Tanach
Melachim II 6:24-33 מלכים ב ו׳:כ״ד-ל״ג
Part of: Chapter 6
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַֽיְהִי אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן וַיִּקְבֹּץ בֶּן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם אֶת־כׇּל־מַחֲנֵהוּ וַיַּעַל וַיָּצַר עַל־שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃
And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Shomeron.
And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Shomeron.
וַיְהִי רָעָב גָּדוֹל בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וְהִנֵּה צָרִים עָלֶיהָ עַד הֱיוֹת רֹאשׁ־חֲמוֹר בִּשְׁמֹנִים כֶּסֶף וְרֹבַע הַקַּב (חרי) [דִּב־]יוֹנִים בַּחֲמִשָּׁה־כָֽסֶף׃
And there was a great famine in Shomeron: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a qav of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
And there was a great famine in Shomeron: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a qav of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
Rashi
וַֽיְהִי מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹבֵר עַל־הַחֹמָה וְאִשָּׁה צָעֲקָה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר הוֹשִׁיעָה אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
And as the king of Yisra᾽el was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
And as the king of Yisra᾽el was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
Rashi
הושיעה אדני המלך. כסבור ששואלת מזונות:
“Save me, my master, the king!” He thought that she was asking for food.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־יוֹשִׁעֵךְ יְהֹוָה מֵאַיִן אוֹשִׁיעֵךְ הֲמִן־הַגֹּרֶן אוֹ מִן־הַיָּֽקֶב׃
And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
וַיֹּאמֶר־לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה־לָּךְ וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת אָמְרָה אֵלַי תְּנִי אֶת־בְּנֵךְ וְנֹאכְלֶנּוּ הַיּוֹם וְאֶת־בְּנִי נֹאכַל מָחָֽר׃
And the king said to her, What ails thee? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
And the king said to her, What ails thee? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
וַנְּבַשֵּׁל אֶת־בְּנִי וַנֹּאכְלֵהוּ וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיהָ בַּיּוֹם הָאַחֵר תְּנִי אֶת־בְּנֵךְ וְנֹאכְלֶנּוּ וַתַּחְבִּא אֶת־בְּנָֽהּ׃
So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she has hid her son.
So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she has hid her son.
Rashi
ותחבא את בנה. מת, ורוצה לאוכלו לבדה (ילקוט שמעוני רמז רלא):
But she has hidden her son. [Who was] dead, and she wants to eat him by herself.11Alternatively, the other woman’s child was alive and she was hiding him to save his life.—Radak
וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָֽאִשָּׁה וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וְהוּא עֹבֵר עַל־הַחֹמָה וַיַּרְא הָעָם וְהִנֵּה הַשַּׂק עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מִבָּֽיִת׃
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
Rashi
וירא העם. דרך הקרע, את השק תחת בגדיו:
The people saw. Through the tear [they saw] the sackcloth under his garments.
וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשֶׂה־לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִף אִֽם־יַעֲמֹד רֹאשׁ אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן־שָׁפָט עָלָיו הַיּֽוֹם׃
Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shafat, shall stand on him this day.
Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shafat, shall stand on him this day.
Rashi
אם יעמוד ראש אלישע. שהיכולת בידו לבקש רחמים:
If the head of Elisha son of Shophot stands. For he is able to beg for mercy.12He could have ended the hunger through prayer as Eliyahu had done. See I Melochim 18:41-45. But he failed to do so.
וֶאֱלִישָׁע יֹשֵׁב בְּבֵיתוֹ וְהַזְּקֵנִים יֹשְׁבִים אִתּוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח אִישׁ מִלְּפָנָיו בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַמַּלְאָךְ אֵלָיו וְהוּא ׀ אָמַר אֶל־הַזְּקֵנִים הַרְּאִיתֶם כִּֽי־שָׁלַח בֶּן־הַֽמְרַצֵּחַ הַזֶּה לְהָסִיר אֶת־רֹאשִׁי רְאוּ ׀ כְּבֹא הַמַּלְאָךְ סִגְרוּ הַדֶּלֶת וּלְחַצְתֶּם אֹתוֹ בַּדֶּלֶת הֲלוֹא קוֹל רַגְלֵי אֲדֹנָיו אַחֲרָֽיו׃
But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
Rashi
וישלח איש מלפניו. המלך שלח להרגו, ובטרם יבא אותו המלאך אל אלישע, והוא נגלה לו ברוח הקודש, ואמר אל הזקנים: והנה המלאך יורד אליו והמלך אחריו:
And he sent a man from his presence. The king sent [a man] to kill him, and before the messenger had come to Elisha, it was revealed to him through the Divine Spirit, and he said to the elders, etc., [after which Scripture states,] “and behold the messenger was coming down to him,” and the king was after him.
עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם וְהִנֵּה הַמַּלְאָךְ יֹרֵד אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה־זֹאת הָרָעָה מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה מָה־אוֹחִיל לַיהֹוָה עֽוֹד׃ {פ}
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?
Rashi
ויאמר. המלך:
He said. The king.
הנה זאת הרעה מאת ה'. זאת אחת מן הקללות שקלל על ידי משה (דברים כח נג): ואכלת פרי בטנך במצור ובמצוק וגו':
“Behold, this tragedy is from Adonoy.” This is one of the curses that He cursed through Moshe, “And you will eat the flesh of your womb, etc., in the siege and in the distress, etc.”13Devarim 28:53.
מה אוחיל לה' עוד. להושיע, הלא לא יועיל
What more can I hope for from Adonoy? To save, it will surely not avail.14Alternatively, מָה אוֹחִיל means “what more can I pray [=אוֹחִיל] before God?”—Targum
דביונים. זבל הזב מן היונים:
Pigeon dung. Dung that flows from the doves.10When they no longer had wood to cook with, they used dung for fuel.