Samaria’s tragic famine exemplifies the disastrous results of abandoning God’s protective care, yet also paves the way for a miraculous rescue that underscores the hope found in the Lord.
In 2 Kings 6:25, the Scriptures say, “There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.” (2 Kings 6:25). Samaria, which became the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Omri (885-875 BC), stood as a symbol of the entire region over which it presided. By the time of this passage, Aramean forces had surrounded the city, and conditions inside the walls grew desperate. The mention of a donkey’s head being sold at such an exorbitant price reflects the point of unimaginable hunger the people endured, emphasizing that under normal circumstances a donkey would have been unclean and not fit for consumption at all (Leviticus 11:3). Even dove’s dung—as possibly a form of seed pods or last-resort substance—commanded a high profit because so little else remained.
The level of hardship described here can be traced back to the covenant promises that God made with His people to bless their obedience and to curse their disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). In this bleak scenario, the northern kingdom was suffering these dire consequences, and the Aramean siege only deepened that affliction. Nevertheless, the broader story in 2 Kings assures readers that God remained fully aware of His people’s plight. The following chapter (2 Kings 7) will describe extraordinary deliverance, reminding us that God is able to turn the darkest moments into powerful testimonies of His power and faithfulness.
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2 Kings 6:25 meaning
In 2 Kings 6:25, the Scriptures say, “There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.” (2 Kings 6:25). Samaria, which became the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Omri (885-875 BC), stood as a symbol of the entire region over which it presided. By the time of this passage, Aramean forces had surrounded the city, and conditions inside the walls grew desperate. The mention of a donkey’s head being sold at such an exorbitant price reflects the point of unimaginable hunger the people endured, emphasizing that under normal circumstances a donkey would have been unclean and not fit for consumption at all (Leviticus 11:3). Even dove’s dung—as possibly a form of seed pods or last-resort substance—commanded a high profit because so little else remained.
The level of hardship described here can be traced back to the covenant promises that God made with His people to bless their obedience and to curse their disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). In this bleak scenario, the northern kingdom was suffering these dire consequences, and the Aramean siege only deepened that affliction. Nevertheless, the broader story in 2 Kings assures readers that God remained fully aware of His people’s plight. The following chapter (2 Kings 7) will describe extraordinary deliverance, reminding us that God is able to turn the darkest moments into powerful testimonies of His power and faithfulness.