2 Kings 6:28

2 Kings 6:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

Context of 2 Kings 6:28

26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27He said, “If the Lord does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 30When 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.

2 Kings 6:28 word by word

וַיֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־לָּ֑ךְ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר הָאִשָּׁ֨ה הַזֹּ֜את אָמְרָ֣ה אֵלַ֗י תְּנִ֤י אֶת־בְּנֵךְ֙ וְנֹאכְלֶ֣נּוּ הַיּ֔וֹם וְאֶת־בְּנִ֖י נֹאכַ֥ל מָחָֽר׃Read the interlinear

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• Thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• to me, ‘Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• your sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• that we may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• him todayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• tomorrowמָחָרmâchâr · tomorrowH4279

Cross-references for 2 Kings 6:28

• Genesis 21:17God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
• Judges 18:23They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?”
• 1 Samuel 1:8Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
• 2 Samuel 14:5The king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
• Psalms 114:5What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
• Isaiah 22:1The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?
• Leviticus 26:29Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat.
• Deuteronomy 28:53Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you.
• Isaiah 9:20They slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.
• Isaiah 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
• Lamentations 4:10The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
• Ezekiel 5:10Therefore, fathers will eat their sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.
• Matthew 24:18Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
• Luke 23:29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’

Commentaries on 2 Kings 6:28

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28The 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.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. 26-29Cannibalism (the act of eating human flesh) in extreme times was part of God’s warning of judgment for unfaithfulness and disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:53, 57). It also happened during the siege that led to Jerusalem's fall (Lamentations 4:9–10).Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 6:28

• Armies
• Cannibalism
• Famine
• Israel
• Prophecy
• Samaria
• Siege
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Band
• Elisha
• Famine
• Jehoram
• Send
• Ail
• Benhadad
• Jehoahaz
• Kings, Books of
• Siege

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