Reading for September 14th

Read 2 Kings 6.24-7.2 In 6.24-7.20: The siege of Samaria. In 6.24-25: In a siege, a city was surrounded and its food supply cut off in order to starve out the inhabitants. Thus, food prices within the city soared. A shekel was a measure of weight of just less than half an once. A kab was slightly more than a quart. In verse 27: The threshing floor was flat, raised area where grain was separated from the hull. A wine press was where grapes were squeezed for thier juice to make wine. The king is replying that he has no access to food supplies than does the woman who was asking for his help. His wish, let the Lord help you seems sarcastic in this context, as he blames the Lord for the predicament of the city. In verses 28-29: The woman's complaint is a legal case, since the king is, in effect the supreme court of the land. The case she brings reflects the desperate straits of the city, where people have resorted to cannibalism. It also recalls, in a disorted way, the case of Solomon's judgement in 1 Kings 3.16-28. In verse 30: Sackcolth is a transliteration of the Hebrew "saq," which refers to some kind of garment worn to symbolize mourning. In verse 31: it is not clear why the king holds Elisha responsible for the siege, but it seems to be a classic case of blaming the messager for the message. The Lord has sent the trouble (v. 33), and Elisha is the Lord's messenger. In verse 33: The king may be asking why he should hope in the Lord any longer or what more (punishment) he can expect fromthe Lord if he kills Elisha. In 7.1: Compare 6.25. Elisha predicts that the availablity of food will dramatically in crease and hence the prices be drastically reduced within the a day. In verse 2: On whose hand the king leaned was a titile for a special assistant to the king. Comments or Questions..