The Siege of Samaria—Cannibalism

24 Now it came about after this, that (A)Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 So there was a severe (B)famine in Samaria; and behold, they kept besieging it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a [a]kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 6:25 One kab equals about 2 qt. or 1.9 liters

Famine in Besieged Samaria

24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad(A) king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege(B) to Samaria. 25 There was a great famine(C) in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels[a] of silver, and a quarter of a cab[b] of seed pods[c](D) for five shekels.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams
  2. 2 Kings 6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams
  3. 2 Kings 6:25 Or of doves’ dung
  4. 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams

Better off are those (A)killed by the sword
Than those killed by hunger;
For they [a](B)waste away, [b]stricken
By the lack of the produce of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
(C)Boiled their own children;
They became (D)food for them
Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 4:9 Lit flow away
  2. Lamentations 4:9 Lit pierced through

Those killed by the sword are better off
    than those who die of famine;(A)
racked with hunger, they waste away
    for lack of food from the field.(B)

10 With their own hands compassionate women
    have cooked their own children,(C)
who became their food
    when my people were destroyed.

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