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2 Kings 6:28

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 6:28 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And 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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And 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.
2 Kings 6:28 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 6

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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.
31Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
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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 the king said unto her, what aileth thee? etc.] His passion subsiding, or pitying her as in distress, and supposing that there might be something particular and pressing in her case: and she answered, this woman said unto me; who was now with her, and to whom she pointed: give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow; and this was agreed to between them, that first one should be eaten, and then the other, and that they should feed upon one as long as it would last, and then on the other; for it is not to be limited precisely to a day and tomorrow.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The king had assumed that the cry of the woman was for food. Her manner indicated that it was not so. He therefore proceeded to inquire what she wanted of him. This woman - Both women, it would seem, were present; and the aggrieved one pointed to the other. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“What aileth thee: Gen 21:17; Jdg 18:23; Sa1 1:8; Sa2 14:5; Psa 114:5; Isa 22:1 Give thy son: Lev 26:29; Deu 28:53-57; Isa 9:20, Isa 9:21, Isa 49:15; Lam 4:10; Eze 5:10; Mat 24:18-21; Luk 23:29 4 Kings (2 Kings) 6:29”
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Related study paths

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

Sources and verification