And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse powerfully illustrates the absolute desperation of famine by revealing the specific, disgusting things people were forced to eat. It's not just "food was scarce"; it's that the most repulsive, inedible items became valuable commodities. This shows the brutal reality of siege warfare and the depths to which humanity can sink when stripped of basic provisions.
And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Israelites are facing a brutal siege by the Aramean army, who have surrounded the city of Samaria. This intense pressure has led to extreme starvation, where people are resorting to eating things no one would ever consider, highlighting the devastating consequences of war and God's judgment. Just after this dire description, Elisha the prophet will miraculously end the famine, demonstrating God's power even in the midst of human desperation.
Imagine food so scarce that the unthinkable becomes normal. This verse paints a brutal picture of what happens when a city is completely cut off.
The Unspeakable Depths of Famine
The siege of Samaria in this passage wasn't just about going hungry; it was about survival at any cost. When enemy armies surround a city and cut off all supplies, life grinds to a halt.
What is 'normal' value when survival is on the line? This verse shows us how desperation can completely warp our sense of worth.
The Price of Survival
The prices mentioned here are astronomical, especially when you consider what's being sold.
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These aren't just odd details; they highlight the complete breakdown of normal economic and social structures. When survival is the only goal, the value system flips entirely.
Understand the original words
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger, often seen in the Bible as a consequence of war, divine judgment, or environmental disaster.
sheqel · Hebrew Noun
A unit of weight used for precious metals; a standard measure of value in ancient Israelite commerce.
The horrific famine described in Samaria was a direct consequence of the brutal Assyrian siege and conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, highlighting the devastating impact of imperial expansion on ordinary people.
c. 841 BC
Assyrian Tribute Demanded
King Jehu of Israel pays heavy tribute to the Assyrian Empire, indicating Israel's vulnerability and the region's ongoing political instability.
c. 730 BC - 722 BC
Syrian-Israeli War
Syria and Israel (Northern Kingdom) form an alliance against Assyrian domination and attempt to pressure Judah into joining them. Assyria retaliates.
722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under King Sargon II, conquers and destroys the capital city of Samaria after a prolonged siege.
c. 722 BC onwards
Deportation of Israelites
The Assyrians deport large numbers of the population of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering them throughout the empire and ending its existence as a distinct entity.
This passage from Deuteronomy prophesies the extreme scarcity and desperation that would result from disobedience, directly paralleling the horrifying conditions described in 2 Kings 6:25.
Lamentations 4:10Jeremiah describes similar horrors during the siege of Jerusalem, where mothers resorted to eating their own children due to unbearable famine, echoing the profound depths of suffering depicted in Samaria.
Jeremiah 19:9God explicitly warns of the consequences of sin, stating that the people would eat the flesh of their sons and daughters during a terrible siege, a chilling prefiguring of the events in Samaria.
Leviticus 26:29This Levitical law outlines the severe judgment for breaking the covenant, including the grim consequence of eating one’s own children and the flesh of loved ones due to siege famine.
This verse powerfully illustrates the absolute desperation of famine by revealing the specific, disgusting things people were forced to eat. It's not just "food was scarce"; it's that the most repulsive, inedible items became valuable commodities. This shows the brutal reality of siege warfare and the depths to which humanity can sink when stripped of basic provisions.
The Israelites are facing a brutal siege by the Aramean army, who have surrounded the city of Samaria. This intense pressure has led to extreme starvation, where people are resorting to eating things no one would ever consider, highlighting the devastating consequences of war and God's judgment. Just after this dire description, Elisha the prophet will miraculously end the famine, demonstrating God's power even in the midst of human desperation.
The Israelites are facing a brutal siege by the Aramean army, who have surrounded the city of Samaria. This intense pressure has led to extreme starvation, where people are resorting to eating things no one would ever consider, highlighting the devastating consequences of war and God's judgment. Just after this dire description, Elisha the prophet will miraculously end the famine, demonstrating God's power even in the midst of human desperation.
"And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver." — This verse powerfully illustrates the absolute desperation of famine by revealing the specific, disgusting things people were forced to eat. It's not just "food was scarce"; it's that the most repu…
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Last reviewed October 2026