What was happening in Israel when Ben-hadad besieged Samaria?

Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, gathered his army and surrounded Samaria, the capital of Israel. The goal was not a quick attack but to starve the city into surrender. Food ran out so badly that even an ass’s head, which was unclean and had almost no meat, was sold for a huge price. A tiny measure of what was likely a cheap kind of pulse or grain was also very expensive. This shows how severe the famine was and how helpless the people felt inside the city walls.

Why does the Bible mention an ass’s head and dove’s dung being sold?

These details show how desperate the famine had become. An ass’s head was from an animal that was unclean and not normally eaten, and even then there was little meat on it. Yet it was sold for a very high price. The “dove’s dung” was probably a small amount of poor-quality pulse or grain that looked like it, and even that cost a lot. The point is that normal food was gone, and people were paying almost anything for the lowest and most unpleasant things just to stay alive.

Why did the woman tell the king about eating her son?

The woman cried to the king for help because she had made a desperate agreement with another woman. They decided to boil and eat her son first and the other son next, after all other food was gone. They did eat her child, but when it was time for the other woman to give up her son, she hid him. The first woman appealed to the king because she felt wronged. Her story shows how far sin and judgment had brought the nation, fulfilling God’s warning that in extreme disobedience, parents would even eat their own children.

Why did the king of Israel tear his clothes and wear sackcloth?

When the king heard the woman’s story about eating her son, he was horrified. He tore his clothes as a sign of grief and shock. Underneath, people saw that he was already wearing sackcloth on his body, which was an outward sign of mourning and distress. This shows he felt the weight of the disaster on his people. But the passage also hints that he had not dealt with the deeper cause, which was Israel’s sin. He was sad about the suffering but did not truly turn from the idolatry that had brought such judgment.

Why did the king swear to kill Elisha and call him the son of a murderer?

The king swore that Elisha’s head would not stay on him that day because he blamed Elisha for the disaster. Elisha had spoken of judgment and had not yet prayed for the famine and siege to be removed, so the king turned his anger on him instead of on the nation’s sin. He called him "son of a murderer," likely pointing to his family line, with Ahab and Jezebel, who had shed innocent blood. Rather than repent and seek God through the prophet, the king tried to silence the one who spoke God’s word.

What was Elisha doing while the king planned to kill him?

Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders, likely his close followers, when the king sent a man to behead him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha already knew what was happening and told the elders that the king, whom he called "this son of a murderer," had sent someone to take his head. He told them to shut the door and hold the messenger outside, expecting that the king himself was following. Elisha was calm and aware, showing that God had revealed the king’s plan to him and that he trusted God in the danger.

What does the phrase "this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?" mean?

The king admitted that the disaster came from the Lord. He saw that God had allowed or sent this judgment on Israel. That part was true. But his response was wrong. Instead of humbling himself and waiting in faith, he spoke in despair: if this is from God, why should I keep waiting for him? He acted as if there was no hope for mercy or rescue. Others in Scripture, when they say their suffering is from the Lord, bow in patience. Here the king uses the same truth as a reason to give up and to turn against God’s prophet.

What does this passage show about God’s judgment and human sin?

The passage shows how far things can go when a people turn away from God for a long time. God had warned that if his people kept on in idolatry and disobedience, they would face siege, famine, and even parents eating their children. Here that warning comes to life. At the same time, the king’s response shows human stubbornness. He feels the pain but does not confess the sin that brought it. Instead of seeking God in honest repentance, he blames God’s servant and speaks in despair. The judgment is real, but so is the call to turn back to God.

How can believers today respond when hardship feels like it is from the Lord?

This passage does not give easy comfort, but it does show two different paths. The king sees that the evil is from the Lord and then stops waiting for him, turning to anger and blame. Others in Scripture, facing hardship from God’s hand, respond with humility and patience. For believers today, when suffering comes and we know God is in control, the right response is not to give up on him, but to search our hearts, confess sin where needed, and keep waiting for his mercy. Waiting for the Lord can be hard, but giving up on him leads only to deeper darkness.

2Kgs.6.24

2 Kings 6:24

KJV

¶ And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

Cross References

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