In this verse, we see the utter depths of famine’s devastation and the desperate measures people contemplate.
In the midst of a dire famine, the king of Israel encounters a shocking request from a distressed woman. As 2 Kings 6 records, during the siege of Samaria, people languish under desperate conditions. We read: “And the king said to her, ‘What is the matter with you?’ And she answered, ‘This woman said to me, “Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.”’” (v.28). Samaria, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, stands located in a region of central Palestine. At this time (circa 852-841 B.C.), King Jehoram (also called Joram) sits on the throne, dealing with conflict against hostile neighbors and facing catastrophic shortages of food and resources. The mother’s frantic plea reveals the crushing weight of physical and moral darkness that has enveloped the city.
This single verse underscores the extreme conditions haunting Samaria. The famine has eroded not only physical sustenance but also moral stability. The king’s question—“What is the matter with you?”—evinces how startled he is by her desperation. Such dire circumstances recall the covenant warnings in Deuteronomy, illustrating how turning away from God often leads to tragic societal breakdowns. In the broader story, Elisha the prophet later proclaims hope, and God miraculously delivers Samaria from the siege (2 Kings 7). In the long arc of Scripture, this passage highlights the existential need for divine mercy, a mercy ultimately revealed through Jesus Christ, who brings both spiritual and physical deliverance (John 6:35).
God’s providential involvement in Israel’s plight affirms that He remains the source of compassion, even when circumstances seem hopeless. While the immediate context addresses the horrors of physical survival, it also anticipates how rescue and restoration come through God’s power and promise. This mother’s tragedy becomes part of a larger testimony that, even in the bleakest settings, faith in God can sustain us and lead us to trust His deliverance.
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2 Kings 6:28 meaning
In the midst of a dire famine, the king of Israel encounters a shocking request from a distressed woman. As 2 Kings 6 records, during the siege of Samaria, people languish under desperate conditions. We read: “And the king said to her, ‘What is the matter with you?’ And she answered, ‘This woman said to me, “Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.”’” (v.28). Samaria, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, stands located in a region of central Palestine. At this time (circa 852-841 B.C.), King Jehoram (also called Joram) sits on the throne, dealing with conflict against hostile neighbors and facing catastrophic shortages of food and resources. The mother’s frantic plea reveals the crushing weight of physical and moral darkness that has enveloped the city.
This single verse underscores the extreme conditions haunting Samaria. The famine has eroded not only physical sustenance but also moral stability. The king’s question—“What is the matter with you?”—evinces how startled he is by her desperation. Such dire circumstances recall the covenant warnings in Deuteronomy, illustrating how turning away from God often leads to tragic societal breakdowns. In the broader story, Elisha the prophet later proclaims hope, and God miraculously delivers Samaria from the siege (2 Kings 7). In the long arc of Scripture, this passage highlights the existential need for divine mercy, a mercy ultimately revealed through Jesus Christ, who brings both spiritual and physical deliverance (John 6:35).
God’s providential involvement in Israel’s plight affirms that He remains the source of compassion, even when circumstances seem hopeless. While the immediate context addresses the horrors of physical survival, it also anticipates how rescue and restoration come through God’s power and promise. This mother’s tragedy becomes part of a larger testimony that, even in the bleakest settings, faith in God can sustain us and lead us to trust His deliverance.