2 Kings 6:25New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty [shekels] of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five [shekels] of silver.
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— And 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 cab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver.
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— And 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.
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— And 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.
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— And there was a great famine in Samaria: and behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [sold] for eighty [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver.
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was worth eighty silver-pieces, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung five silver-pieces.
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— And there came to be, a great famine, in Samaria, and lo! they continued the siege against it,—until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and one pint of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— and there is a great famine in Samaria, and lo, they are laying siege to it, till the head of an ass is at eighty silverlings, and a forth of the cab of dovesdung at five silverlings.
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeons' dung, for five pieces of silver.
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— So there was a great famine in Samaria: for loe, they besieged it vntill an asses head was at foure score pieces of siluer, and the fourth part of a kab of doues doung at fiue pieces of siluer.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— And there was a great famine in Samaria: and behold, they besieged it, vntill an asses head was [solde] for fourescore [pieces] of siluer, and the fourth part of a kab of doues doung for fiue [pieces] of siluer.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names)
— And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [valued] at fifty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung at five pieces of silver.
Full Hebrew Names / Holy Name KJV (2008) [2] [3]
— And there was a great famine in Shomron: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [sold] for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver. |
And there was
x1961 (1961) Complementהָיָהhayah{haw-yaw'}
A primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary).
a great
1419 {1419} Primeגָּדוֹלgadowl{gaw-dole'}
From H1431; great (in any sense); hence older; also insolent.
famine
7458 {7458} Primeרָעָבra`ab{raw-awb'}
From H7456; hunger (more or less extensive).
in
Šömrôn
שֹׁמרוֹן:
8111 {8111} PrimeשֹׁמְרוֹןShom@rown{sho-mer-one'}
From the active participle of H8104; watch station; Shomeron, a place in Palestine.
and, behold,
x2009 (2009) Complementהִנֵּהhinneh{hin-nay'}
Prolonged for H2005; lo!.
they besieged
6696 {6696} Primeצוּרtsuwr{tsoor}
A primitive root; to cramp, that is, confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile).
z8802 <8802> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851) Mood - Participle Active (See H8814) Count - 5386
x5921 (5921) Complementעַל`al{al}
Properly the same as H5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural, often with prefix, or as conjugation with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications.
it, until
x5704 (5704) Complementעַד`ad{ad}
Properly the same as H5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjugation; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space ( even unto) or time ( during, while, until) or degree ( equally with).
an ass's
2543 {2543} Primeחֲמוֹרchamowr{kham-ore'}
From H2560; a male ass (from its dun red).
head
7218 {7218} Primeרֹאשׁro'sh{roshe}
From an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literally or figuratively (in many applications, of place, time, rank, etc.).
was
x1961 (1961) Complementהָיָהhayah{haw-yaw'}
A primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary).
[ sold] for fourscore
8084 {8084} Primeשְׁמֹנִיםsh@moniym{shem-o-neem'}
Multiplicative from H8083; eighty; also eightieth.
[ pieces] of silver,
3701 {3701} Primeכֶּסֶףkeceph{keh'-sef}
From H3700; silver (from its pale color); by implication money.
and the fourth part
7255 {7255} Primeרֹבַעroba`{ro'-bah}
From H7251; a quarter.
of a cab
6894 {6894} Primeקַבqab{kab}
From H6895; a hollow, that is, vessel used as a (dry) measure.
of dove's dung
1686 {1686} Primeדִּבְיוֹןdibyown{dib-yone'}
Both (in the plural only and) of uncertain derivation; probably some cheap vegetable, perhaps a bulbous root.
z8675 <8675> Grammar
Kethiv Reading
Where the translators of the Authorised Version followed the qere reading rather than the kethiv.
y3123 [3123] Standardיוֹנָהyownah{yo-naw'}
Probably from the same as H3196; a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating).
y2755 [2755] Standardחֲרֵי יוֹנִיםcharey-yowniym{khar-ay'-yo-neem'}
From the plural of H2716 and the plural of H3123; excrements of doves (or perhaps rather the plural of a single word, the second form; of similar or uncertain derivation); probably a kind of vegetable.
for five
2568 {2568} Primeחָמֵשׁchamesh{khaw-maysh'}
A primitive numeral; five.
[ pieces] of silver.
3701 {3701} Primeכֶּסֶףkeceph{keh'-sef}
From H3700; silver (from its pale color); by implication money. |
2 Kings 6:25
_ _ an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver — Though the ass was deemed unclean food, necessity might warrant their violation of a positive law when mothers, in their extremity, were found violating the law of nature. The head was the worst part of the animal. Eighty pieces of silver, equal to $50.
_ _ the fourth part of a cab — A cab was the smallest dry measure. The proportion here stated was nearly half a pint for $3.
_ _ dove’s dung — is thought by Bochart to be a kind of pulse or pea, common in Judea, and still kept in the storehouses of Cairo and Damascus, and other places, for the use of it by pilgrim-caravans; by Linnaeus, and other botanists, it is said to be the root or white bulb of the plant Ornithogalum umbellatum, Star of Beth-lehem. The sacred historian does not say that the articles here named were regularly sold at the rates described, but only that instances were known of such high prices being given. |
2 Kings 6:25
Famine in Samaria — Probably the siege was so sudden, that they had no time to lay in provisions. Pieces — Supposed to be shekels; and the common shekel being valued at fifteen pence of English money, this amounts to five pounds. A vast price, especially for that which had on it so little meat, and that unwholesome and unclean. A kab — A measure containing twenty — four eggs. Dung — This Hebrew word is of a doubtful signification, and no where else used, probably it means a sort of pease, which in the Arabick language (near a — kin to the Hebrew) is called doves dung: for this was a food much in use amongst the poorer Israelites, and was a very coarse food, and therefore fit to be joined with the asses head: and a kab was the usual measure of all sorts of grains and fruits of that sort. |
2 Kings 6:25
And 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 cab of dove's (n) dung for five [pieces] of silver.
(n) The Hebrews write, that they burned it in the seige for lack of wood. |
- a great famine:
2 Kings 6:28-29 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. ... So 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.
2 Kings 7:4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine [is] in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
2 Kings 25:3 And on the ninth [day] of the [fourth] month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
1 Kings 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And [there was] a sore famine in Samaria.
Jeremiah 14:13-15 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. ... Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
Jeremiah 14:18 If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
Jeremiah 32:24 Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest [it].
Jeremiah 52:6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth [day] of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
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- an ass's head:
- If the pieces of silver were drachms, the whole would amount to about 2£ 9s; which was a great price for so mean a part of this unclean animal.
Ezekiel 4:13-16 And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them. ... Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:
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- dove's dung:
- This probably denotes, as Bochart, Scheuchzer, and others suppose, a kind of pulse, or vetches, which the Arabs still call pigeon's dung. "They never," says Dr. Shaw (Travels, p. 140), "constitute a dish by themselves, but are strewed singly as a garnish over cuscasowe, pillowe, and other dishes. They are besides in the greatest repute after they are parched in pans and ovens; then assuming the name leblebby;" and he thinks they were so called from being pointed at one end, and acquiring an ash colour in parching.
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