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Read›2 Kings›Chapter 6

The Siege and Famine of Samaria

2 Kings 6:25

In 11 translations

BSB
So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.80 shekels is approximately 2 pounds or 907.2 grams of silver.Or a quarter cab of seed pods; that is, approximately 0.28 dry quarts or 0.31 liters5 shekels is approximately 2 ounces or 57 grams of silver.
KJV
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.
WEB
There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.A kab was about 2 liters, so a fourth of a kab would be about 500 milliliters or about a pint
ASV
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.
LSV
and there is a great famine in Samaria, and behold, they are laying siege to it, until the head of a donkey is at eighty pieces of silver, and a forth of the cab of dove’s dung at five pieces of silver.
YLT
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.
DBY
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.
DRC
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 pigeon’s dung, for five pieces of silver.
GNV
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.
JPS
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.
LXXE
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.

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Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

  • Written (Ketiv): חֲרֵייוֹנִים (“dung of doves”). Read aloud (Qere): דִּבְיוֹנִ֖ים (“quanos”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.
Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (1)
  • Leningrad Codex reads חִרְייוֹנִ֖ים; read aloud (Qere) reads דִּבְיוֹנִ֖ים (“quanos”).

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

WLC
וַיְהִ֨י רָעָ֤ב גָּדוֹל֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וְהִנֵּ֖ה צָרִ֣ים עָלֶ֑יהָ עַ֣ד הֱי֤וֹת רֹאשׁ־חֲמוֹר֙ בִּשְׁמֹנִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף וְרֹ֛בַע הַקַּ֥ב חרי יונים בַּחֲמִשָּׁה־כָֽסֶף׃Read aloud as (qere): דִּבְיוֹנִ֖יםAdaptations to a Qere which L and BHS, by their design, do not indicate.A single word in the text has been divided for exegesis.
LXX-Br
Καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ· καὶ ἰδοὺ περιεκάθηντο ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ἕως οὗ ἐγενήθη κεφαλὴ ὄνου πεντήκοντα ἀργυρίου, καὶ τέταρτον τοῦ κάβου κόπρου περιστερῶν πέντε ἀργυρίου.

Who and where

📍 Samaria◆ Prophecies of Elisha

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

  • 2 Kings 6:28–29Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I…
  • Jeremiah 14:13–15“Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’” “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied…
  • Jeremiah 14:18If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”
  • Jeremiah 52:6By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
  • Jeremiah 32:24See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has…
  • 2 Kings 7:4If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if…
  • 2 Kings 25:3By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
  • Ezekiel 4:13–16Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.” “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not…
  • 1 Kings 18:2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,
  • Leviticus 26:26When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).

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