BibleWord.ai› Bible› 2 Kings› Chapter 6› Verse 27

2 Kings 6:27

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 6:27 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?
2 Kings 6:27 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 6

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass`s head was sold for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove`s dung for five [pieces] of silver.
26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?
28And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow.
29So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her son.
30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes (now he was passing by upon the wall); and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
← 2 Kings 6:262 Kings 6:28 →
← Full Chapter 6 2 Kings Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he said, if the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? etc.] Mistaking her meaning, as if she prayed him to relieve her hunger; the margin of our Bible is, “let not the Lord save thee”; and so some understand it as a wish that she might perish; and so Josephus f88, that being wroth, he cursed her in the name of God: out of the barn floor, or out of the winepress? when neither of them afforded anything; no corn was to be had from the one, nor wine from the other, no, not for his own use, and therefore how could he help her out of either?”
Read attributed excerpt →
Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“If the Lord do not help - The translation in the text is decidedly better than the marginal rendering. Some prefer to render - “Nay ... let Jehovah help thee. Whence, shall I help thee?” Out of the barnfloor ... - The king means that both were empty - that he had no longer any food in store; and therefore could not help the woman. Compare Hosea 9:2. return to 'Top of Page'”
Read attributed excerpt →
Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Whence shall I help thee - Dost thou ask of me corn or wine, which I want for myself? If God does not, I cannot help thee. Creatures are helpless things without God. Every creature is all that, and only that which God makes it to be. 4 Kings (2 Kings) 6:29”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“If the Lord: etc. or, Let not the Lord save thee whence: Psa 60:11, Psa 62:8, Psa 118:8, Psa 118:9, Psa 124:1-3, Psa 127:1, Psa 146:3; Isa 2:2; Jer 17:5 4 Kings (2 Kings) 6:28”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Read 2 Kings 6 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification