל־הַחֹמָה, 'al ha-ḥomah) The city wall of Samaria, the primary defensive structure. It's a highly visible public place, emphasizing that his tear-torn garments were seen by everyone. This location adds to the dramatic contrast between his public display and his hidden secret.
- and the people looked: (וְהָעָם רֹאֶה, veha'am ro'eh) Implies widespread public observation. The people saw his outward show of distress, perhaps interpreting it as genuine kingly concern. This sets up the revelation of his deeper, private state.
- and, behold: (וְהִנֵּה, ve-hinneh) An interjection signaling surprise or drawing attention to an unexpected discovery or a sudden realization. It highlights the stark contrast between what was publicly perceived and what was privately revealed.
- he had sackcloth upon his flesh within: (שַׂק הָיָה עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מִבַּיִת, saq hāyāh 'al-beśāro mibbáyit)
- sackcloth: (שַׂק, saq) A coarse, rough fabric, typically made from goat's hair. It was worn directly on the skin as a symbol of mourning, repentance, humiliation, fasting, or deep distress. It was intentionally uncomfortable.
- upon his flesh: (עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ, 'al-beśāro) Emphasizes direct contact with the skin, highlighting the physical discomfort and the intensity of his self-abasement.
- within: (מִבַּיִת, mibbáyit) Crucially, this means "inside" or "beneath." This reveals the private nature of his grief or repentance. It wasn't just a sudden public reaction, but a sustained, hidden state of affliction. This suggests he had been in this state of mourning for some time, possibly since the beginning of the siege or at least since the famine's onset.
2 Kings 6 30 Bonus section
- Irony and Paradox: There is a profound irony in a king, clothed in royal attire outwardly representing authority and strength, secretly wearing sackcloth, the epitome of humility and brokenness. This paradox reveals the psychological and spiritual burden of leadership during such severe times, and how external appearances can mask deep internal turmoil and even private acts of spiritual observance.
- King's Ambivalence: This verse, when read in conjunction with the subsequent verse where Jehoram vows to execute Elisha, illustrates the king's profound ambivalence. His hidden sackcloth points towards a potential fear of the Lord or acknowledgment of divine judgment, while his public threats reveal a desperate attempt to blame others and exercise earthly power in the face of insurmountable divine punishment. This could represent a form of incomplete or grudging repentance.
- Divine Chastisement: The famine and cannibalism were often interpreted by prophets as fulfillments of covenant curses (Lev 26, Deut 28) for national disobedience. The king's sackcloth, even hidden, suggests an implicit understanding of this, transforming his suffering into a consequence of divine chastisement rather than merely bad luck or military defeat.
2 Kings 6 30 Commentary
King Jehoram's dramatic response in 2 Kings 6:30 is multifaceted, illustrating the complex internal state of a leader facing an unprecedented national catastrophe. His tearing of clothes was a conventional outward expression of grief and horror, immediately conveying his emotional state to his subjects who were already suffering intensely. Yet, the subsequent revelation of hidden sackcloth profoundly deepens the understanding of his character. This was not a superficial reaction; the coarse fabric worn directly "upon his flesh within" indicates a prolonged and private period of mourning, self-abasement, or even a form of penance before God.
This scene sets up a tension: outwardly, the king's despair was visible, aligning him with the suffering of his people. Inwardly, his sackcloth suggested an awareness of divine judgment and perhaps a private, though incomplete, acknowledgment of the nation's spiritual failings. His immediate anger and threat against Elisha (in the subsequent verse) highlight this complexity—he outwardly blamed the prophet, yet inwardly lived in a state of deep personal humility or fear, perhaps hinting at a desperate, yet conflicted, appeal to YHWH for intervention. This hidden act elevates the suffering from mere physical hardship to a potential spiritual crisis in the king's eyes. It suggests that even without openly acknowledging the prophets, some inner recognition of God's role in their dire circumstances was present, despite Jehoram's ungodly lineage and previous idolatrous leanings. The episode thus portrays a king torn between his public responsibility, his private acknowledgment of a greater power, and his raw human desperation.