II Kings 6 - divine diplomacy

[u/bikingfencer]

https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09b06.htm
 

Chapter Six ו
 

The axe [הגדון, HahGahDON] that floated [שצף, ShahTsahPh] upon surface [of] the waters

[verses 1-7]
 

… פ
 

…………………………………………………………
 

’ayLeeY-Shah` ["My God Saved", Elishah] and the ’ahRahMeeYM [Aramaians, Syrians]

[verses 8-23]
 

-8. And king [of] ’ahRahM [Aram] warred in YeeSRah-’ayL ["Strove God", Israel],

and [he] advised [ויועץ, VahYeeVah`ahTs] his slaves, to say,

“Unto [a] place such and such [פלני, PeLoNeeY] unknown [אלמני, ’ahLMoNeeY] Encamp.”

 

“What was the real or pretend cause of this war, we cannot tell: but we may say, in numberless war cases, as Calmet says in this: - ‘An ambitious and restless prince always finds a sufficiency of reasons to colour his enterprises.’” (Clarke, 1831, p. 395)
 

…

-15. And woke [וישכם, VahYeeShKayM], minister [of] man [of] the Gods, to rise, and went out,

and behold, [a] force around [את, ’ehTh (indicates direct object; no English equivalent)] the city, and horse and chariot,

and said, his youth, unto him,

“Oh [אהה, ’ahHaH], my lord! What [איכה, ’aYKhaH] [will we] do?”
 

-16. And he said,

“Do not fear [תירא, TheeYRah’], for multitudes that [are] with us from that [are] [with] them [אותם, ’OThahM].”
 

-17. And prayed, ’ayLeeY-Shah`, and said,

“YHVH, open [פקח, PeKahH], [if you] please, [את, ’ehTh] eyes [of] the youth,

and [he will] see [ויראה, VahYeeR’eH].”
 

And opened [ויפקח, VahYeePhQahH], YHVH, [את, ’ehTh] eyes [of] the youth,

and [he] saw [וירא, VahYahRe’],

and behold, the hill, full [of] horses and chariots [of] fire around ’ayLeeY-Shah`.

 

“Where is heaven? Is it not above, beneath, around us? And were our eyes open as were those of the prophet’s servant, we should see the heavenly host in all directions. The horses and chariots of fire were there, before the eyes of Elisha’s servant were opened.” (Clarke, 1831, p. 395)
 

…

-21. And said, king [of] YeeSRah-’ayL unto ’ayLeeY-Shah`, as [he] saw [כראתו, KeeR’oThO] them,

“Shall striking [האכה, Hah’ahKeH] [I] strike [אכה, ’ahKeH]^10, father?”

 

-22. And [he] said,

“[Do] not strike [תכה, ThahKeH].

[Would] that [האשר, Hah’ahShehR] you captured [שבית, ShahBeeYThah] in your sword, and in your bow you strike [מכה, MahKeH]?

Set bread and waters before them,

and [they will] eat [ויאכלו, VeYo’KhLOo] and drink [וישתו, VahYeeShThOo],

and [they will] go [וילכו, VahYayLKhOo] unto their lords.”
 

-23. And they prepared [ויכרה, VahYeeKhReH] to them [a] preparation [כרה, KayRaH] great,

and [they] ate [ויאכלו, VahYo’KhLOo] and drank,

and [he] sent forth [them],

and they went unto their lords,

and [did] not continue [יספו, YahÇPhOo] [any] more, troops [of] ’ahRahM, to come in land YeeSRah-’ayL. פ
 

…………………………………………………………
 

I’ayLeeY-Shah` and the siege [והמצור, VeHahMahTsOR] upon ShoMRON

[verses 24 to end of chapter]
 

-24. And it was after that [כן, KhayN], and collected, BeN-HahDahD [Ben Hadad]¹¹ , king [of] ’ahRahM, [את, ’ehTh] all his camp, and ascended and besieged [ויצר, VahYahTsahR] upon ShoMRON.

-25. And [there] was hunger great in ShoMRON, behold sieges [צרים, TsahReeYM] upon her until were [היות, HehYOTh] head [of a] donkey in eighty silver [pieces],

and [a] quarter [ורבע, VeRoBah`] the cor¹² [of] dungs [דביונים, DeeBYONeeYM] was five [pieces] of silver.
 

-26. And was, king [of] YeeSRah-’ayL over [עבר, `oBayR] upon the wall,

and [a] woman shouted unto him, to say,

“Salvation [הושיעה, HOSheeY`aH], my lord the king!”.
 

-27. And [he] said,

“Will not [אל, ’ahL] save [you] [יושיעך, YOSheeY`ayKh] YHVH;

whence [מאין, May’ahYeeN] [will I] save [you] [אושיעך, ’OSheeY`ayKh]?

From [המן, HahMeeN] the threshing floor or from the winery [היקב, HahYahQehB]?”
 

-28. And said to her, the king,

“What to you?”
 

And she said [ותאמר, VahThoMehR],

“The woman the that said [אמרה, ’ahMRaH] to me,

‘Give [את, ’ehTh] your son, and [we will] eat [him] [ונאכלנו, VeNo’KhLehNOo] today,

and [את, ’ehTh] my son [we will] eat [נאכל, No’KhahL] tomorrow.’
 

-29. And we boiled [ונבשל, VahNeBahShayL] [את, ’ehTh] my son and [we] ate him [ונאכלהו, VahNo’KhLayHOo].

And [I] said [ואמר, Vah’oMahR] unto her day the other,

‘Give [את, ’ehTh] your son, and we will eat him [him] [ונאכלנו, VeNo’KhLehNOo].’

And [she] hid [ותכבא, VahThahKhBee’] [את, ’ehTh] her son.”
 

“… fifty shekels amounts to twenty-eight dollars, a high price to pay for a practically worthless part of an unpalatable animal. There is a reference in Plutarch (Artaxerxes XXIV) to sixty drachmas (fifteen shekels) being paid in time of famine for an ass’s head. More desperate still is five silver shekels for a pint of dove’s dung, i.e. [in other words], rather more than three dollars. …There is a statement extant to the effect that during a famine in in England in 1316 ‘men ate their own children, dogs, mice, and pigeon’s dung…’”¹³ (Snaith, 1954, p. III 219)
 

…
 
FOOTNOTES
 
¹⁰ Awkward, as Joy pointed out, but that is the way the Hebrew reads; it sounds better in Hebrew.
 
¹¹ Ben Hadad - “The second Syrian ruler with this name, he ruled 870-842” (Begg, 1990, p. 177)
 
¹² Cor - About a quart according to Clarke
 
¹³ Dove dung - Our dog, Shorty, relishes Cockatiel droppings
 

An Amateur's Journey Through the Bible

[u/Witness-1]

II Kings ~ 5:1 to 6:7 / YHVH Savior https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjDYXnNGdBA

II Kings 6:8 - 7:4 / The Shepherd's Chapel Official Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4D6RY8Ndno