2 Kings 6:30

2 Kings 6:30 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
• New International Version (NIV)When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body—
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body.

Context of 2 Kings 6:30

28Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son. Let’s eat him today. We’ll eat my son tomorrow.’ 29So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I told her, ‘Give up your son. We’ll eat him,’ but she hid her son.” When the king heard the woman say this, he tore his clothes ⌞in distress⌟. As he was walking on the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. 31He said, “May God strike me dead if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, stays on his ⌞body⌟ today.” 32Elisha was sitting in his home with the ⌞city’s⌟ leaders. The king had sent one of his men ahead of him ⌞to Elisha’s house⌟. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha asked the leaders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to tear off my head? When the messenger comes, close the door. Hold it shut because the king will be following him.”

2 Kings 6:30 word by word

וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֤י הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וְה֖וּא עֹבֵ֣ר עַל־הַחֹמָ֑ה וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַשַּׂ֛ק עַל־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ מִבָּֽיִת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, when the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• that he rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• and he passed byעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• upon the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• and the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• withinבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: insideH1004
• upon his fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320

Cross-references for 2 Kings 6:30

• 2 Kings 5:7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes ⌞in distress⌟. He asked, “Am I God? Can I kill someone and then bring him back to life? This man sends someone to me so that I can cure his skin disease! All of you should realize and understand that he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”
• 2 Kings 19:1When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes in grief, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Lord’s temple.
• 1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard these things, he tore his clothes ⌞in distress⌟ and dressed in sackcloth. He fasted, lay in sackcloth, and walked around depressed.
• Isaiah 58:5Is this the kind of fasting I have chosen? Should people humble themselves for ⌞only⌟ a day? Is fasting just bowing your head like a cattail and making your bed from sackcloth and ashes? Is this what you call fasting? Is this an acceptable day to the Lord?

Commentaries on 2 Kings 6:30

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 30He had sackcloth within upon his flesh - The king was in deep mourning for the distresses of the people.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 30Sackcloth - Jehoram hoped perhaps to avert Yahweh‘s anger, as his father had done 1 Kings 21:29. But there was no spirit of self-humiliation, or of true pentitence in his heart 2 Kings 5:7. See the next verse.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-33Verses 24-33 Learn to value plenty, and to be thankful for it; see how contemptible money is, when in time of famine it is so freely parted with for any thing that is eatable! The language of Jehoram to the woman may be the language of despair. See the word of God fulfilled; among the threatenings of God's judgments upon Israel for their sins, this was one, that they should eat the flesh of their own children, De 28:53-57. The truth and the awful justice…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 30When Joram heard about cannibalism in the city, he tore his clothes in despair. He wore burlap under his robe against his skin as a sign of mourning.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3030. had sackcloth within upon his flesh--The horrid recital of this domestic tragedy led the king soon after to rend his garment, in consequence of which it was discovered that he wore a penitential shirt of haircloth. It is more than doubtful, however, if he was truly humbled on account of his own and the nation's sins; otherwise he would not have vowed vengeance on the prophet's life. The true explanation seems to be, that Elisha having counselled him…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 6:30

• Armies
• Israel
• Mourning
• Rending
• Samaria

In the dictionaries

• Band
• Dress
• Elisha
• Jehoram
• Send
• Benhadad
• Jehoahaz
• Kings, Books of
• Sackcloth

Commentaries on 2 Kings 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings