This verse vividly demonstrates the disastrous moral collapse that can accompany physical starvation during a siege.
In the midst of a devastating siege on the city of Samaria, Scripture paints a tragic picture of extreme desperation when it states, “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) This famine took place during the reign of King Joram (also referred to as Jehoram), who ruled the northern kingdom of Israel from around 852-841 BC. The Aramean army had besieged Samaria (originally founded by Omri around 880 BC and serving as Israel’s capital until 722 BC), cutting off the city’s food supply to the point where the people were resorting to horrific measures to survive. This verse highlights the tragic depth of the crisis by describing a mother’s desperate plea for help after a shocking bargain had gone tragically awry.
By including the detail “So we boiled my son and ate him” (v.29), the biblical author alludes to the curses foretold in Deuteronomy 28:53 regarding disobedience, where it is written that parents might be driven to consume their children in times of dire distress. The mother’s complaint underscores how original agreements broke down in moments of terror. She fully expected the other woman to follow suit, but was met with betrayal when “she has hidden her son” (v.29). This predicament reveals that the famine had become so severe, people would even entertain an unthinkable plan of consuming their own offspring to survive.
This passage serves as a sobering warning of how fully the consequences of turning away from the LORD can be realized. From a New Testament perspective, it underscores the condition of humanity without Divine intervention, reflecting the need for redemption that would come through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Though the narrative is harrowing, it ultimately points to the power and grace of God to deliver His people when they repent and seek Him earnestly.
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2 Kings 6:29 meaning
In the midst of a devastating siege on the city of Samaria, Scripture paints a tragic picture of extreme desperation when it states, “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) This famine took place during the reign of King Joram (also referred to as Jehoram), who ruled the northern kingdom of Israel from around 852-841 BC. The Aramean army had besieged Samaria (originally founded by Omri around 880 BC and serving as Israel’s capital until 722 BC), cutting off the city’s food supply to the point where the people were resorting to horrific measures to survive. This verse highlights the tragic depth of the crisis by describing a mother’s desperate plea for help after a shocking bargain had gone tragically awry.
By including the detail “So we boiled my son and ate him” (v.29), the biblical author alludes to the curses foretold in Deuteronomy 28:53 regarding disobedience, where it is written that parents might be driven to consume their children in times of dire distress. The mother’s complaint underscores how original agreements broke down in moments of terror. She fully expected the other woman to follow suit, but was met with betrayal when “she has hidden her son” (v.29). This predicament reveals that the famine had become so severe, people would even entertain an unthinkable plan of consuming their own offspring to survive.
This passage serves as a sobering warning of how fully the consequences of turning away from the LORD can be realized. From a New Testament perspective, it underscores the condition of humanity without Divine intervention, reflecting the need for redemption that would come through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Though the narrative is harrowing, it ultimately points to the power and grace of God to deliver His people when they repent and seek Him earnestly.